What would you wear this with for work?

[Tipsntoes]

Navy dress

I have a management job where appearance is expected to be smart, but I'm also on my feet quite a bit, often outside in the cold/rain for short periods and sometimes on my hands and knees under a desk or climbing to attend to something I can't reach.

In the summer that means dresses and flat pumps and that works well for me.

In winter it's so much harder. No bare legs and no matter what tights I go for they feel all wrong. This dress for example, Navy opaques, frumpy? Navy 7/10 denier tights show every little snag never mind ladder, tan tights, aren't nice? Coloured tights to break up the Navy, just a bit too odd? What's the answer?

Plus the dresses always stick to the tights no matter what kind I go for.

FWIW I don't do black have now completely weeded it out of my wardrobe after years of relying on it completely.

Grey tights.

Try in tk max for falke or wolford ones to deal with the snagging issue.

I think glossy navy opaques avoid frumpiness, I have gorgeous ones from Falke, they are around 80 denier with a glossy finish they look and feel very luxe

With a job where you have to be outside regularly I'd be wearing wool tights and ankleboots and a thermal layer under the dress. Smartness be damned, you can't be expected to do your job if you are cold. How smart are your male colleagues? Do they wear suits or is it more a smart casual environment and they are in chinos?

I can do wool tights and ankle boots, but what colour? Plus it's warm in the office, which is where I am most of the day, I find a good technical coat works better than a warm "outfit".

Men are in formal "suit" trousers, shirt and tie, usually a sweater rather than a jacket.

£20+ for a pair of tights Are they an investment buy that will last me a lifetime or do they need replacing like other tights?

I'm short so regularly wear all navy including navy tights and boots. No idea if I'm viewed as frumpy or not. I'm nearly 50 so probably but am slim and fit and wear similar clothes to the people in their 20s so who knows!

I think with the dress you've linked to you could wear all navy or black tights/shoes/some other accessory. Or you could wear more colourful tights with navy/grey/brown shoes.