Hit me up with your best cheap workwear that looks expensive

[Jetsetterf]

I'm petite, size 12 with a massive tummy but slim everywhere else. The only requirement is that I need to look great but don't mind whether it's a blouse/dress/skirt/suit/trousers etc.

Budget for my entire workwear wardrobe is £500 so I need individual pieces that are cheap but look expensive.

Links would be excellent!

warehouse, h&m, massimo dutti are my inexpensive but don't look it workwear staples

I have a few nice bits from Uniqlo. The ankle length trouser are my summer work staples. My only bugbear is that the tops could be slightly longer but you should be fine.

This blouse, beautiful on, in a 12 will hide any tummy m2.hm.com/m/en_gb/productpage.0660726001.html

@Loopy9 Thank you, but it says file not found?

oh it's sold out such a shame :(

Warehouse is good for dresses - you need to scroll through lots of crazy dross to find decent workwear, but it is usually there. Most are unlined - invest in a slip that can go under everything. Esprit has good skirts, and always on sale.

What’s your job? How formal is your dress code?

@browzingss lawyer, its a very formal dress code

Next for suits, formal dresses, dorothy Perkins, warehouse for tops

My most expensive-looking (relatively) cheap workwear is a Hobbs dress I got at a huge discount in the sale. I went first thing on a Saturday morning before it got busy and basically tried everything on until I found something I liked.

Closet London do nice dresses that are reasonably priced.

Uniqlo for trousers and silky t-shirts to wear under jackets. I also got a couple of light knit t shirts there last week that look much more expensive than they were.

Dresses Hobbs, LK, Massimo, Kin, Cos but you won’t get many for £500

M&S have some nice suits (pencil skirt and jackets) and I got a lovely navy dress there for 45quid.

The skirts are a good length and then you can team with trendy blouses/ sweaters. I'm also a lawyer and that's my go to.

Don't forget accessories which instantly make outfit look more expensive and put together. I wear a slip under everything as it hangs better.

Try uniqlo for great basics and banana republic in th sale, particularly good for tailoring.

eBay for second hand good quality items like Hobbs, jaeger, LK Bennett etc

I initially read it as work out wear and came on here to say gymshark in the sales.

However.... work wear for formal lawyer.

Warehouse have some nice structured dresses as do next. I’ve bought some trousers in M&S which are ankle grazer skinny types. £30 a pair ish.

Monsoon actually have some nice basic blouses/trousers.

As do oasis.

I’ve also found that next is good for tailoring but so is ted baker. In the sale. And Reid’s. Again sale.

Reiss.

Have you tried debhanams personal shopper service? I did this once cos I started a new job where everyone was so glam and I felt frumpy in my Asda work pants and blouse, also I hate shopping especially for work clothes. I would recommend to anyone. You book an appointment online, when you get there you have a brief chat about what you want, they give you a coffee and a magazine and 10 mins later come back with loads of stuff to try on, then you say what you do/ don't like and why and then they get more stuff. At the end they helped me narrow down what I liked so that I had a whole new capsule wardrobe for work with mix and match items for under £200. I loved everything I bought and felt more stylish and super confident.

Just don’t buy cheap shoes. They will always look cheap. Same for your handbag. Charity shop and TK Maxx are great for higher end items at a discount.

A friend who is a lawyer gets a lot of her work outfits from Zara.

I've picked up a couple of nice dresses from Sainsbury's before, so even the really cheap places can be worth a check.

I've also bought a couple of brilliant slips (not shapewear) from Sainsbury's to wear underneath unlined dresses - instantly make something cheap look higher quality imo, and smooth over bumps/underwear lines.

Get at least one nice, black jacket that fits you really well. Use this in combination with a number of different dresses.
Next is good.

Esprit has some decent, smart work stuff in the sale: www.esprit.co.uk/sale/women-sale/blazers-suits

Jigsaw has a really good sale on at the moment. I love their silk tops - lots of those significantly reduced right now.

If you get something on the cheaper side, having it altered to be a great fit can make an immense difference. It can make something ordinary look top notch.

Cashback website for anything you buy, or try to get discount code - never buy full price (unless tk maxx!). I'd look asos and zalando, h&m, gap, uniqlo

Also look at the quality - something like reiss has nice work dresses but 100% polyester 🙄 especially with shoes it's so important they are comfy.