Corporate wear for young girl

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My 22yo DD has just gotten a corporate job in central london. She is a small 5ft2 and is usually a size 6. Looks very young.
What should she wear? Ideally good quality lasting items. Shes worried she'll look like a school kid with black trousers and a shirt.
Budget is around 300, just for clothes, not accessories! Any ideas?

H&M do good pencil skirts and pencil dresses - that’s always a good start.

A bit taller than my daughter. During her internship she wore black suit initially (her school suit from Zara). She gradually relaxed it a little to tailored trousers in hounds tooth, Prince of Wales, a dark tartan or dark plain colour with a pastel blouse. She has a little dark grey box jacket that goes with most things when a jacket was required.

would she wear a dress like this with a blazer and heels?

How about a shift dress with a tailored cardigan or jacket over? Then she could dress it down with flats or up with jacket, heels and accessories.

I wouldn't spend too much until she's started there and got a sense of what's expected.

The younger girls in my office all seem to have about 5 smart dresses and rotate them.

Your DD could get at least 5 great dresses from Brand Alley, have a look at Warehouse, Jigsaw, Ted Baker, Reiss on there.

Pencil skirt or dress. No need for jacket. Blazer could work well.

In the professional services firm I work in It is all day dresses now rather than separates.

I would get dresses if she's worried about looking like she's in school. Mango, zara, h&m and warehouse all do nice, fashionable work style dresses. Jigsaw and reiss are good too but a bit more expensive. She could also get some cardigans and a blazer or two in black/navy to wear over the top.

There's also trousers (don't need to be black - warehouse and massimo dutti both have nice slightly different ones) + patterned blouse or a jumper. Mango and & other stories have great blouses.

Dresses from Dorothy Perkins and a blazer, comfortable but stylish heels, or coloured tailored trousers (including patterns) with a blouse or polo neck jumper and blazer are my go to outfits. Aged 29, size 12.

I have a pair of black trousers but they're high waisted, cigarette pants, worn with heels and a variety of coloured blouses and a blazer, usually the blazer is check or dog tooth or something fun/pop of colour.

I also have bits from oasis warehouse and would love to buy my work wardrobe from Reiss but quite honestly don't want to spend that much on work stuff. Would rather have it for play stuff!

Dresses are by far the most favoured workwear for the women in my City firm. Some women also wear 7/8th trousers and a top. Jackets for meetings only these days.

I thought you were going to say for a 16 yo on work experience. Even then 16 isn't a young girl.

You mean a young woman. Dresses and a bolero. Skirts and smart tops

Yes, I also think it’s weird that you refer to a 22 year old as a “young girl”. I mean it’s quite patronising, you’re essentially calling a grown adult a child.

Shes worried she'll look like a school kid

Calling her a “young girl” doesn’t help my dear

wear black trousers with a shirt or top that isn't white and she won't look like a school girl.

and I agree, don't call her a 'young girl'. She's 22.

This was my DD a few years ago. We went for a drink at a bar near her future office at 5pm one day and watched people coming out to see what they were wearing. It turned out she had skirts/tops/dresses that were perfectly appropriate and knowing that made her much more confident when she started.

And your daughter is definitely a young woman not a girl.

Well whatever she is, she needs a work wardrobe! I would look at Massimo Dutti. Zara and Mango are also worth looking at. LK Bennett trousers and jackets can be worn by any age.

No 22 year old should wear a bolero! My slightly older DDs would never wear one.
Stick to sharp 7/8 trousers, or wider cut offs, heels if she’s ok with that, patterned blouses. Not man style shirts. Avoid skater dresses and go for better cut shift dresses with short sleeves if possible.

The Daily Telegraph has the best fashion advice and recently did a work wear article. (9 March) It’s premium but you might get a free trial. At least she could copy these ideas and look chic.