Help me to do smart casual

[LoveBeingAMum555]

Like a lot of people I am now working from home for the foreseeable future. Previously I wore very smart office clothes during the week and fairly scruffy weekend clothes (walking the dog, gardening, cleaning, lazing about at home). I dont have a lot in between and I need some clothes that look OK if I have to pop to the shops or maybe do a site visit or go to a meeting from home.

I am 48, size 8-10 and 5 ft 4. I dont have a huge budget but could spend on one or two more expensive pieces. One of my problems is that I really feel the cold so I have a couple of nice dresses but I am too cold with bare legs (and I never know what to wear on my feet).

Any suggestions of the sort of thing I should be buying? I feel like I am having a bit of a confidence crisis.

Pinterest is your friend, search smart casual
work outfits and create a board for ideas.

I went from ultra smart suits to casual workwear and found it so difficult, it took me about 12 months to work it out.

I tend to wear 3/4 trousers with trainers, midi skirts/dresses with trainers or ankle boots. Jeans, blazer and loafers.

Tights and ankles boots look good with skirts and dresses for A/W, I buy thermal ones and thermal vests to keep cosy.

Thanks, off to look at Pinterest now, I think I am most comfortable in my smart office clothes, and I need to try and work out a new look without resorting to jeans and a jumper all the time. If I can incorporate some of my existing work jackets and tops to be a bit smarter that would be good too.

I’m a lecturer in a creative subject, and in actual work my outfits are a variation on:

Wide leg cropped trousers, tucked in tee shirt or stripy top, trainers - in winter I wear slim fit jumpers, often slightly cropped so they just sit on the waist
Midi skirts as above
Midi dresses with either trainers or DM boots
A-line short skirt, with fitted jumper (skinny rib polo neck, crew necks) and opaque tights - I usually go 100 denier - and flat Chelsea bots

I really feel the cold, and have a load of Uniqlo heat tech under-layers, plus v-neck cardis in merino or alpaca knit. In winter I find M&S cashmere is really good.

Shops-wise I know which cuts suit my shape, which makes it easy. Cos trousers are my favourites, cardigans from Other Stories and Arket, dresses Warehouse, Zara, Topshop, Whistles, skirts Topshop, Monki, knitwear Whistles, M&S.

I’m done for summer now, but for WFH I was pretty much in jeans and t-shirts. I had one to one meetings with male students who I had to tell to put a shirt on, because they were in their beds!

(I’m a bit taller (5ft 6) and fatter (10/12) than you.)

Oh! I also have a cashmere snood thing I bought in the John Lewis sale a few years ago which I was wearing round my neck around the house while WFH. So cosy, and I could just whip it off if I had to do a video call.

Another top tip as a fellow cold person - I live in Scotland - is sheepskin insoles. I find if my feet are cold I just can’t get warm.

Sorry, me again, I wish you could edit posts. Finally. I bought a load of M&S school knee high socks last year for wearing under trousers - grey, navy, and black. They fit adult feet and help with chilly ankles.

Thank you, I am loving these suggestions. I need to break away from skinny jeans and find some actual trousers that look good. Love the idea of wide legged crops with a t-shirt tucked in.

Can I ask about trainers? I love Superga, but find anything too flat on the soles makes my achilles hurt after a while. Any suggestions?

Trainers, I wear black leather Adidas Stan Smiths or Continental 80s for work, occasionally black and white Veja Esplars, but they are less comfy. I have the C80s in grey too, and also white Stan Smiths.

Less easy to wear, but I have splendid Nikes in gold, and a black and leopard print pair.

I have small feet - 4 - so can buy kids’ shoes which are much cheaper!!