Workwear inspiration (I have none, to clarify)

[Laquila]

Help!! hate this time of year, clothing-wise, and I've lost my workwear mojo.

I like midi column/shirt dresses, wide-leg trousers with shirts/blouses, pleated midi skirts and shell tops etc, but I am BORED with everything I have!! I've also started working an extra day p/w in the office and so need more options.

My usual workwear brands are M&S, Boden, Next, Gap, sometimes Mango/Zara/H&M, or Hush.
I can't really get to the shops at the mo so it's going to have to be online, and I try to buy about 50% of my stuff second-hand on Vinted or eBay.

For the life of me I don't know what I'm looking for or where I want to go with it.

Also, I've been wearing smart-ish sandals all summer and I don't know what to put on my feet now the weather's turned. (Maybe my brain is just fried after a very busy summer?!)

Anyway...please inspire me. What have you bought recently for smart-ish workwear? (I'd say my office is way less corporate than a city law from but definitely "worker" than, e.g. a design/architect's practice.)

I'm a 12-14, 5"7ish, if that's relevant.

Just thinking about this again - does anyone have any good workwear blogs they can recommend, with actual real people on them?! Literally everyone on Pinterest under "women workwear" looks like a super-tanned Amazonian with perfectly-tonged balayaged hair and INCREDIBLY thin ankles 😳

Anyone?

Same size and height, my work uniform tends to be a shortsleeved knit (mango/cos/M&S) with ankle length trousers and loafers, add a blazer for smarter days

Sorry I'm old school. Black or navy trousers, various boring blouses. I do however insist on fancy colourful shoes like Joe Browns or Irregular. Not classy I the slightest but takes the attention from boring trousers and tops.

I’d like to be helpful but am in the same position myself OP. Agree about the blogs too!

Mine is perhaps more formal - I mostly rotate three suits with assorted blouses. On days when I think I can cope with the arctic air con, I might wear a dress and jacket instead. It's dull but I can't be bothered to make a statement and no one is interested anyway.

I mainly buy from Vinted too so can’t really help with links.

I have a muted leopard print pencil skirt from M&S (£2 from Vinted) that I wear with a slightly cropped cotton knit jumper from French Connection (Mozart jumper in palm green).

Same jumper as above with French Connection Whisper culottes.

Longline white shirt over slim/skinny trousers and a knitted vest.

Zara cropped wide leg black jeans (£3 Vinted) with boat neck striped tshirt tucked in.

I’ve bought a camel wool blazer new from Other Stories and cropped ankle boots from Dune. I plan to wear the above outfits with those when it gets cooler. Currently been wearing blush pink loafers from M&S with most of the above.

I got a brilliant thin knitted top by Hobbs off Vinted that’s great as it turns cooler, need to look out for some more colours.

Thanks everyone, really appreciate these responses! @WalkingOnSonshine I love the sound of those outfits (you sound v cool!) but I think I need a touch more formal. But not quite as formal as @losingit31...it's a bloody fine line innit?!

There must be blogs that cater for us - women that just want to look somewhere between chic and professional without spending a fortune and without having to spend twenty minutes every morning choosing a bloody outfit!

I went to M&S today and tried these on and they're lovely. I'll get a lot of wear out of them but I'm waiting for.a Sparks offer/code: www.marksandspencer.com/leather-bow-flat-square-toe-loafers/p/clp60456002?extid=ps_ps-bpla_ggl_ww_ch__-UK-_-_baussc&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6_CYBhDjARIsABnuSzp_Du1uggXOMub4rOavgysb2zeMC3JKIhbBOrfjNCXaT3Xxdm3K1C8aAsTZEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

PSA: they are enormous - I'm usually a 7 and the 6 were a shade too big!

They are the loafers I have from last year! They did a blush pink last year and yes, agree they are enormous, mine are a 4 and I’m usually a 6.

Def worth a look at the FC culottes, they are smart & I tend to dress them down with a tshirt, but would have equally worn them with a silky style shirt at my more formal old company.

I used to follow a few workwear type blogs/IGers, but since Covid, they’ve either stopped completely or their workplaces have become more casual. It’s a bit of a niche, but probably means more people are selling their more formal work clothes on Vinted (I know I am!) meaning there’s a few bargains to be picked up.

My office sounds similar. I wear loafers with shirt dresses and a jacket. I'm planning to get some smarter ankle boots when the weather turns colder.

This woman is in the States but I've been inspired by some of her posts in the past (hope the link works - it's my first)
Wardrobe Oxygen blog

Well fancy that, @WalkingOnSonshine! They were super comfy in the shop. Do you wear those little footsies (ugh that word) with them? That's another issue I have every bloody year - it's fine when you get to winter and can just wear opaques but WHY are all ankle highs etc a weird greyish beige colour?! The footsies that I've tried (which I'd prefer, as I hate ankle highs) all disappear under my toes within seconds - I don't know what the hell other people are doing?!

Just had a look at that blog, @SquirrelFan - she and I have the same favourite bra of all time (Fantasie smoothing T-Shirt bra) so that bodes well 😁

@Georgesgrumpymedicine what kind of boots are you after? I have some lovely clumpy-ish black leather Geox ones from last year (replaced the docs that I never wore) but it's hard to find trousers that they work with.

Re culottes - I do have two gorgeous flowy wide-legged pairs from Next that I wear all the time in summer, I'd love some equipment winter ones in wool/tweed or similar. What shoes/boots do you wear them with in A/W?

Not blog suggestions but you could look at brand websites for style tips without actually buying anything…

Find the brands that strike the right tone and that you like the look of - maybe LK Bennett, Hobbs, Hush, Jaeger, Winser, The Fold, Cefinn, etc - then steal the looks to buy cheaper elsewhere. You're welcome 😉

oh, and shoes - chunky loafers are great, and you can wear them with socks as well as those horrible footsie things. Or if you need the skin-tone contrast and ankle-slimming effect, you could try <whisper it > pop socks 😳

Boots - simple classic Chelsea boots are a universal fit and no sock dramas