If you have a senior corp job - what do you wear to the office?

[7Worfs]

I finally need to start making an appearance in the office after years of WFH. I’m completely lost as to what to wear.
Old style (pre-babies, size 8 with the waist of a wasp):
Tailored Hugo Boss skirts
TM Lewin shirts
LK Bennett heels

The above is no longer me - I’m a flabby size 12, would look ridiculous in a tight skirt, TM Lewin have discontinued the styles of shirt I liked, and I am so out of heels habit.

What on earth do I wear now? Nothing looks good on my current shape, I’m working on it, but I need a professional and put-together look now…

I’m sort of excited and terrified of trying on a new style - feeling like an impostor! 🫢

Just posted on another thread about smart casual office wear. I used to wear suits to work, pre-children.

This is what I wear now:

Black wide leg trousers (I don't wear jeans to work)

Assortment of tops/blouses/shirts

Black ankle boots/shoes.

I wear variations of these outfits:
https://www.karenmillen.com/ie/compact-stretch-high-waisted-wide-leg-trouser/AKK05271.html
Although I tend not to tuck in the top/shirt.

And

https://www.tedbaker.com/uk/p/Womens/Clothing/Tops/Blouses-and-Shirts/LUUCIIE-Ruffle-Trim-Blouse-With-Metal-Ball-Trim-Pale-Pink/272490-PL-PINK

I am in a senior corp role. Dress codes went out the window with lockdown and never came back. The vast majority in my office are very casual unless meeting clients face to face. Hardly any of the men wear suits (which I think is a shame)

For women it ranges from (what looks to me) very scruffy jeans and trainers, an increasing number of smartish midi dresses, a couple of people in very smart tailored dresses. Included in that group is the only woman I've ever seen wearing jumpsuits I liked (beautifully tailored wide legged navy, and the most surprising of all, denim. She's always immaculately groomed too).

The matching tailored trouser suit or skirt suit is nowhere to be seen. Oddly, given other comments on here, tailored smart trousers are rare- lots of jeans but if moving into smarter wear it's skirts and dresses.

I'm always in dresses, vast range from lots of different brands e.g Palava, Cabbages and Roses, Liberty, Klements, Edina Ronay, Ganni , & Daughter, none of which would have been "work wear" pre- COVID but if other people can turn up in jeans then I don't see why I can't wear dresses like this.

If you were accompanying me to a client meeting do not wear trainers.

Definitely a combo of smart pant/jeans with a blouse and trainers/loafers and maybe a blazer. Never a full suit or the more structured dresses you used to see.

I have this blouse from Hobbs and I dress it up or down depending on occasion. Size up unless you have very thin arms. It goes with everything https://www.johnlewis.com/hobbs-ana-plain-pintuck-shirt-ivory/p110692562

Esprit and Mint Velvet! Smart trainers or flats. Noone wears heels any more.

My go to flips between some nice wide trousers with a side stripe and decent t shit (mango current favourite) or a nice maxi dress, think all saints, warehouse or zara.

I’m senior and work in a fairly stuffy environment.
I wear oversized blazers with dresses, a shell top or tank top and pleated skirt or some trousers (any style). I wear trainers a lot but usually change out of them for Exec meetings or an external meeting into brogues or flat pointed shoes which I have had for years and I don’t care if they’re fashionable or not, but they suit me.
It’s still a corporate look but more relaxed than the very tailored stuff that I wore before lockdown, and I have ditched the heels completely!
Brand wise I wear Reiss, Zara, Primark (!), and stuff from TK Maxx like a beautiful Adrienne Vittadini dress which is almost 10 years old and gets compliments every time. I shop on Vinted mostly, I got a great Zara long faux leather pleated skirt in black which I wore with a white top, white blazer and white trainers.

Can anyone suggest 'smart trainers' in darker colours for winter ?

I'm tall, size 10/12. I wear tapered or occasionally wide legged trousers and well cut cotton tops. Loafers or ballet flats.

In this hot weather, I have a couple of fit and flare calf length cotton dresses with sandals

In winter sometimes a narrow skirt and low-heeled boots. Tailored long wool coat.

I went into Mango this week for the first time in ages and they had some absolute gems, if you were prepared to look.

I'm in a corporate job in a smart office (all the men in suits and dress shirts but no ties). Also size 12 (M&S size 10 at a push) but I've lost a few pounds and feel reasonably body confident.

I don't see a lot of trousers being worn, more dresses, and some skirts. The big floral waistless tiered dresses that were everywhere are hopeless for me - I can't feel remotely professional in them. Fortunately they're definitely on their way out in favour of a more waisted shape, or shirt dresses, often in bold but abstract monochrome styles (see pic). I think a couple of them for less formal days would be useful: but the problem with strikingly patterned dresses is that you get sick of them and you think that other people are clocking you yet again. That's why the shops love them of course: even if they're all £39.50 M&S specials or 20 quid from New Look you have to have so many of them to avoid that that you end up spending more.

Other looks I wear and see other women in:
Pleated midi skirts with a blouse. Simple, smart and on sale everywhere. (CEOs PA team, worn with killer heels)
Slip midi skirts. Very much next year's look. I like them because I'm short and dumpy and feel that pleated skirts drown me, but they're a nightmare to fit with tops because you can't tuck anything in. I have a couple of fitted cotton boatneck tops I wear over the top but it's pretty unforgiving on the tummy. Wear a full length slip underneath.
Dark Academia look (see pic, but I go more fitted): calf length fitted wool skirts with neat knitwear on top. The skirts came from charity shops but you can still get them new if you look: because it was never a fashionable look, it's pretty timeless.

Basic black full length trousers, good loafers, flowing patterned shirt over the top. (Cool older colleague)
Black wide legged ankle length trousers with layered hip length separates (supercool tall European colleague rocking architect chic)

I wear heels myself actually and a lot of women in my office still do. You don't see them much out and about, but I'd bet that lots of the women queuing in Cornhill Pret wearing trainers have a pair of heels under their desk to put on when they get back.

Thanks all, lots of ideas and brands to explore after I ruthlessly clear my wardrobe from stuff that doesn’t fit/hasn’t been warn in a decade!

@NatashaDancing I too miss the suit look on men and women, but it will def look dated now… I used to look like a million dollars in a crisp shirt and a pencil skirt.

There are a number of options on this thread (trainers, t shirts, jeans) that no matter how stylish would most definitely not be acceptable in my non-client facing, c-suite corporate role.

I tend to wear ankle grazer tapered, or wide leg (front creased) trousers. I find the latter are increasingly hard to find without an elasticated waist which makes the look to casual for my work place. M&S have excellent options (machine washable, various lengths in multitude of colours). I also like Max Mara, Ted Baker and Massimo Dutti for trousers (although latter always need taking up for me).

on top a silk blouse or more structured shell top I think I probably keep Massimo Dutti in business here but also like Reiss, and Marella/Max Mara for patterns/coloured options.

I always wear a jacket I favour oversized crepe blazers (Reiss, The Fold) or shorter more boxy tweedy/boucle options (sandro, maje, Fee G, Zara )

Occasionally I’ll wear a tailored dress or more formal suit (investors, board, court) in which case I have a couple of go to outfits from The Fold and Alexander McQueen. On these occasions I always wear heels but day to day they’ve mainly been ditched in favour of pointed flats, the younger, cooler execs on my team wear loafers or brogues but not for me.

Even within a company, it depends a little on your role

Personally I think "smart trainers" is a contradiction in terms. Trainers would be ok in my office but never acceptable, no matter how smart, at a client meeting.

I’ve put on a bit more weight than I’d like too and am pushing a size 14 at 5 7

My day to day look is a variation on wide leg trousers in black or navy with a blouse or fitted jumper, or more fitted trousers with a mismatched jacket.

If it needs to be more formal, I have some fitted shift dresses from Libby London I like, and I’ve also got a black leather pencil skirt which I’ve worn at some quite formal meetings - eg presenting to the board.

I do still have some suits which don’t really get worn on a day to day basis but I would sometimes wear these if for example I was in court or in an external meeting where I wanted to project a bit of artificial authority/bolster my own self confidence 😀

My go to shops are Libby London, The Fold, Phase Eight and I add in a bit of Sosander and Brand Alley bargains to ring the changes a bit

Can I put in a good word for shirt dresses? I always feel smart in these, even if they're a slightly more casual style. I have a couple of slightly stretchy ones (Monsoon I think) in what they call Ecovero Lenzing. A colleague has a lovely bold print one that always gets comments.

I am on client site quite a lot and I do wear smart trainers if I'm wearing trousers but then so do the people I'm meeting.

I am a short plus size which I find makes things a bit harder. I tend to always wear a blazer because they pull me together although if I'm popping in then I may not if I'm in a dress.

Then I will do a tapered trouser, fairly loose silky blouse tucked in. Always jewellery of some sort. Trainers or smart pointed flats or ankle boots.

I do also second a shirt dress. I am on the hunt for a few this year. I suit colour and I find I can do a bright block colour in a shirt dress fairly well. I like a funky print as well but not floral and have been known to wear a leopard print shirt dress with a black blazer and got a lot of positive comments.

Also if I have a midi length dress I will do a long boot with (small) heel. As long as the hem is definitely below the boot top! It is not cutting edge I know but I struggle with getting shoes to fit and this looks pulled together which is something I struggle with. So I've decided it's classic ;)