New job, new wardrobe.

[ClinicalProf]

After working abroad for years, I’m returning to the UK soon and need a new wardrobe. Budget £1000-1500.

My working week will be split 50/50 between university lecturing/ research and hospital work (outpatient clinics and wards).

Since 2012, I’ve worked in the Antipodes and have a working wardrobe that I love, but my clothes are either not warm enough for England, or too informal.

I'm late-forties, size 12, HoC bright winter, hourglass figure.

Bumping, would welcome suggestions of shops, styles, levels of formality.

Fold London for super formal
Hobbs
Reiss
M&S

Hmm … Sounds as if you’ll be busy!

I would - run very fast to the Margaret Howell sale (in person if you’re in or near London) and buy up anything that appeals. They’ll last forever and improve with age. Sizing can be unpredictable so be prepared for some trial and error if you can only order online. And I suggest looking at the sale first because that sort of quality does not come cheap and just a few full price pieces of knitwear, say, would eat up your entire budget.

Also, Matches is in a period of disruption at the moment, but if you can catch what's left of Raey @ Matches that would also be a great source of good quality basics. (You’ll need some patience to scroll, scroll, scroll …)

Those two would more than adequately cover your lecturing wardrobe.

I wonder if you’ve spent much time in English hospitals? You might not want to wear anything expensive or noticeable …

I’d suggest taking a look at Community Clothing and buying all their trousers, shirts, t shirts and knitwear for this aspect of your work. Again, excellent quality, exemplary ethos - should withstand endless laundry.

But don’t buy too much of anything until you’ve properly sussed out the culture of your various institutions, and worked out what you’ll need.

Another good source for your lecturing wardrobe would be Studio Nicholson which also has a sale on at the moment. Again excellent quality and popular with senior professional women who aim to look contemporary.

As regards formality - the male head of the Oxbridge college with which I’m associated generally appears around college in a suit, everyone else, male and female, just wears ‘good clothes’ according to their inclination. From what I’ve observed formality and levels of interest in clothing can vary in line with status of institution. So you may get responses from university academics protesting that they buy everything from Next and M&S and are doing perfectly well. You may be influenced by how much time you’ll spend at conferences amongst beautifully dressed European colleagues.

In short - you definitely won’t need a nice little 20th century suit and court shoes.

You will be in Scrubs surely working in Hospitals. Or if you're not you will need to wear clothes that can be washed at a high temperature due to infection control. According to my sister who performs a similar role.

Thank you all for these excellent suggestions and for the cultural info on formality. I’m shopping already, and am relieved I won’t need a suit!

No scrubs, it’s an ‘own clothes’ specialty.

Thank you @Cantonet for the info about high temperature washes.

Hmph! If there’s an element of sarcasm in your thanks, @ClinicalProf , I guess I could live with it!

Yesterday I only mentioned a very few old faithful brands that I know to be reliable - there are plenty of other, newer places that are on my radar but not quite so prominently. And I’m very aware that Australia / NZ have some amazingly stylish brands that make UK shopping look embarrassingly lumpen proletariat.

I’ve spent large parts of the past couple of years gasping over https://alemais.com/ for instance. But I don’t suppose you’d be wearing any of that for work.

A Sunday Times article on Katherine Ryan yesterday reminded me of

The Frankie Shop

Never bought from them but seems popular.

And you could look at places like:

Loulou Studio
Massimo Alba
Teurn Studios
Toteme
YMC
Eat Dust Clothing

According to your own tastes and style. All stock good strong versatile clothes that might work for years to come. On that note,

MaxMara

and

Rise and Fall

both offer classic styles - very different ethos though.

No sarcasm intended at all. I’m genuinely pleased I don’t need a suit and looking forward to looking at your latest suggestions @TheOriginalFrench

@TheOriginalFrench I am always looking out for quality brands and I’ve enjoyed looking at some of your suggestions on here. Some are a bit too contemporary for me but there were a few I’ve not heard of previously. Thank you

I hope you found something OP

You sound like you'll be in a fairly similar setup to me - it's gotten a lot more informal post-2020. Definitely no suits, apart from a few colleagueswho seem to think its still 1980s. Lecturing/research/uni stuff is very casual. I wear woollen trousers, sometimes black jeans with fitted jumpers or a t-shirt with a blazer, sometimes shirt.

Nhs usually has a no jeans and no trainers policy, but many sneak around in trainers anyway. Lots of my colleagues go for a nice wrap dress. Most of my work clothes are from Cos, Arket, Uniqlo, some me+em, massimo dutti and even good ol' h&m.