Can you all be my work wardrobes stylists please?

[puffinchuffin]

Please please help me! All my working life ive worked a job that required a uniform. Ive never needed to buy clothes for work! I also have an entirely new body after 7 stone weight loss that im still learning how to dress. I have a new job thats hybrid, 50% in office. Ill be meeting with members of the public who require support. So i need to look professional (im a registered nurse) but also approachable, so sitting in expensive clothes with designer bags and jewelery isnt the look im going for.

Im 41, 5'4, i cant do heels at all due to a mobility condition - this is why im changing jobs. Im in a size 8-10, mostly because i have larger boobs, 30E and the 8s dont stretch to my chest, but fit on the waist and hips, i have some loose skin to my stomach from the weight loss so cant wear anything too tight. Im naturally a cool ashy blonde, cool toned skin, AI says im a cool summer, which fits, i lean towards softer greys, plums, deeper wine reds, dusky pinks blue and greens. I still love black too and most of my clothes are black I dislike bright colours and anything warmer toned like true reds, oranges and yellows washes me out completely. I wear silver jewelery.

My "style" day to day is loose jeans a vest top and beloved new leather jacket, or, i have recently discovered the joy of dress. Id didnt wear a dress my entire adult life, even when i got married i wore a dress that i hated for the ceremony and pictures, then changed out of it as soon as i could. Since loosing weight i tried a work dress instread of tunics, and it was so much more flatering to my figure. So I'd like to get some suitable dresses. Years of bare below the elbows has made me dislike long sleeves though. I've always been a little bit more "alt", i have piercings and lots of tattoos, one arm is pretty much a sleeve at this point.

I dont know where to shop, before i shoped really only next and newlook as i hated buying clothes for a size 24 body, so now i dont know where to start.

Im looking for a few bits, maybe 2 trousers, maybe skirts, a few tops and a few dresses. Then shoes and a pair of boots, though i love my DM's and would wear them if appropriate.

My budget isnt massive, def looking high street price's at the moment. I could stretch to £400 for everything, but im also ok with splitting the cost and just getting a few items initially and buying more at a later date.

These are the two dresses ive seen currently and im thinking of getting, but im not sure if they are appropriate, and im very open to suggestions.

Thank you!

https://www.disturbia.co.uk/products/callopistria-moth-print-midi-shirt-dress-green?variant=54972965257589

https://www.disturbia.co.uk/collections/work-dresses/products/fairfolk-floral-embroidery-tie-waist-button-down-midi-shirt-dress?variant=55328761774453

That Disturbia dress is fab- you could wear it with DMs, or if you wanted to tone down the indie vibe ( not saying you should, ) you could wear it with any other footwear. Shirt dresses always look professional.
Sales are just starting, so you should be able to have a lot of choice

Try and treat it like a uniform, so choose a few bits that go together. I change mine up quite a bit, but there is always a "look" for a year or so.

I did dresses for a long time and they are very easy to throw on, especially if they works with tights and boots, and with sandals. When I have a make I like, I'll buy more from Vinted as I know they will fit (so bought loads of Emily & Fin dresses one time)

At the moment I'm wearing chinos rolled up, smart trainers, and then lots of blouses. I'm also a bit booby so tend to buy either looser, bigger fit blouses, or ones without any buttons at all, so they don't gape like a shirt does, then put a vest underneath for that last bit of cleavage. I have navy and black chinos, then all my tops go with those colours. Again, no thinking about outfits, everything works together.

Ive just seen disturbia have 20% off so ive ordered them to try, i love the green moth dress so much.

Love both dresses! I also lean on the corporate goth/alternative, so definitely support - think they are pretty stylish and appropriate as well.

I agree with creating a work uniform. I did dresses for many years until I swapped jobs and started cycling to work. Now I have a few pairs of trousers, most notably a pair of wide leg M&S jeans that are smart enough to wear to work. These are the basis of my work wardrobe, paired with smart T Shirts/shirts/knitwear and some smartish trainers.

@puffinchuffin a soft goth capsule could be useful for styles and shapes

TU at Sainsburys is surprisingly good for smart casual clothes for work. Plenty of shirt dresses for less than £30. H&M have a pretty good sale at the moment too.

Some time ago a lady on here told us that she bought 5 tops,2 pairs of trousers and a skirt and that was all she was going to buy as her work wardrobe .I think that sounds fair enough.