Revamp of work style

[DeliciouslyBaked]

I want to totally revamp my work style. I see beautiful stylish women on the tube all the time and i feel like i have zero style in comparison.

I have about £300 to spend and I work 3 days a week (soon to be 4) but two of those will be from home when i can be more casual so I don't need a huge selection. Im a senior manager and am based in Westminster.

Size wise / colouring - currently around size 18 (post two DDs and really hate my tummy area), dark brown but greying shoulder length hair, olive undertoned skin, 5'7.

Have bought some new and properly fitting bras, which are helping already and plan to refresh my haircut before September.

Any advice on where to begin? Shops to consider? Styles that might work for my figure? I've a wardrobe full of stuff that isnt really working for me and so I want to avoid having to buy loads and send back.

Have you thought about trying the John Lewis personal styling service? It gets very mixed reviews and I haven’t tried it myself but it’s free and there’s no obligation to buy anything. It might just help give you an idea of what sorts of styles suit you as a starting point.

Thank you - I did think about that when I went back after mat leave but at the time, it was hard to find the time to actually go to an appointment as our nearest JL is central London. But maybe now the kids are older, its worth making the time?

Have you dismissed Uniqlo? Specifically the

Uniqlo : C collection

For anyone with a good haircut, up to date make up (if any), decent accessories, I think they can provide a really contemporary looking work wardrobe for very little money.

If ethics in action are important to you

Community Clothing

might be worth a look. Exceptionally minimalist, but beautifully considered clothes - they make virtue look cool. And an increasing amount of their stock goes up to size 24 now.

Oh no! now I want loads of things in the Uniqlo C collection but I've no money left (and I don't even go to work any more).

Anyway I'm happy to endorse that range. I've bought a few things before that I've worn a lot. It tends to be a little bit pricier than mainstream Uniqlo but I think the design is just that bit sharper and makes it an easy way to modernise your look.

@Floisme me too!

I do go to work but wasn't planning buying anything else for a while but there's LOADS of stuff i love in that collection!

I recall over lockdown I bought a striped shirt from the Uniqlo Jil Sander collab - stunning design but I complained bitterly (here and everywhere) about the cardboard quality of the cotton. As it had been really not much money, and was, to my eyes, slightly unsatisfactory, I didn’t value it and it quickly became house clothes. And eventually shoe polishing cloths. Roll forward to earlier this year, at an Oxford conference, a woman a little older than me perhaps, strolled up to her seat, looking terrifically grand in a completely magnificent shirt …

Go to some shops like Hobbs, John Lewis, Warehouse, Oasis, Reiss, French Connection, Ralph Lauren, and try on a few styles/sizes to get a feel for the brands cut and shapes.
Then get on vinted, I pick up brand new Ralph Lauren shirts for £20, barely worn dresses for similar.
Also, get a decent bag. Osprey Adaline is my go to, again Vinted, new in the dust bag for £80.

I would check out what other people are wearing when you feel they're put together and look great, and emulate their style. Is it Gillian Anderson in The Fall, or Mary Portas? Both look great, both really different types of "work wear". Choose where you want to be and then study the different elements and the shapes that are going on. I like to have a "uniform", even if it's not a uniform, it makes getting dressed so much easier.

Thanks everyone.

Definitely havent dismissed Uniqlo. I look on the website a lot but have only ever bought a couple of the merino cardigans. Maybe I need to be bolder! I sometimes find the sizing is a little on the small side and in a lot of their range, an XL is the top size anyway. But I agree I should keep looking.

@GoldDuster , totally agree on the uniform front. When I was in my early career, I always wore a shirt + pencil skirt. In my pre-kids early 30s, I wore a Boden ottoman style dress most of the week. Now im in my very late 30s post-kids and I don't think either of those are particular flattering but would love to find something that I can buy a few of and see me through the week with different accessories/shoes etc.

Op just going back to the Uniqlo C range - the sizing is different from standard Uniqlo and I’ve always found it far more generous. Sometimes I’ve ended up going down two sizes. It does make ordering online a pain though.

Same and I already have so many clothes! On my wish list:
The dark brown tailored tweed jacket
The dark brown culottes
The navy half zip dress and the green colour block pleated skirt.

I've only recently started buying from Uniglo and I love everything I've bought so far.

A very elegant, but not very wealthy friend of mine has started shopping
here - she calls it 'old money' aesthetic (which is a thing according to the no longer teen SDs)

She always looks amazing.

I've had some great bargains on Vinted from Ralph Lauren, Phase Eight, The Fold and Winser London. I much prefer dresses as no need to mix and match and I feel pulled together.

I’d recommend using chat GPT. You can upload a photo of face and it’ll tell you what colours should suit you best. Even make up.
you can tell it what kind of clothes you’re looking for and it’ll give you links.

you can keep refining it until you find options you like.

Also loving the Uniqlo C collection - but a lot of polyester and it all seems to be made in China.

Yes I'm sure that's true. It probably applies to all their collaborations (possible exception for the Jil Sander ones) - more interesting design but cheaper fabrics. I think all or most of Uniqlo is made in China, isn't it?

Vietnam is the other location I notice.

I guess Vietnam is slightly better. But I don’t know whether it’s possible to buy clothes that are ethically made at that price point.

I know on the rare occasions I go into a physical shops, I’m now burrowing inside garments not just for fabric content but also for manufacturing location. It means I often leave with nothing.

(And yes, I’m aware I’m accessing MN via an iPhone.)

I use Good on You who state:
‘Uniqlo has been rated “It’s a Start” overall, based on research from our expert ratings team here at Good On You. While Uniqlo has set some decent environmental policies in place and has made a start for workers, there’s no evidence it’s providing fair wages, and it still has a lot of work to across the board do before it can be considered a “Good” or “Great” brand.’

So not the worst but not great.

I buy stuff there. Could I do better? Of course.

But I don’t think the op has asked about this and she has a budget of £300.

https://goodonyou.eco/how-ethical-is-uniqlo/

Oh, I'd have lots of advice as I've done this for myself and... it's gone very well. I'm out of the dowdy pant suits and boxy blouses, and essentially being stopped for fashion advice daily 😂Modest, I know!

What kind of environment do you work in? Is it more formal/ conservative, or more creative/ fun/ fashionable?

Can you 'bring your full self to work' or is there an office dress code? E.g. can you get away with bright colours, more experimental styles, or are you expected to blend in? Do you have to cover up, e.g. jackets, or could get away with tasteful short sleeves?

What's your body shape and what parts do you love/ are confident about? Would you wear heels? Skirts/dresses? Or are you more comfortable in trousers? Any brands you love, whether in your price range or not?

In terms of shops... Vinted, obviously! Personally I shop almost exclusively 2nd hand, hence you could get loads for that budget, maybe 10 high quality items. But before you dive in, you need to have a pretty good idea of what you are looking for to get good value.

If you want to experiment and try lots of stuff on... Lots of brands do 'try before you buy' in London with Harper, so you get a 5-day try-on period without being charged anything, and are encouraged to get lots of items. E.g Nobody's Child, Me+Em, and others.

This is brilliant! How did you start with yourself?

Im a civil servant so dress code is pretty relaxed but my job has lots of engagement with financial services and big four consultancy, who also bring quite a different style to the table! So I think more on the conservative side in terms of style, but colour wise I can be a bit bolder (ive worn fuschia shift dresses in the past for example)

Tasteful short sleeves are fine. No mandatory jacket. I don't wear heels as I had a calf injury when younger and was advised to avoid heels in future as much as possible.

Body shape used to be hourglass but since DD2 was born i think I might be more of an apple now? I certainly feel quite self conscious about my tummy and I feel like my waist has basically disappeared 😭 I've generally worn a dress for the past few years but im open to trousers or top / skirt more if I can find the right style for my shape.

Very open to vinted once I figure out what I need! Not heard of Harper so will look this up now.

On the other discussion going on about ethics, yes that is important to me but im also realistic about my budget and what I need. I've never bought from shein etc. I also try to not buy polyester for that reason as well - so cotton, linen, viscose, bamboo etc are the majority of the items in my wardrobe. The Good on You website looks interesting so going to have a look at that now too.

@DeliciouslyBaked when you see these stylish women on your commute what sort of styles are they wearing that you're drawn to?

Thinking about that might help you to hone in on what elements you could add to your own wardrobe to update things.

I worked in a local authority for about 2 years. I didn't need to wear a suit. I.was senior management & I.wore mainly trousers either cigarette or wide leg in dark colours. I liked navy or bottle green but wore a lot of black too

I wore nice flat leather ankle boots & picked up some Isabel Marants in a sale

I also wore good trainers- metallic leather from Hoff etc & loafers from Toast all bought in sales

I wore blouses from places like Sezane or ba&sh. Not the v frilly flowery styles (though that would have been ok too)

And I had several lightweight v nice bomber jackets which was a step away from suit jackets. I bought a couple in whistles & one from ba&sh & one from me+em.

I found a whistles oversized corduroy blazer very useful too for days when I needed to wear a jacket & I also had 2 whistles fitted jersey blazers in black & wine which i could throw over a shirt for unexpected meetings

I think places like COS, whistles, me+em are all worth checking out especially in sales or on vinted.

Good luck!

The Harper ‘Try before you buy’ thing isn’t just limited to London. Shops partnered with them offer it all across mainland England and Scotland (excluding Highlands and islands). The concierge service is only available in Greater London.

Another recommendation for Vinted here. Just make sure you click the top 3 condition types (ie brand new to very good) to avoid bad condition items. Good brands include Whistles, andotherstories, mint velvet, reiss, m and s, johnnlewis.

Im guessing you may be wearing the old version of office clothing , e.g..dark tight fitting suits, dark trousers, cardigans, fitted dresses with tights? This is dated (and boring!).

Think more: statement colours (not fushia or turquoise but more rich jewel colours), or soft neutrals ( like khaki, dark aubergine, cream) wide flowing trousers, shirt dresses (not tight), blouses with texture, embroidery or pattern. Neutral coloured blazers with light coloured simple tops underneath. Statement jewellery or shoes. Shapes for work are much less tailored and fitted than before, which is more comfortable, flattering and easy to wear IMO.