SOS. Spring Work Wardrobe Ideas

[SunandWine]

Help. Inspiration needed for fifty something former fatty in search of some style. Not so much for individual items, but for looks to adopt and adapt to my own style.

Work wise, I don’t need to look too formal and can wear jeans, but I’m in a senior role, so try not to be too casual. Typically, if I do wear jeans, I wear a blazer and pair them with loafers or boots rather than trainers, but might wear trainers with a smarter trousers or a dress. (Is that very 2022?).

Colourwise, this has been a tough winter. I don’t really suit lots of the current brown, camel or sludgy colours at all, so have been wearing a lot of green along with boring black & white. I actually suit bright colours like orange and bright pink with navy as a neutral, but that’s not really a current look and I’m not seeing much in the shops to inspire me.

I’m happy to pay for quality basics that will get a lot of wear and then pair them with more current items from Newlook etc (I also love a good charity shop browse). So wise folk of S&B, what sort of outfits would you be wearing if you were me and wanted to look smartish but not corporate, and still maintain an appearance of being current and relevant?

Studio Nicholson

Margaret Howell

Rohe

Vaguely surprised you’ve had no other responses, @SunandWine…

I nearly responded, op but I've been retired 3 years and, although I volunteer, it's in a very different environment. Plus I thought you'd get plenty of other responses. Anyway I recognise what you said about needing to look 'smartish but not corporate', and also about looking current. Rightly or wrongly, I found that, if I looked modern, people assumed I also had a modern outlook, which probably helped keep me in a job from age 60.

Like you, I wore a lot of jeans with a smarter jacket/blazer. (If I turned up somewhere and everyone was in hoodies, I'd take the jacket off; or, if it was all suited and booted, I'd sit down quickly near the back.)

The jeans I liked best were from the Jil Sander/Uniqlo collab, a straight but loose fit, modern at the time but not too 'out there' - I've still got them. The jackets were second hand Margaret Howell, Toast, Joseph or vintage 1950s/60s - I particularly liked the latter because they weren't on the fashion radar but didn't look dated either.

So basically the formula was something from the cheaper end of the high street paired with something high end.

It was pretty much death by grey in my day so I can't help much with colour but, although I wasn't a huge fan, I did like some shades of grey better than others and I hunted them down, and then I'd team with a T shirt or shirt in a colour I did like - again sourced second hand.

Hope that helps and treat with caution because I don't know how much has changed in 3-4 years.

60 next month and working in civil service so smart but not corporate. Have been told I’m stylish and been complimented on my Cos trousers a few times! I’m size 10, and short. At the moment I’m wearing pleated trousers from Cos/Toast, with a belt, tucked in crew neck jumper and a Milano knitted jacket from Uniqlo (dupe for Sezane knitted jacket) and black lace up shoes with a chunky sole. In the summer I wore lighter cotton or linen trousers, short sleeve jumper or lightweight blouse and crop jacket (not blazer) with trainers (sambas). This works for all but the hottest days. I think shape of trouser important for looking current, plus I avoid patterns or jersey fabrics (like the old boden look or white stuff) - I stick to plain coloured knits, cotton and linen.

Thank you for the responses. I’d not come across Margaret Howell and there is a lot there that I like - what a shame the sale is nearly over, but I’m definitely bookmarking for future browsing.

I also like the idea of mixing high end with high street - am currently wearing a RL jumper with Tesco wide leg trousers.

This is definitely more or less my current look and I probably look smarter in tailored trousers.

it doesn’t help that I’ve been wearing my practical, warm anorak for most of January, I originally bought it for dog walking & It’s warm & dry but has no style at all. I can’t wait to wear nice jackets again.

These tops are a good weight for spring and not sludgy Cos polo - I’ve got the bright green from last year

I always struggled with tailored trousers. They were fine if I wanted to look unambiguously smart but I never found a good way of dressing them down. Margaret Howell, Toast and sometimes Cos worked best as even their smarter trousers always had a bit of a slouch to them. But normally it was a lot easier to dress up jeans, cords or chinos.

I always liked the Uniqlo collabs (Uniqlo U/C/JW Anderson etc) for work wear that was modern but wearable and affordable

Re Margaret Howell - I find final reductions, i.e. now, is the best time to buy, in fact it's the only time I can afford it new.

Thanks floisme - that’s good to know.