Back to the office for work?  Dressing made simple

Over the last couple of years, our working environments were switched to our kitchen tables, home offices or our spare rooms as we settled into working from home. The lines of home and work were blurred and inevitably a more relaxed and casual dressing style followed.

However as many of us prepare to go back to the office for work, it’s going to mean a shift in our dressing style!  Our morning dressing routines are going to look a lot different.  For some this may be causing a little dressing anxiety as we transition from loungewear to more office-appropriate pieces.

Are you excited at the prospect of dressing up again in your smarter clothing or are you feeling a little reluctant to part company with your leisurewear?

You may need to invest a little time to reap the rewards, but trust me, it will be worth it.

But first…create your own Style Mantra

The fact is that clothes are incredibly empowering so the key to successful dressing is that we feel good in our clothes and particularly at work.  Having style confidence provides us with the power to feel comfortable, to feel authentic. Confidence in our presentation can open doors and new opportunities. Firstly we need to identify clothes that help us feel confident.

Implementing a style mantra really helps when choosing clothing from our wardrobes or when selecting new clothing.  By choosing three words that describe the feeling we want to have in our clothes allows us to apply these words to each garment we choose.  For example, feminine, edgy or professional.  We can then assess if our mantra aligns with the clothes hanging in our wardrobe.  Of course I am able to help you develop this during a Personal Styling session.

Let me inspire you to dress with confidence for your return back to the office for work.  Read on for some top tips.

Assess your wardrobe

Take some time to try everything on that you have in your wardrobe.  Does it still fit?  Does if flatter?  It matters!

Ask yourself how it makes you feel.  Our wardrobes should be a place of joy and should inspire us as we leave our homes each morning.  Wouldn’t we rather make clothing choices that have a positive impact?  I assure you that the way our clothes make us feel, influences our day ahead.

New Pairings

This editing process will shed some light on these those items that don’t look or feel good but may also highlight some new pairings and create some entirely ‘new’ looks.  Shopping our wardrobes (particularly in January) is also worthwhile and reminds us of the hidden treasures at the back of our wardrobes…and maybe with the tags still intact!

Lay your clothes out the night before

Lay your clothes out the night before

This is a great strategy and saves valuable time in the morning.  This helps us identify the stain from a garment’s last wearing or the missing button that needs replacing.  We  have time to take action when we spot it early!  Dare I say, that it’s even better of you can plan for the entire week.

Knowing what may need laundering, which shoes may need a polish, will all save dressing anguish in front of our wardrobe in the morning.  Trust me it’s a game-changer.

Work out our wardrobe neutrals

What about  wardrobe Neutrals?

We all need a neutral base in our wardrobe that make creating oufits a little simpler.  I’m talking about navy, grey, brown, beige, camel tones, white, cream and black.  In choosing our base colours carefully we will find that introducing complimentary colours to your basic outfits is simplified.

Work out our wardrobe staples

Image Credit Pexels

Image credit Pexels

Our choices will differ wildly dependent upon our own personality but also our industry or place of work.   Therefore spending money wisely on our outerwear is a good investment.  For example, a good quality leather item will look better for longer when cared for so your footwear, handbags and laptop bags are important.

Consider a great fitting blazer, a couple of blouses, a white shirt, tailored trousers and a smart pair a well-fitting jeans will all serve us well.

What if we have gained weight?

I hear this often particularly since the uncertainty of these last couple of years… we have been opting for the comfort of an elasticated waistband and lost sight of how our more tailored pieces might fit.

What can we do?

A blouse that gapes at the bust and no longer fastens can be used as a loose ‘shacket’ style layer with a smarter tee under

A shirt dress that no longer fastens can be worn open with a pair of trousers and fine knit under

The trend for more fluid trouser styles will be with us for some time so perhaps seek out a pair in a colour that can be worn with your existing wardrobe.

If you are pondering your own office return  and you are back to the office for work, take a peek at my suggestions here.

How would you feel if  your  'back to the office' dressing choices were a little simpler?  I would love to work with you personally, do get in touch if I can help.

Jackie Crawford

07494 644788