WHY IT WORKS
How to put together a desk-todinner outfit
QWould you ever go straight from the office to an evening do? Packing an extra outfit for the evening isn’t feasible for me to do often.
AUnless you’re the Duchess of Sussex, with a team to help you change seamlessly into three different outfits a day, preparation is the key to nailing a desk-to-dinner outfit. It’s unlikely you’ll have time to travel home after work to get ready for an evening event, let alone have time to change full stop. As a working woman, you need to have a few pieces in your arsenal that can take you from a day of meetings straight into a dinner, be it with friends or work. I always advise my clients to prepare
outfits for the week ahead, and this is particularly important for long days. Choose fabrics that will last the distance: cotton or silk will look pretty tired by 8pm, whereas a viscose or polyester mix will still look fresh into the evening. Certain brands are particularly up to speed with this desire for hard-working clothes. Joanna Dai’s previous career in the corporate world stood her in good stead when she started her own brand (daiwear. com); she understands the need for a trouser suit that can be worn from 7am to 11pm. At Cefinn, Samantha Cameron designs for anyone who needs to leave the house in the morning in a dress suitable for a black-tie event that evening, as she does.
Heels, some fresh make-up and additional jewellery are failsafe ways of transforming a daytime outfit into evening. As for the clothes themselves, prints are a brilliant solution – I spilt half my cup of tea down a floral blouse on the way to work last week, but (luckily) it blended into the print and still looked perfect for a late dinner. A print will also hide creases. If you’re a dress lover, like me, wear a smarter style – I’m not suggesting a full-on cocktail number, but a simple evening dress worn with minimal make-up, flat shoes and a fitted jacket can absolutely pass as officeappropriate. Monochrome, such as a polka dot dress or a black tuxedo suit with a white silk vest underneath, is easy to accessorise into the evening – just add red lips and black heels. 24/7 dressing at its best.