ISABEL SPEARMAN WHY IT WORKS
Finding a middle ground between corporate and creative styles
QHaving always worked in the City, I’m now heading finance at a creative brand – and feel distinctly unfashionable! Where should I start?
AI spend half my work days in a corporate environment and the other half in more creative, start-up environments – and I do dress differently for each. While I always put an elegant dress and heels on for, say, a bank, I definitely dress more fashion forward for my branding work. The trickiest times are when I have to balance both in the same day – cue small outfit changes in hotel loos. As women we have so much choice and it does give us the opportunity to adapt to each environment we’re in. The main difference in a less corporate work space is less peer pressure to adopt a uniform. The more creative the space, the more authentic your style should be: personal branding is key in start-ups and creative spaces, as you are often representing the company to potential investors, and how you come across is vital. The temptation is to wear jeans or fall back on your weekend wear, but if you’re used to attending meetings in a suit, then delivering a big pitch in the jeans you usually cook Sunday lunch in can make you feel self-conscious. So compromise: look through your existing wardrobe for outfits you really love and, with them in mind, invest in some trend-led updates.
A pair of chunky sandals will instantly refresh your pencil skirt, and a smart denim shirt will transform your trouser suit. It can be liberating to purchase new styles you hadn’t considered for work before, like a sporty maxi dress or a pair of wide-leg trousers you can wear with those chunky heels.
Where you might before have looked for something pared down or soberly coloured, experiment with bright colour and print. Broaden your usual shopping channels and look at stores such as & Other Stories, Uterqüe and Kitri.
You can still look smart, but also bring your wardrobe right up to date with a few key items that will allow you to fit right in, and feel good about it.