VIRGINIA CHADWYCK-HEALEY
Here’s a look as suitable for home as for Harley Street
Over the course of writing this column, there is one area I feel I haven’t covered in enough detail: the simple solution to work dressing for those who have to shift their wardrobe from working from home to city commutes and corporate attire. I head to London at least twice a week. There is pressure to take things up a gear. I know many women, for instance my sister-in-law, who have to stand on a freezing platform at 6am and then exit the Tube as high-powered superwomen in Mayfair. Another friend works, from home, in jeans and a jumper two days a week but, as a senior executive in a male-dominated oil and gas company, her three days in London require a different persona, and wardrobe, without looking like she has tried too hard.
Today, my styling project is Katy Gordon-Smith, part of a team of nutritionists and specialists at The Key Clinic in Berkshire (thekeyclinic. co.uk), and just the type of friend who has these conundrums. The clinic focuses on the learning, behavioural and emotional struggles of children, and is opening a site in London.
Katy, 37, formerly of Danone UK and thus the owner of a more corporate wardrobe, now has to adapt her workwear to be country/friendly/ approachable with a slightly more conventional look for her Harley Street visits. As a mother of two with the outgoings that that entails, every item in her wardrobe must work hard. “I don’t want to just buy two wardrobes, so I need to find items that feel right in both work locations and might even be adapted for social occasions as well,” she tells me.
In order to solve this, I instinctively turned to navy. Less harsh on the skin than black, and with more year-round versatility than, say, grey or cream. These cropped trousers were a little more than Katy would normally spend (they are by Fendi), but the cut felt more modern than a standard slim-fit trouser and would work with a smart coat in winter, as well as with a lighter silk T-shirt or blouse come spring.
I approached Cefinn, a leader in workwear for women, for a simple navy jumper for the understated days when you don’t want to distract with colour. To flip the look entirely, I chose the green chevron shirt by Hampshirebased Tabitha Webb, which left Katy a little surprised (“How on earth do I tie this pussybow neatly?”) but, once she had tried it, she realised it would bring a little va va voom to her work style.
With the cropped trouser look (which really does have legs), you are best to wear a heel. A ballet pump would shorten the frame, a loafer would feel boyish for work. I chose the Nada style by Rupert Sanderson, which comes in a range of suede colours. I opted for “steel”, which I guessed (correctly) was a colour Katy wouldn’t have considered. I was thinking ahead to what she might want to wear come summer, with tanned legs, for occasion wear. Try to tick multiple boxes with any purchase, to future-proof your wardrobe and justify the cost.
For the commute, you need a tote bag (look at Liberty, Coccinelle or Michael Kors), a pair of low-key, non-muddy trainers (AllBirds, Veja, Kin by John Lewis) and a minimal make-up bag rather than your entire wash bag. Always think “what if I
bump into my boss or my most important client on the commute?” and adapt the look, or step it up, accordingly. You never get a second chance to make a first impression – even on the 07:18 train into town.