THE NEW WORKING WARDROBE

As the classic nine-to-five routine goes the way of the fax machine, dressing for the job has never been so full of possibility – and ELLE has a style edit to suit any role MULTI-HYPHENATE THE

How to make workwear work for you – whatever your job

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR, isn’tit?Summer is over, winter’s on its way, and dressing for the day job becomes a job in itself (do we dress for the hot commuter train or the Baltic air-con?).

As if this didn’t present enough of a style conundrum, the age-old wisdom around workwear suddenly seems weirdly out of step. Blame it on the gig economy, in which over a third of those aged 16 to 34 have a side-hustle* (ELLE explores this idea further in The Conversation on p108), or the constantly connected halo-effect of mobile tech. Either way, the line between ‘work’ and ‘life’ gets ever more porous. The reality? Work has been redefined as a series of tasks that now bleed out into the hours either side of the traditional nine to five.

Disclaimer alert: with this new ‘normal’ comes a new way of dressing. So, what does workwear in 2O18 actually look like? As proven by the following women, there are no hard-and-fast rules.

the LOOK

how I DO IT

‘The biggest part of my work happens on the road, from fashion shows to events and meetings with PRs and designers. Sneakers have become an essential part of my wardrobe! When it comes to style, I love more of a relaxed, laid-back attitude.’ – Veronika Heilbrunner

IN THE DETAILS

When you’re a ‘multihyphenate’ juggling more than one role, there’s no guarantee where you’re going to spend the day – maybe in an office, or hotfooting it to meetings (during a downpour, no less). Long layers and denim are always a safe bet: think classic trench and dresses over jeans. You can afford to make a statement with colour and print. If you’re looking for women who nail this effortlessly, it’s consultant Veronika Heilbrunner and writer Susie Lau.