WHY IT WORKS
A great work wardrobe needn’t cost the earth thanks to our versatile high street
QI’m due to start a new job, and – having never worked in so smart an office – am buying a wardrobe from scratch. Is it possible to keep to a budget, or do I just need to bite the bullet?
AI lived abroad for four years of my late twenties and what I really missed, other than Cheddar cheese and decent bacon, was shopping on the British high street.
Many of my clients, who happily wear high street at the weekend, don’t think to shop there for office wear, preferring specialist tailoring and shirting brands. While these are brilliant for high-quality classics, I advocate a mix of the two, especially as it means you can afford to update your wardrobe more often. The high street is also very useful if, as in this instance, you’re new to the corporate setting, and find yourself having to buy everything at once.
While shopping on the high street used to mean more legwork, now it’s all there at a click of a button. Most websites have a workwear section that can help edit the vast selection of clothes quickly. The huge advantage of trying things at home is being able to see what will work with other items in your wardrobe – and quite frankly, any excuse to avoid changing room lighting.
Zara is usually my first port of call, especially if I’m looking for something to wear to work. I have numerous items that come out
year on year and attest to their quality.
At a recent meeting I was complimented on my outfit, and when I started to list its provenance I realised I was wearing top to toe Zara – and none of them recent purchases. This chic green blouse with white trim is on my wish list. H&M is another go-to for me and, while I find the stores overwhelming, the website is a breeze. They excel at dresses and I always keep my eye out for a good printed one in a longer length. I love the combination of blacks and blues in this tunic, which would look great for work with black boots. Marks & Spencer’s tailoring is amongst the best on the high street, and these
wide-leg black trousers are really smart classics. If you can, always order a couple of sizes each way so you can get it right first time without the hassle and delay of ordering another size later. I’ve rediscovered Warehouse in recent months and spotted this monochrome skirt, which would break up an all-black outfit nicely. Uniqlo is unbeatable for wellpriced, good-quality knitwear. If you like wearing separates then stock up on their merino wool sweaters – and I found some great striped trousers in store last week that would be great for the office. I always keep an eye on Mango’s accessories as they usually have a couple of styles of shoe that are chic and practical for work. These grey snakeskin flats look a lot more expensive than they are, and are neutral enough to wear every day.