Autumn workwear - my top picks

If you’re busy and focussed on your job then it’s hard to have any time at all to shop efficiently and work out what you need in your wardrobe. Busy people often hit the shops in an ad-hoc way. Do you sometimes shop like this?Randomly buying lone pieces online or quickly when on a snatched lunch break near work without much thought?

The problem with this common approach is it means your wardrobe can easily become a real jumble and make getting dressed every day a pain in the a**se you could do without! The last thing you want when getting ready each day for an important pitch, presentation or meeting is to be struggling to find an outfit because your wardrobe lacks the right mix of pieces to quickly create outfits.

I’ve been shopping with professionals and managing wardrobes for my clients for 15 years now. I know what is needed to create a functional wardrobe for a smart/casual office.

There are some KEY pieces I recommend to get a really great work wardrobe;

1. 2 x pairs of wide-leg or tailored trousers (this depends on which you prefer and which shape suits your body)

2. At least one silk blouse. Silk gives gravitas and instantly makes you look more polished

3. Two blazers

4. 2 x dresses including a ‘power dress’ - a dress you can roll out for important presentations etc… a no-brainer, smart dress

5. The right heels and flats. In a professional environment, I’d suggest a pair of black suede or leather heels, a nude pair and a smart pair of flats, try LK Bennett or John Lewis for all of these. I also love a pop of colour in a heel, if you’re wearing head-to-toe navy for example, a splash of red is a really great look.

6. A pair of long knee-high boots. Great for under dresses and skirts and looks smart. If you’ve got bigger calves, Simply Be do great boots and Duo boots have many different sizes.

7. A smart structured cardigan or jersey jacket. This is for days when you don’t need tailoring but still want to look pulled together.

8. A smart tote bag. You’d be surprised at the amount of wardrobes I edit for people who go to work carrying a scruffy old backpack or worn-out bag. It’s not a good look if you want to look ‘on it’ and professional.

These pieces will make sure you have the basics. If you’re a bit more of an adventurous dresser I’d add some colour, pattern accessories but these items are the backbone of a great work wardrobe.

Here are some of the pieces in the shops I love right now for your Autumn/Winter work wardrobe to save you precious time trawling the shops;

I love a classic check, goes with lots of trousers and jeans too - this also has a belt

A more relaxed blazer/jacket from HUSH, still very smart with tailored trousers or jeans.

ME&EM are a higher price point but the quality is excellent. This goes with just about everything.

This Winter green blazer is so wearable and the colour adds interest to outfits - Bravo Boden

Love these wide leg, brown wool from Arket. Very stylish.

Whistles are great for smart work trousers. These go up to a size 20 and come in petite lengths too.

These lovely green trousers from Wyse would slot nicely into most wardrobes these days and be very handy. All my clients who try these on love them and buy them.

Excellent work dress from Boden. This comes in lots of different colour ways too.

This is a modern ‘power dress’ throw this on and you are meeting/presentation/pitch ready.

Super handy navy crepe dress at Jigsaw that will travel well, looks smart and is a modern cut too. This would flatter a lot of figures.

Very elegant and classy work shirt dress at Jigsaw. Could style this up with lots of jewellry and long boots - I’d even consider snake print boots under this to ramp it up. Depends on your workplace of course.

I do love a classic polka dot. I wear my Me&Em pussy bow blouse with jeans as well as tailored trousers.

Wyse have some great blouses, also love their knits but I’m not doing knits in this blog today!

This excellent tote from whistles will finish everything off. Also comes in black. The great thing about this is it has a zip which is great when carrying your laptop or important work stuff around.

Perfect for winter under skirts and dresses at work - these come in chocolate and camel too.

LK Bennett do great flats. I’d recommend getting heels from there too as they are made really well so are actually pretty comfy.

I hope you enjoyed my round up of workwear from the shops for Autumn/winter 2023-24. Next time I’ll be focussing more on party wear as the festive season approaches!

If you are a busy senior professional and would like some help with your wardrobe get in touch. I am a personal stylist in London but I do travel beyond that to do wardrobe edits. I offer personal shopping in London. Read more about my services and get in touch here.