Introducing The Wardrobe Review
The first styling challenge: dressing a doctor friend for an office placement.
Hello and welcome back to Workwear Inc.! As I’ve mentioned in a couple previous newsletters, I’m super excited to roll out a bit more IRL content where I actually leave the house and shoot some (very lo-fi) photos. That includes The Wardrobe Review, a brand-new series where I basically rifle through the workwear wardrobes of my friends –and paid subscribers – and help them streamline and style their clothes, as well as sharing some tips on what to invest in next. For the very first edition, I enlisted my schoolfriend Toni, a super-clever doctor who’s starting a new chapter and needed a little help getting dressed for it. Let me know what you think!
What’s The Deal?
Toni is a fabulous junior doctor who’s currently living in East London (and didn’t want to be photographed because she hadn’t done her hair and makeup!). She’s recently started a placement in public health and has been deliberating over what to wear – it’s an office job, compared to her usual hospital setting, and the dress code is smart-casual. Earlier this week, I trekked across London to go through her wardrobe, and as it turns out she’s sitting on more gems than she realises. It was really just about finding new ways to style them – and then adding in a few more crisp, polished pieces and statement accessories (courtesy of my personal stash) to dial things up a notch.
The Styling Session
Above: T-shirt, £33, from Everlane. Trousers, £83, from Everlane. Shirt dress, on sale for £73, from Everlane.
A dress and trousers… together? On paper, it doesn’t sound like it should work (and Toni was sceptical) but as the photo above shows it creates an instantly eye-catching combination and is a smart way to get more out of the items you already own. In my view it works best when it’s monochrome – which is to say keeping both pieces the same colour. And while it looks great to simply layer the dress over the trousers and be done with it, I suggested breaking it up with a striped top (again, sticking to round about the same palette) and then tying the belt at the back.
Above: Chain necklace, on sale for £272, from Loren Stewart. Aviator glasses, £135, from Jimmy Fairly. Earrings, £360, from YSSO.
The accessories make the outfit! Toni was very keen on my Laura Lombardi necklace (similar here from Loren Stewart), which instantly adds a punch to whatever you wear it with. It’s a proper power necklace. The glasses are my ride-or-die, Jenna Lyons-inspired aviators from Jimmy Fairly.
Above: Collarless shirt, £120, from WNU. Brushed cashmere jumper, £385, from Soft Goat. Hoop earrings, £98, from Mejuri.
I was very kindly sent this collarless shirt from WNU (stay tuned for a big story all about the brand’s best bits), which I styled Toni in. What I love about it is that it reads as professional and polished – and it’s made from a super high-quality Tencel – but at the same it’s touch more feminine and chic than a classic shirt. I’m an unapologetic fan of a preppy jumper-over-the-shoulders moment, so I threw in a baby blue knit that Toni had in her wardrobe (for something similar, I love Soft Goat). And then to counterbalance the collegiate feel, I layered on some gold jewellery – the more the better in my view!
Above: High-collar silk blouse, £145, from & Other Stories. Ankle boots, £330, from Aeyde.
Toni had this dreamy blouse with a ruffled collar in her wardrobe, but she felt it was too sheer to wear to work. Solution: layering it over a sleeveless black jumpsuit. For a similar effect, I’d go for this silk blouse from & Other Stories, which I’d personally style with a crisp black tailored trouser, chunky earrings and a pair of heeled boots.
Above: Blouse, £298, from Doen. Pearl necklace, £138, from By Alona. Shoulder bag, £470, from A.P.C.
Another gem in Toni’s wardrobe: this vintage embroidered blouse. I’m very much in favour of mixing in a few more feminine, wistful pieces into your professional wardrobe – so much of women’s workwear is just shrunken-down men’s shirts and suits, which I find incredibly dull. I also threw in my beloved By Alona T-bar pearl necklace, which looks especially fabulous layered over Toni’s gold pendant.
Above: Mary Janes, £140, from Doc Marten. Kick-flare trousers, £85, from Cos.
Toni owned this pair of Doc Marten Mary Janes, which isn’t a style I’d typically be drawn to, but I loved how they added a punk-ish feel to every outfit she wore them with. Here, she’s still in the jumpsuit mentioned above, but I’d recommend investing in a do-it-all pair of trousers in an equally comfy jersey that you can wear at home, in the office, to the airport and so on.
Above: Loafers, £125, from Cos.
The gorgeous loafers in the photo above are mine – although I was sent the wrong size so they’re very much ON SALE if you happen to be a 7/7.5. They’re from Vince (the sold-out Doris – but I’d check out the Naomi too) and I was initially drawn to them because they’re far sleeker and cooler than your classic penny loafer. The closest match I could find online in terms of shape were these – and while I’m normally of the view that ‘affordable’ footwear is a false economy (I try to get fancy pairs heavily discounted), if I were to shop shoes from any high-street brand it’d be Cos.
Above: Pinstripe trousers, £225, from ME+EM. Rucksack, £79, from Rains.
Toni had a couple pairs of checked trousers in her wardrobe but wasn’t too sure how exactly to style them. I recommended going tonal by pulling out the beige / brown colour and then finding a top – in this case, a chunky jumper – that matched. If you’re looking to add a touch of personality to your workwear wardrobe, a pair of patterned trousers is a pretty failsafe way to do so – I’m a big fan of pinstripes in neutral shades, such as these from ME+EM. Finally the rucksack is Toni’s and comes from one of my favourite British brands, Rains.
Above: Jumper, £95, from Cos.
One of my favourite ways to instantly elevate a jumper is the T-shirt trick: essentially, layering a white tee underneath that peeks out at the neckline to add extra dimension and a pop of brightness. In my view, the absolute best ones come from Uniqlo, Cos and Sunspel.
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Finally, the most fun bit: filling in the gaps. Toni felt her workwear wardrobe was missing an office-appropriate skirt, so I thought she should try this wrap style from Joseph. She was also looking for a new work bag – I’m really loving Hereu’s Calella in suede and canvas at the moment. She agreed that the addition of my necklaces made a HUGE difference to the overall outfits, so I recommended investing in some impactful pieces from the likes of By Alona, YSSO and Daphine. Finally, I’m of the view that no wardrobe is complete without super-chic tailored black trousers that make you feel instantly put-together, so I’m prescribing this high-fashion wrap-front pair from Cos.
Can’t wait to read more of these!