Hello! I’m Sophie, and I’m obsessed with clothes *sheepish grin*. If you’re reading this, chances are you are, too!
Even a shopaholic like me can admit that, when it comes to workwear, that old adage “less is more” really does ring true. Especially in this new (post-p word!) working era.
Here’s my thoughts on why…
It’s not just us toiling away at work
If you’ll forgive the cheesy analogy… The clothes we wear to work, also work pretty damn hard too. Our workwear gets used frequently, over a long time period, and washed a lot too. So, we need it to be durable and high quality.
Our workwear needs are changing
With many of us returning to our workplaces more regularly from this month after 18 months of working from home, it’s a good opportunity to reassess whether how we buy and wear workwear, actually works well for us:
- We might be in our workplace less, these days, so need less workwear – or be focused on buying hybrid items
- Dress codes might be less formal, generally – now we’re mostly use to working in loungewear!
- Client-facing meetings and events may be less, adding further fuel to point 2.
To be honest, all of the above have totally shook up the workwear status quo! So I know I’m making some changes.
When I first starting working full time, as a lowly intern, budget constraints meant I spent little on each workwear item – but, bizarrely, I focused on amassing lots of items (so the cost savings were probably minimal!) This was all nonsense really, as the items wore very very quickly, meaning I was regularly needing to refresh.
My approach now is to carefully curate a slimmed-down capsule wardrobe of workwear which I genuinely love, and which I think will last for a good while. I think I’ll be able to do this because (1) I’m in the office less (my firm has confirmed 2/3 days a week from this month), and (2) my disposable income is higher than for 19 year old me!
By taking this approach I hope to better focus my spending, and take real pleasure in wearing pieces I love, to work.
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So, the above is all well and good, but how can we go about buying less workwear of better quality, that we *love*?
Here are my top tips…
Go for quality materials.
I’ve had SO much workwear over the years which is made from naff, smelly polyester *shudder*. I also find there’s LOTS of workwear made out of a weird, sort of stretchy crepe fabric.
Not only are items in these sort of fabrics going to lose shape, they’re not weighty enough to be durable. Your items will just go bobbly or wear.
Some quality fabrics are: cotton or silk blend, for shirts and blouses; wool blend for trousers; cashmere or merino wool for knitwear; and (obvs) leather for shoes.
Familiarise yourself with details that indicate quality in a garment.
One sign of quality materials is the weight of a fabric. Depending on what it is, better quality fabrics tend to be heavier, or drape nicely.
The construction of the item should also be solid. This is particularly one to check for fast fashion. (Side note – I’m classing online retailers as fast fashion here. I know H&M and Zara undoubtedly count too, but the construction of their garments is way better on the whole!)
Seams are a biggie – gently give them a little tug to see if the stitching is tight or loose (former = good, latter = bad).
Are the stitches straight, too? I know I’ve certainly bought lots of fast fashion tops that arrive with twisted seams. When you wash the item, that’ll only get worse, and it’ll shrink. Next thing you know, you’ve worn something once or twice but it’s only fit for the charity shop!
I love this blog for a run-down on some of the other key things to look out for when you’re assessing the quality of an item.
Scope out higher end (or higher end of the high street) brands in the sale.
My go-tos are Reiss, Whistles, Karen Millen and & Other Stories. The quality of items from stores on the higher end of the high street is generally (not always, in fairness, but odds are higher!) better. Keeping your eyes on the sales is a great opportunity to get items from brands like this, at more palatable price points.
Shop independent, quality brands for less
… At outlets like the Outnet. The blouse featured in these pics is from Ganni, a brand that might ordinarily be out of my budget, but at the Outnet it was a whopping 70% off – making it only £36. I’d think nothing of spending that on the high street! (The blouse is actually still in stock here!)
Think about whether you *really* love an item before you buy it
Although workwear on the whole tends to be more classic than trend-led, that doesn’t mean we’re immune from the latest Zara item going viral on TikTok. It’s easy in this day and age to be tempted by social media and wanting more, more more.
My advice? Maintain a wish list of the sort of items you’d like, or feel are missing from your work wardrobe. I keep a list in my iPhone notes of items I would love to add to my wardrobe, so that when they pop up in stores, I know I’m not being swayed in the moment.
The fluctuating state of stock levels means it’s much harder to “sleep on something” these days! But, obviously, trying to reduce impulse spending also helps you to avoid falling into this trap.
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I hope some of these tips are helpful for you as we re-focus on our workwear, and maybe I’ve convinced you to buy less but better quality workwear, too! <3