Because I work from home, I’ve got to admit, my usual daytime outfits consist of jeans, sweatshirt/tee and flats. If I know I’ll be meeting a friend for coffee, I’ll put some make up on and add a statement necklace to make myself seem less of a scruff. If I’m having a really lazy day, the postman and any delivery men have the joy of seeing my lovely unwashed hair scraped into a top knot and my PJs, when they knock on my door. I’m a vision of beauty, I can tell you.
So this means that since leaving the magazine I worked on and going freelance, last year, my wardrobe has slid from being semi-stylish to very casual. I no longer have a real reason to buy heels or smart clothes, so I don’t.
But I’ve had a bit of a problem recently, when I’ve had meetings with PRs or editors in London. Apparently it’s not acceptable to turn up to a meeting wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. To be honest, I’ve never been good at dressing smartly. Even in my days of working at magazines like More and Look, my day to day outfits consisted of skinny jeans, heels, a Breton t-shirt and a statement necklace. Working in a creative environment like a magazine office, no one wore suits (apart from the really top bods who usually sat on a different floor) so my outfits worked.
So I’ve struggled recently, when raiding the depths of my wardrobe for something vaguely smart. “Can I pull off this cocktail dress on a drizzly Tuesday?” I’d think, before opting for jeans again. Because that’s how the scale of my wardrobe goes…
SCRUFFY -> CASUAL -> COCKTAIL DRESS -> MY ACTUAL WEDDING DRESS
Don’t worry, I’ve never rocked up to a meeting in the latter.
So hurrah for Boden who have come to my rescue by sending me this outfit. The Long Line Shirt (£44) isn’t something I’d normally choose (mainly because shirts aren’t a fan of my boobs: see photo at the top for proof) but I love it, especially with the Bistro Crop Trouser (£59). I bought a pair of these in a green pattern last summer and loved them. They’re a great fit and look brilliant with sandals, flats or heels. I’ve been wearing them, this week, with my black Birkenstocks and a neon yellow necklace.
What do you think? Presentable enough for a meeting?
I absolutely love this outfit on you. Definitely more than presentable I’d say!
Aww, it’s super nice. I have a similar issue with shirts. I love them but they don’t love my boobs. I tend to stitch up the gap between the buttons around the chest area to stop them gaping. Not ideal, especially as I have to tug the shirt on and off like a t-shirt, but it’s the only way that I’ve found to wear them.
Ooh, I love that shirt! I work from home a lot and when I do go into the office it’s very causal but not as casual as my work from home wear! Winter’s fine with my staple skinny jeans and boots but not so great with the warmer weather. I’ve just bought some Boden chinos though which I think will be great for summer in the office 🙂
See I too have struggled with this. I went from Corporate Banking to Interior Design and blogger. I also live in Brighton where being a scruffy herbert is de rigour. So out went the black suits and at home my uniform is jeans and tees. My go to for meetings now consists of stripes, chinos and brogues. I still seem to look vaguely like a bum but I’m hoping no one notices.
YES, just love this outfit. I would totally wear it to a meeting, good choices!