According to Rhianna, you’ve got to get all your work, work, work done before, well, no-one really understands what the rest of the lyrics are, but it sounds along the lines of: ‘have a lot of fun’.
It so happened I was listening to Rhianna this morning thinking about the ongoing challenge of creating and keeping a fresh and interesting work wardrobe.
Where, exactly, does one find chic designer clothes that don’t cost the annual GDP of an average small country that you can wear season after season?
Investment pieces with an injection of style and an on-trend silhouette can be really important for your work wardrobe, but we all like our precious dollars to go that extra mile. Enter Gumtree where you can find key designer pieces to help boost that cost-per-wear value – and you’ll find a lot of them have never been worn, many with their original tags.
I’ve thought about some key separates that will help you look chic yet professional all summer, but keep your wardrobe fresh for the long haul. And guess what? You can find them all pre-loved with the click of a mouse by searching things like ‘wrap dress,’ or ‘designer fashion’ on good old Gumtree.com.au.
God bless the internet!
The Wrap Dress
There’s a reason Diane Von Furstenberg has been in business since the 70s: the wrap dress. She’s credited with taking a simple design and applying interesting prints and colours to make something simple a wardrobe staple. If bright colours aren’t your thing, then a wrap dress in cotton poplin will give a far more formal appearance and should live up to most dress expectations at work. Another bonus with the wrap dress: you can take it straight from the office to after-work drinks simply by changing your accessories. Did I mention it’s flattering to all body shapes? Buy one.
Cropped pants
They’re not quite capri pants – we don’t need your boss thinking you have an Audrey Hepburn complex. Sometimes referred to as 7/8th pants, they will sit at your ankle and usually in a cigarette (slim) or close fit. Similar to a wrap dress, they tend to be universally complimentary to most figures, and if you make sure they’re tailored and paired with heels and a suit jacket, you’re going to kill it in the boardroom. If you’re looking for inspiration, Charlize Theron is a big fan.
Long white shirt
Again as a long-term wardrobe staple, you want to look for a tailored shirt that covers your behind, almost the length (but not quite!) of a tunic. It’s a slightly more casual way of wearing a shirt in a work environment, but it’s one of those evergreen pieces that will never go out of style. Buttoned right up to the neck in a tuxedo style might work better for you if your work environment is more conservative, or unbuttoned with a statement necklace to change the entire look.
The great thing about investing in a shirt like this is that on the weekends you can wear it with jeans, tie it at the waist with a maxi skirt or, if you wish, just wear it with a pair of heels and be done with it. What would Kylie Jenner do after all?
So there you have it, some great ideas that should see you through the summer months at work that won’t break the bank. A summer silhouette of investment pieces, if you will!
What I’m wearing:
Jacket: Boden Clothing
Shirt: Sourced on Gumtree!
Velvet neck tie: I made it, but these ones from Vanessa Mooney are pretty gorgeous!
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff
Pants: Review
Heels: Ravel
Glasses: Prada
