What to wear to work
The best work outfit is the one you stop thinking about by nine. Start from your office’s normal, and let the weather and your day decide the rest.
The short answer
Smart casual that matches your team: a clean top, trousers or a skirt that fit well, closed shoes, and one layer you can add or lose as the day warms up.
Start from what your team wears
A workplace has a normal. Match it on a regular Tuesday and keep your sharper pieces for client days. Nobody notices a good fit, everybody notices a bad one.
Build around two or three trousers or skirts
A handful of well-fitting bottoms in neutral colours carry a whole week. Change the top and the shoes and it reads as a different outfit.
Plan for the commute and the office
Offices run warm, trains run cold. A light layer you can take off beats a heavy one you are stuck in. Rain changes the shoes, not the whole plan.
Rotate, so the favourites do not wear out
If you always reach for the same shirt, it is the first to fade. Let it rest a day and give the second-best piece a turn.
The night before
- Check the day: meetings, client visits, a late dinner
- Look at the forecast for the morning and the way home
- Pick the bottom first, then the top
- Check shoes are clean and bag is packed
- Keep one spare layer at the office
Common questions
What to wear to work
Smart casual that matches your team: a clean top, trousers or a skirt that fit well, closed shoes, and one layer you can add or lose as the day warms up.
What should I do the night before?
Check the day: meetings, client visits, a late dinner. Look at the forecast for the morning and the way home. Pick the bottom first, then the top. Check shoes are clean and bag is packed. Keep one spare layer at the office.