Freelancing can be a dream, as you have the opportunity to embark on new projects, meet exciting people and experience something different every few weeks. From the comfort of your home office, you also get to determine your own dress code. The Dorothy Perkins style team have put together inspiration to help you achieve that all important sweet spot between comfy and chic, so that you can look and feel polished whether you’re hopping on a Skype call, spending an afternoon at your screen or heading out to a client meeting.
The past few years have been all about the fusion of casual with formal; denim combined with elegant fabrics, flat shoes with tailored trousers, basic outfits with showy accessories. Wherever you are in your working day, this is a look that is so easy to pull together and also pull off stylishly. Top Tip: Take your super-skinny jeans and give them an on-duty twist by adding a smart blouse. Even opt for a killer pair of heels on days out of the home office.
Tailoring with minimal structuring can create an edgy feel, and a happy medium between casual and chic. Skinny trousers with an over-sized blouse, unstructured jackets over a basic tee, and a dress with a long-line blazer can all do wonders for keeping comfortably stylish and far away from your PJ's. Top Tip: Add statement jewelry to simple unstructured pieces if you fancy injecting a touch of glamour into your working day.
With so many styles to choose from – putting on a dress can fix nearly any wardrobe dilemma. Shifts, shirts and skater dresses are all classic, non-stuffy styles that can be dressed up or down. Block colors like navy, khaki and pastels can be particularly easy to style on those mornings when you want to get going with your working day. Top Tip: Earn extra style points and layer a simple shirt under a retro pinafore dress. The easiest way to wear trends, stay comfy and client-ready.
As important as layering is for winter, it is the most effective way to instantly switch up your work-wear. Want to dress down? Put a thin knit over your statement blouse. Need to dress up? Layer a sleeveless jacket over a long sleeve tee. Building your outfit in this way will give you the opportunity to get on with your busy and varied schedule in style. Top Tip: Stick to basics in monochrome tones, that way you can add in key seasonal pieces into your work wardrobe for layering without any difficulty.
One simple piece can change your look in an instant. Killer heels will give your jeans and top a more dressed up vibe. Picking up your statement tote bag adds a high-fashion edge to any outfit. Pop on a dramatic necklace or set of earrings to glam up a basic dress. The choices are endless… Top Tip: Save your feet wherever possible by sticking to a chic yet comfortable pair of flats. Keep those heels tucked away until you’re at a meeting.So, if you don’t fancy staying in your PJ's all day, or going for a selection of clothes you wouldn’t dream of leaving the house in, the Dorothy Perkins team have kept their work-wear outfit recommendations simple.For more style inspiration, head over to the Dorothy Perkins work hub where you can read about empowering women in business, get work-wear outfit inspiration and learn tips and tricks on how to build the ultimate capsule work wardrobe.