Confidence How dressing affects your attitude and confidence Are you stuck in a rut?Are you no longer confident in yourself?Do you realise just how dressing affects your attitude and confidence?Are you aware that you can change your mental state through the every day habit of getting dressed? It can come upon us without being aware … Read more
How to create your own French capsule collection with just 7 items
Our French capsule collection stye guide reflects French women’s style: uncomplicated and naturally glamourous. The guide helps you decide what to choose in your core 7-item capsule wardrobe. Capsule collection clothes should be interchangeable and create multiple outfits and be worn on a daily basis.
If you love the idea of the capsule wardrobe like we do then we have other posts that we think you will love. Try Capsule Wardrobe Collection, or Creating a Capsule Wardrobe (that one is a short read) or the Microcapsule Wardrobe which is an introduction to the capsule wardrobe within a capsule wardrobe concept.
Once upon a time, when life was simpler, women didn’t own many clothes. Before the era of mass manufacturing clothes were much more expensive than they are today (relative to salary and cost of living).
Now we live in a time where clothes are not only cheaper, but span all price ranges. Fast fashion has become part of the shopping landscape. We’re able to have more clothes and a wider variety of clothes in our wardrobes. Consequently, for some of us, our wardrobes are bursting at the seams [pun intended!]. Whilst we may enjoy a great variety of clothes to wear each day, there are also unintend consequences: We have clothes that we don’t fit into, don’t like, have never worn, can’t find, and can’t see because our clothes are packed in like sardines and could potentially stand up on their own.
It is no surprise then that there has been a surge of interest in capsule wardrobes, especially online. A capsule collection, if you don’t know, is a collection of clothes that interchange with each other. You are able to wear a wide variety of different outfits with just these few staples, say seven items.
You can have a work capsule wardrobe which is a collection of work wear that you interchange each day. Or you could have a weekend capsule wardrobe: clothes to wear in your downtime that are specific to what you want to wear at the weekends.
Capsule wardrobes appeal to this idea of simplifying our lives, of accepting, quite consciously, a life of less in exchange for a life of better.
The French capsule wardrobe has been in the planning stage for a while now. There were some items which have been left out because they are not currently a priority for Workings to make, for example a trench coat, or a black leather jacket. We wanted to limit the number of items, but the pencil skirt is an obvious choice to include and definitely makes the top seven items which we want to include. It is so simple, sexy and chic while at the same time extremely sophisticate and grown up.
Our black, on the knee, pencil skirt is cut in a spotted jersey fabric.
It’s machine washable, and easy to wear.
It has a hand finished hem and patch pocket detail.
The black pencil skirt should be a perennial item in your wardrobe. If not black, then a classic weave like houndstooth, or a plain camel colour or a pencil skirt in a neutral colour such as bronze silk, would be great. The pencil skirt’s superpower is its ability to blend seamlessly into many different outfit combinations. Like the great friend who you can invite anywhere and sit next to anyone, the black pencil skirt is a true, reliable piece of clothing friend.
How our black pencil skirt will suit you
Our pencil skirt is made in versatile black jersey with a stretch making it super-easy to wear and super-smart to wear. Our pencil skirt is cut to the knee, making it easy to wear and to walk in. It’s form-fitting, but you’re going to be able to run in it. It has small details that give it a unique look a hand-finished hem and patch pockets. In short, it’s a simple garment, beautifully made.
The black pencil skirt is designed to fit perfectly into your work wardrobe whether you are working from home or chairing boardroom meetings. The flexibility and versatility of our black pencil skirt will keep you company and not let you down.
Is our black pencil skirt for you?
The Working Frocks black pencil skirt is generously cut and guaranteed to fit most standard sizes. It suits nearly all female body shapes, even pear shapes, who traditionally need a fluted a-line silhouette. The reason it suits so many body shapes is its proportions. From the total length of the skirt, to the width of the hem, to the waist size, all measurements are designed to make the black pencil skirt be as flattering as possible on your own body shape.
The black pencil skirt can be worn with a black jacket and black lace top and will take you out for a smart lunch. Wear it with a casual tee shirt, boots and a gilet for a casual afternoon look. Pair it with our simple white top for an effortlessly chic, soignée look that can take you from a brasserie lunch with girlfriends, to an afternoon business meeting and onto drinks and dinner à deux.
The black pencil skirt crosses all boundaries – from 18 to 80, women are going to look great in this skirt. Part-time working mothers, or women who’s careers are in full flow and they are giving every moment of their day are both going to find this a welcome addition to their wardrobe.
Designed and made with a concealed zip at the back, no waist band (but an inner facing), patch pockets and a hand finished hem.
As part of the French capsule collection you might also be interested in:
A capsule wardrobe collection is a specific number of clothes which are able to be worn interchangeably and which reflect your personality and lifestyle in such a way that the item combinations are appropriate to wear every day.
Hello everyone! We are preparing a short series of blog posts for you, to show you how you can incorporate a capsule wardrobe collection into your life with minimum hassle and maximum benefit. Here at Working Frocks we believe that a capsule wardrobe should help you look your best.
We have written other posts on the subject of the capsule wardrobe collection so be sure to check those out too:
So many articles and images for capsule collections are all about leggings and tee shirts. While there is definitely a place in our lives for that type of clothing we think that a capsule wardrobe has a much more interesting role to play in your life. After all, if you are going to wear a limited selection of clothing each day would leggings and a tee shirt really be your choice?
At Working Frocks we thing that a capsule collection should be one where you wear the distillation, the essence of who you are within a small collection of items.
What to wear to work is a strategic part of your work life so plan well. Consider your work environment, routine and personal style. Invest in good quality clothes and accessories. Create a capsule wardrobe with your core pieces. Mix and match them to create a constantly changing consistent style.
Being serious and intentional about what to wear to work each day is a good career strategy. Women who are intentional about what they wear convey a strong identity.
Because of its daily, regular, sometimes unrelenting nature choosing what to wear to work can feel oppressive or overwhelming.
But it doesn’t need to be like that. With a few good tips (see below) you can create a collection of work clothes that will nail your office style. Rather than scrabbling around each morning, planning in advance will give you back some peace and calm in the morning, making what to wear to work an integral, intentional part of your day.
Don’t underestimate the value of turning up each day looking like you are ready to work and to meet the day head on. Looking good at work conveys intentionality in the same way that a clean desk and organised paperwork shows that you are well organised and prepared to do the job that you do.
Why being intentional about what you wear is a good career strategy
Women who are intentional about what they wear convey a strong identity. If you are intentional about what you wear, the positive results will be two fold:
You will convey confidence and authority in your work place, and
you will feel more confident and this boosts your self esteem.
In other words, by being intentional about what you wear, you create a virtuous circle. You look confident, which makes you feel confident, which makes you look confident and authoritative.
What to wear to work: How to look good every day
Who needs this blog post?
You need this blog post if:
your life is on autopilot, you are overwhelmed with children and/or family and you have no time to think let alone plan what to wear to work
you would like to look great at work consistently but don’t know where to start
you are returning to work after a career break, and don’t know where to start pulling a work wardrobe together.
your life has become monotonous and routine and you’d like to inject some personality back in but don’t know how.
How not to get dressed
Early on in my blog writing career I met a lady through an online course. We got chatting and I told her how I was changing my work to write blogs and give online rather than direct, wardrobe advice, in addition to designing clothes. She said to me, “I always wear black trousers and a white shirt”. She said she had no interest in wearing anything else.
She was very creative, had written many books and travelled extensively. I couldn’t help thinking that her wardrobe was based purely on practicality and a lack of confidence, as well as her feeling self consciousness about her weight. So her uniform had become her armour. Locking herself in, she felt safe from the world.
This is not what you are aiming for when you get dressed. You are aiming not to hide your identity, but to use your identity to make confident choices about what to wear. Those choices in turn reflect your identity back at you yourself and outward towards others: your colleagues; your family; your friends.
We are here to help
We, at Working Frocks, are right here to encourage you on to look your best in any and every work situation. We firmly believe that the quality of your life will improve by wearing exactly the right clothes for you, and we are here to help you achieve that look. If black trousers and white shirt are your intentional look, and they can look really amazing and professional, then great. Just don’t let what you wear stop you from expressing who you are, or from dumbing down your life in any way.
So, read on for 7 ways to be intentional about what you wear to work.
1. Be intentional about what to wear to work
You only need to wear one outfit every day, so make it count. Make it the best of what your office dress code is. If you work fulltime then your week is dominated by your work. At the end of each day you might not want to think about work any more. But work is part of your life, so be just as intentional about your work clothes as what you would wear for any other occasion, like a party, or drinks out with girlfriends, or a dinner out with your beloved.
2. Actively like and appreciate what you wear
Don’t wear clothes just because you can fit into them or because you have been wearing them for years without really thinking about it. You should actively like what you wear. Don’t wear something just because you fit in and can remain anonymous. Make it easy but don’t make it boring!
3. Wear what reflects your character
Even if you work in a very formal environment you will be able to do this. Do not dumb down your character. Do not dress for someone else. Do not dress trying to be someone else. This can be problematic for some women. Tomorrow, the next post, I’m going to address how to dress to reflect your character for those of you who need a refresh or need some guidance.
4. Create a work ‘look’
How do you want to appear each day at work, to your work colleagues, in meetings, at your desk? Even if you are working from home and only appearing virtually each day to your co-worker, this is still just as important as if you are physically present in the office.
Do you want to look smart, informal, trendy, classic, modern or arty? Or something else entirely? In deciding what to wear to work take into consideration your own taste primarily. Also take into consideration the work environment in which you find yourself if there are any restrictions on dress code there. For example if you work in a very formal environment you may have to rein in your uber-arty dress code slightly. Try not to remove it entirely though. Getting dressed each day is a form of self-expression.
5. Create a work capsule wardrobe
A good strategy that makes the decision making process around what to wear to work much easier is to create a capsule collection of clothes specifically for work. You don’t need many items, just try and make them interchangeable and you will find that you get a great variation of work outfits from just a few clothes. These can be clothes which you don’t wear when you are not at work and is something I recommend.
Even more, try and have a different look when you are not at work and really separate out your work life from your home life. You may be transitioning back to working from the office in a hybrid of full time capacity in which case a specific capsule wardrobe that is ‘polished, comfortable and versatile’ may be the answer.
6. Plan ahead
As the seasons change, adjust your work clothes accordingly. If some of your clothes are past their best plan in advance to replace them. You can plan to buy bigger items such as coats, boots, bags in the sale so plan that shopping trip ahead of time. Be proactive in deciding what to wear to work, treat it like a game.
7. Accessorise
Well chosen accessories can make an outfit. What jewellery do you wear to work? Could you wear specific items for work that become part of your work style? Some women like to wear bold necklaces for work as statement jewellery. Other women like a classic look, pearl earrings, discrete watch. Whatever your style is, make it your own. Check out the blog post on personal style signifier.
Looking good is a matter of confidence
Action points: What to do now
If you want to take action and are ready to look great for work every day then get started with 2 easy action points:
1. Your first action tip to do today is to go to your wardrobe and remove anything that you don’t like, that you wear on autopilot. Take it/them to the charity shop where it can be freed to be worn by someone who loves it.
2. Your second action point is to find an outfit that you truly love and that makes you happy and confident. Take it out of your wardrobe, accessorise it with shoes, jewellery, jacket, cardigan, coat, whatever it needs. Now it is ready for tomorrow and you can look forward to wearing it
For other blog posts which address what to wear in the work environment try:
It may be that you are a loss about what to wear. You buy clothes for different reasons but nothing every seems to feel right. Does the following statement describe you?: I buy clothes hoping that they will “do” and that I can scrape by unnoticed. I also buy clothes to cover up although my … Read more
How to find your personal style Want to improve your look? Fed up of the same personal style you’ve had for years? Don’t know how to make a change that will suit you without making costly mistakes or spending time you haven’t got? Use this Insta wardrobe fundamentals blog, “How to find your personal style” … Read more
How to shop for your body shape – the frustrations I am told on a regular basis, by many different women, how hard it is to find something from the high street shops that fits their personal shape well. As someone who makes ready to wear and also couture clothes I can understand why this … Read more
Choosing the Right Lipstick Colour Yesterday I was going to a meeting and I was leaving the house I thought, “Oh I’ll grab a lipstick I haven’t worn in a while it will be fun”. And let me tell you it wasn’t. Firstly even though it looked like a good colour for my outfit it … Read more
Style Advice to help Working Women look amazing every day Style Advice: Nothing to wear? It could be your emotions How often do you go to your wardrobe, take a look inside and your heart sinks because you feel you have nothing to wear? Or maybe you don’t want to wear what’s in there because … Read more
