9-5 Work Style

Creating a capsule wardrobe solely for work will help you to easily separate your work and leisure time whilst also reducing the decision fatigue that can come from planning what you're going to wear for the day ahead.

The items within your capsule wardrobe will depend on the dress code policy in place at your workplace, but the same principles apply whether your workwear wardrobe leans toward business casual or more professional.

Breaking Down a Capsule Workwear Wardrobe

While it would be possible to curate a workwear wardrobe featuring just five tops, aiming for around 10 will prevent a sense of repetitiveness and provide you with more layering options. Try to incorporate some variety with blouses, camisoles, sweaters, and long-sleeved tops in your favourite confidence-boosting colours.

A great pair of well-fitting trousers can act as a foundational element in a range of outfits. However, giving yourself a few extra options is never a bad idea, particularly if they bring something different to the table. For example, you could also incorporate navy blue straight-leg trousers, a pencil skirt and a pair of culottes.

You may also want to incorporate a few dresses into your workwear wardrobe. There is a range of options here, including chic shift dresses and styles that can be layered over a blouse or underneath a blazer, coat or jumper.

How to Build your Workwear Wardrobe

Start by going through your wardrobe and selecting the pieces that you want to wear for work but don't want to wear in your personal leisure time. From here, start thinking about what you're missing. For example, if you're planning for cooler temperatures, you may want to incorporate more knitwear or an extra jacket, whereas in the warmer months, you may want to focus on building up a selection of lightweight tops that will keep you cool.

Just remember, sticking to a cohesive colour palette will allow you to maximise your workwear wardrobe because you'll be able to mix and match different pieces to create outfits that feel fresh.

Now is a great time to put together two weeks' worth of workwear outfits using just the pieces you have in front of you. If you discover that you're missing a key item that can be incorporated into several different outfits, make a note to add it to the mix.

Whether you choose to put together a single capsule wardrobe or would prefer to work with the seasons, remember that you can always go back in and switch things out whenever you want. Always take out pieces that you just aren't getting much wear out of and replace them with an item that will make it into your outfits more frequently.

What About Accessories?

Allowing yourself to play with different accessories will help you to ensure that your work wardrobe retains a feeling of freshness and you don't feel as though you're wearing the same thing day after day.