Heatproof Office Fashion - podcast episode cover

Heatproof Office Fashion

Jan 21, 202531 min
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Episode description

This week, we’re tackling the ultimate summer struggle: how to stay polished and professional when it’s 35 degrees outside.

Enter Virginia Jenkins, competition lawyer by day and fashion influencer/blogger by night. Virginia’s here to share her effortlessly chic, office-ready summer-style secrets.

From go-to wardrobe staples and versatile brands to commuting hacks and tips for avoiding “boring” office looks, Virginia has the advice you need to stay cool and stylish all summer long.

13 corporate workwear pieces so versatile you'll wear them on the weekend, too.

THE END BITS

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Want to shop the pod? Sign up to the Nothing To Wear Newsletter to see all the products mentioned plus more, delivered straight to your inbox after every episode.

LINKS TO EVERYTHING MENTIONED: 

The Creative Pragmatist Book

Wear It Well Book

Eupheme Clothing

Scanlan Theodore Parachute Cotton Shirt Dress $700

Foemina Mimi Dress | French Blue Pinstripe Poplin $415

Foemina Jack Dress $266

Anna Quan Knitted Cotton Sleeveless Cardigan $595

Uniqlo AIRism Cotton Boat Neck Camisole BRA TOP $39.90

Bared Junco Sandals $269

The Fold Clothing

Women's Gucci Jordaan loafer $1,600

COS Workwear

BOUJEE & BUDGET 

Leigh Boujie:

Silk Laundry Relaxed Silk Blazer $405

Leigh Budget:

Pleated Wide Pants (single tuck) $59.90

Portman's Aimie Shirt $89

Virginia Boujie:

Celine Phantom leather tote $2,500

Virginia Budget:

Arms Of Eve Delphine Gold Earrings $99

GET IN TOUCH:

Feedback? We’re listening! Call the pod phone on 02 8999 9386 or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au

CREDITS:

      Host: Leigh Campbell

      Guest: Virginia Jenkins

      Producer: Cassie Merritt

      Audio Producer: Lu Hill

      Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

      Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribe

      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

      Transcript

      Speaker 1

      You're listening to Amma Mia podcast. Mamma Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters that this podcast is recorded on. Whoever said orange is a new pink with seriously disturbed laurels for spraying groundbreaking?

      Speaker 2

      Oh my god, you have to do it. You live for fashion.

      Speaker 1

      Hello, and welcome to Nothing to Wear, the podcast that solves fashion problems and levels up your wardrobe. I'm Lee Campbell, and every week I talk to an expert who helps us work out how to get more out of the clothes we already own and tells us exactly what is and isn't worth adding to our wardrobes. Picture this, It's thirty five degrees outside, the sun is blazing, and the last thing you want to do is put on anything

      remotely resembling officewear. But some people do work in a corporate environment and a little tiny mini cotton dress I ain't gonna cut it. So today's guest is here to save us from all those what do I wear? Summer

      mornings when you're heading to work? Meet Virginia Jenkins aka v By day, she's the competition lawyer, and by night or whenever she has a spare moment, She's on Instagram and TikTok posting about her effortlessly chic office ready outfits, with over eighty five thousand Instagram followers hanging on her every post. They look to V for practical inspiration on how to dress chic in an arguably not very chic environment.

      The office then add heat to the problem. So in this episode, we're going to talk about how to curate a summer work where Wardrobe and her go to tricks for staying polished in the middle of a heat wave. My friend V, who I see at the occasional event. I'm excited I've roped you into the studio. I don't know how you fit it in your schedule. But new guests answer a couple of questions before we get into the topics. So please, can you describe your style in three words?

      Speaker 2

      Three words? Well? I did a lot of reading to determine my three words, and it was like a real serious thing on the internet. I even bought Amy Smileovig's book The Creative Pragmatis. Yeah. I adore her and Alison Bornstein's Where It Well, and I read it because I both have different approaches to how you find your three words but my three words are so classic to my foundational word, because my style is that its core classic. Then it's comfortable. That's how I want to feel.

      Speaker 1

      Oh my gosh, I haven't even thought of my words at alone. Research This is amazing.

      Speaker 2

      So it provides so much structure once you've got those pio. It did a little bit because comfortable doesn't sound very glamorous.

      Speaker 1

      Now it feels like traxit pants, but that's not true.

      Speaker 2

      That's right for me. It's got a bit of a double meaning in the sense that that's how I want to feel, but it also reflects.

      Speaker 1

      But then it makes you feel confident because it's right, and.

      Speaker 2

      It's like it reflects the relaxed nature of my life. Now it's not as dressy as it used to be because you know, I've got kids in the picture and

      things like that. But it's also because I'm petite. It's got a bit of a double meaning there too, because I walk into a store find things off the rack and they're not going to necessarily fit my proportions, so it's a bit of a remind they're not to sort of not to compromise anything, and just to make sure the filter that's right, and so comfortable's got a few sort of layer of My third word, which is my aspirational word, is elevated.

      Speaker 1

      Yes, oh you're all of those. That's your Your aspirations is a reality.

      Speaker 2

      Oh thanks. It's a little bit of something, a little bit of something special, something extra. I always try and like inject a little bit of that. Yes, And so I think like I approach that like for when I'm getting dressed for the office, yes, but also when I'm getting dressed for weekends.

      Speaker 1

      Stuff off you running around with the kids.

      Speaker 2

      That's right. I'll pop on some earrings just to get myself fee a little bit more elevation.

      Speaker 1

      Well, you know, seeing you in real life occasionally and following you like devotedly following on Instagram. I approve of all three. Next question, So the theory we hear all the time, we wear ten percent of our wardrobe ninety percent of the time. So the stuff we grab where love rewear, make sure it's washed so it's ready to go again. You're ten percent. What's in there?

      Speaker 2

      When I think about the ten percent of things that I wear, I think shoes come to mind quite a bit.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, I mean too, actually, because I'm just like I know you're comfortable.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, I've got a pretty solid shoe collection, a lot of very beautiful, uncomfortable shoes, make sure, And so I'm always finding myself gravitating towards closed toe sandals at the moment. That's been a thing for the past.

      Speaker 1

      Closed toes sandal, Yeah, Like, what do you mean?

      Speaker 2

      So like, I've got a lot of I've got a heap of strappy I'm just holding my foot. Stop by the way, No, that's going to mean nothing to people listening. No, but yeah, I wear a lot of closed toe sandals from the office. Also appropriate, work appropriate, super comfortable. Yeah, but they're airy, That's why they're airy. But it means that, like my heels, a lot of things don't get as

      much airtime as they should. I may be wearing one pair of sneakers when I'm like doing exercise and things like that, and so that's who that makes up.

      Speaker 1

      But then I walk into a shoe shop, I'm like, pretty, I know, buy it?

      Speaker 2

      Yeah?

      Speaker 1

      What else? Are you a jean girl? I mean we're about to talk corporate, but what are you grabbing? Is it a good quality tea?

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, I've got like crew neck teas that I love wearing to I go two pairs of jeans that I always wear. And I think the other key thing, the key category that makes up my ten percent, which I think is something that a lot of people can relate to, would be my active wear.

      Speaker 1

      Same.

      Speaker 2

      And it's like particularly the stuff that I have from Lululemon. Yeah, and it's not just fader, It's right, it's not just the stuff that I'm wearing when I'm working out, Oh no, because I rarely work out, but I've got a busy day, so I just put that on. That's right. I wear like a lot of their casual stuff and it's so comfortable. Like I work from home quite a bit, I still have to show up and feel put together. Yes, but

      there's only so much that you can achieve in sweatpants. Yeah, tell your let's get home.

      Speaker 1

      But then you're not gonna wear like a full on blazer if you don't need to unless you'ret of the day.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah. So I think luzer Lemon provides like that perfect amount of like elevated sounds have a.

      Speaker 1

      Very similar ten percent. Okay, So we're talking corporate wear for two reasons. Firstly, because we've had so many guests on this show and this MoMA mea office and team. We can you know, it's a creative workplace, so we can wear pretty casual things, and a lot of workplaces can. But on the flip side, a lot of professions aren't, you know, they're what I call serious careers, like lawyers or doctors. I've got some friends that are solicitors. You know,

      they're in kind of proper corporate environments. And it's also very hot right now. Immediately when I think corporate, I think, you know, a blazer, a long pant, whatever. But then it's summer and it's getting hotter and hotter and hotter,

      and I can imagine the corporate conundrum. I just made that up of you know, getting to and from work hopefully works relatively well, their conditioned, but you might be running between meetings and so you've got to look put together and you don't want to drop dead from heat exhaustion. So we're going to cover all of that, But first I want to ask you you have two lives. Essentially,

      you're a content creator, but you're also a lawyer. So tell me about that and the wardrobes, the different wardrobes if there is for.

      Speaker 2

      Me, because what I share online is essentially what I'm wearing. Yeah, it's the same, which is great.

      Speaker 1

      So your audience are probably office workers, you know, career corporate.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, yeah, so I'm essentially I work full time as a lawyer, and then I share what I wear online for my audience. Yeah, and it used to be strictly just workwhere when I first started, it's now expanded into what I was that pre lockdown, pre lockdown when everything wonders, things have changed, and I navigated that shift with my audience online and they were probably going through it too.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah.

      Speaker 2

      I think that's right. Sefually working in traditional corporate jobs and then all of a sudden working from home to suit pants, which was amazing totally Yeah.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, exactly despite what was happening in the world. Your bottom for.

      Speaker 2

      Comfy, Yeah, that's right.

      Speaker 1

      So what was your you know, I guess it's different for each workplace, So what was the general vibe or dress code for your work and career pre lockdown?

      Speaker 2

      So pre lockdown, I worked mainly in private firms, and the dress code there was I think what they call business casual, So it's not business formal, that's like very elevated. Business casual is still suits and blazers and things like that. Yeah, the silhouettes were always pencil shape. Yeah as well, like I've FINELOI in our for almost fifteen. Yeah, so I'm sort of reflecting that show.

      Speaker 1

      Back in the day, like you had to wear like stockings and everything, or am I making that up?

      Speaker 2

      Stockings wasn't a thing, that's yeah, I think I was probably that predated my time, but it was definitely slim lines, high heels. I punished my feet inten centimeter heels, and it was just a thing everyone did.

      Speaker 1

      Look at magazines back in the day. It was the same, yeah, and it was unspoken for us. But you just you just want to just sight club shoes.

      Speaker 2

      So you punish your feet in them. Sometimes you have you change from your flats to your heels after committee, but that would be even like why are you doing that? Like why can't you just punish your feet the entire day. It would be a flex to be able to commute from home to the office and home again, just in the one.

      Speaker 1

      Period shoe and I'm assuming like a pump or a court shoe, like not a stiletto. Yeah, not as.

      Speaker 2

      I would wear stilettos, but I would went like a pump. Yeah, no, no toes out okay, no that even sling backs were frowned upon. But I mean there's been such a shift like yeah, but I think that was just a very conservative, traditional office environ.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, pretty narrow in terms of the options of the final look.

      Speaker 2

      Yes, that's right.

      Speaker 1

      Okay. And for you, has that changed post lockdown or do you think at industry wide as you know, sort of corporate, has it relaxed a little bit?

      Speaker 2

      Oh? Absolutely, it's relaxed a lot.

      Speaker 1

      Okay.

      Speaker 2

      And so now I dressed to a smart casual dress code okay, and our office actually applies a dress for your day policy, so everyone can exert Everyone can exercise their own common sense, which is great to have the freedom, but you also get a very wide range of outfits.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah.

      Speaker 2

      But that's not to say that when I have a big meeting, like a big serious meeting, yet I'm not putting on something that is a little bit more structured and you know, meeting the occasion.

      Speaker 1

      Any are dressing for the for your day?

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, that's right.

      Speaker 1

      I wonder if anyone has to get pulled aside and saying the day in your head and the day on your body is it's two different things. The last few years you've had more flexibility. But how do you in

      general avoid boring corporate work outfits? Because I think also corporate people are often busy or up earlier doing a million things, and it's so easy just to go into water from and go black pants, black jacket, and they might be lovely, but how do you keep it fresh or you know, make sure there's still a bit of your personality in your corporate outfit. Is it about the planning? Is it about the accessories?

      Speaker 2

      I keep those three style wards in mind, and I think that's the ones that you asked me about in the beginning. That's provided me with a lot of structure to have a bit of a play because I do think that there is still a place for a pair of black pants.

      Speaker 1

      Oh my gosh, absolutely, yeah, it's but there's still the way they bought from events fifteen years ago.

      Speaker 2

      That's right.

      Speaker 1

      That's you don't have to wear that every single day, like you know, corporate borings. I won't bother yeah, yeah, And.

      Speaker 2

      Corporate were back in the day as well, was really expensive. Oh yeah, and I would spend I remember spending four hundred dollars on a pencil skirt that I would never wear now because it's just so old school, whereas now you can sort of there's no hard and fast line between work where you're wearing off.

      Speaker 1

      Yet there's not those few stores that you'd go to only for your work, right right, Yeah, yeah, that's my next question. So can you run us through. We're going to talk about hot first, like the hot weather, I mean, you're very hot, but then we'll get into justunch work stuff. Do you have favorite items that you do wear for corporate life when it is unbearably hot?

      Speaker 2

      Yeah? I mean I think that dressing stylishly for work in the summer, particularly in Australia, I think that's a

      bit of a mystery. It's so hard, that's right. And I think that, like exactly what you said earlier, like your work day doesn't just start from when you're in the office, because all the stuff you do for when there's commute ye, maybe you're dropping kids off, that's right, dropping kids off, waiting at a train station with nowhere on, hopping on a crowded train, having a heavy bag, all

      that sort of stuff. And just with the shift in my dress code as well, I just sort of wanted to canvasite just in case people are working in different professions.

      Speaker 1

      Yes, well that is it, and everyone's got something slightly different.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah. For me, it's summer work where boils down to two things. It's the fabric choice and it's having a good set of basics because you're a sentally down to the one layer that you can really to express yourself. I think that's why like fashion, people like colder weathers so much.

      Speaker 1

      If they can do the really cool blazer, but then the coat that they don't properly put on all right, but your noxious shoulder, yeah that day to day Yeah.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, So there's the layering and there's the textures, whereas here you've just you just got one. And so for me the fabrics, I think you want to opt for something that's light and breathable, so things like linen and cotton they're kind of no brainers. There are also some synthetic fibers as well that are breathable and moisture wicking,

      like you know, like the active were stuff. Yes, but there's a brand called Euphemie which is an Australian label, and they also use some of their technology in their work where too, because they're predominantly a workwear label. Yeah, so you're getting a little bit of that. Yeah, because you get stress sweats.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, of course you do it. Sweat a huge presentation exactly. Yeah, you've got a.

      Speaker 2

      Crazy deadline, you've got a horrible west or something like that.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, that's right. You can't in the office, that's right. Yeah. Wow.

      Speaker 2

      And then I guess in terms of like the favorite pieces that I have that at my go tos, So the first is shirting. Obviously, like linen shirts are great because you know, they've got the airflow and they're breathable. I think they're also versatile in the sense that you can wear them as a shirt, yes, as they were made, but then you can also wear them over a tank as like a shacket. Yeah. And I really like doing it on.

      Speaker 1

      The weekend or even though that's.

      Speaker 2

      For a bit of a relaxed look. So I think that's summer work. Where item number one.

      Speaker 1

      Okay, a good natural fib or breathabule shirt.

      Speaker 2

      That's right, A good loose that's right, breathble shirt.

      Speaker 1

      Yes.

      Speaker 2

      The next item for me sounds a little bit specific, but it's cotton poplin dresses.

      Speaker 1

      I don't think love we love specificity. Trust me, that's good okay, cotton poplin specifically. Okay, so that's that kind of stiffer, yes, yes, stiff.

      Speaker 2

      They're tied a wee bit of achine to it. Yeah.

      Speaker 1

      So see I immediately think white, but I'm assuming you're probably thinking different color.

      Speaker 2

      Yes, different color. Yeah. Cotton poplin is like cotton's ritzier cousin. Yes, and it's it just it looks so much more elevated, and you get pieces that are more elevated made in that fabric.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah. And it's a bit more structured, so it lends out's right, So it.

      Speaker 2

      Flows a little bit more. There are some designers like Scanlan Theater or they do a really good cotton poplin dress, but I appreciate their price tag isn't accessible to everybody. Yeah, and so there's also an Aussie label called fou Ameina.

      Speaker 1

      Oh I love this stuff.

      Speaker 2

      Is so good, isn't it. They've got an amazing range of cotton poplin dresses in beautiful colors. That's where all my color is coming from, actually from their dresses. And it's roughly half the price of a Scalon theaterre dress.

      Speaker 1

      Okay, and the cuts work appropriate, The cuts are I'm assuming you wouldn't do sort of a shoe string strap or no.

      Speaker 2

      You wouldn't you do like a play on a shirt dress? Yeah, a button down something sleek covered. But yeah, you can do something. Yep, they've got things with shoulders on them. But I think as long as it's flowy and like a high neck, yeah, I think that's appropriate for the office I need.

      Speaker 1

      I mean not that I work in corporate, but you've made me inspired by that. What else?

      Speaker 2

      What else? Summer knits some I know that sounds like a bit of an oxyd.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, I mean I've got a few knit tanks. Oh, you could do like a nice high knit tank kind of thing.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, like cotton knits because they are quite breathable and they look because it's the idea of an elevated basic, they look a lot more basic than a creen neckt which I have nothing against. Yeah, sometimes you want a little bit of variety. Yes, I love my cotton knit tops from Aniquan a Uniclor have a great selection and they're all so great when the air con is set to Arctic in the office, and it gives you an additional bit of like.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, because it kind of knows whether it warm me up or cool you down. A little bit.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, it's a bit of a magical work where.

      Speaker 1

      I and you mentioned closed sandals. So do you have any brands or work where appropriate sort of styles. Yeah, closed toast sandals have been a real thing for me for the past few years.

      Speaker 2

      I love the closed TOAs sandals from bad footwear comforts. I never thought that I would be so enthusiastic over for dietrist design. Shoes are the ones that I would see in the pharmacy.

      Speaker 1

      Totally, and homis that were on the side.

      Speaker 2

      Ye, comfort first fashion, not even a yes whereas bad. It's just they've got all these trendy designs. They're great. They've got heels as well, like traditional heels you know you would wear back in the day.

      Speaker 1

      Sure, you know, yeah, like a like a kind of air hostess courts that's right, like a courtshe Yeah, they've got a really they've got stylish options there. But I think the closed tost sandal is just a really nice flowed my mind. Yeah, I even thought to do a style like that. I love that.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, it's great. They've got a heap of fishermen sandals. I never thought that I would be a lawyer wearing fisherman sandals too and from work. But that's what I'm doing run the office. Yeah, I love them. A lot of people are doing it too, so.

      Speaker 1

      You've influenced them.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, I think so you can do it.

      Speaker 1

      When you go shopping, do you, you know, consciously look for items that are versatile enough for your non lawyer life, for you know, the weekends. Do you find that it's the way you style items that then means they're versatile. Yeah.

      Speaker 2

      For me, I don't shop for work where anymore. I shop for just my wardrobe, but I do want to ensure that it can be styled for both, and so there has to be an element of elevation to it. There has to be something a little bit dressy about it or I would feel comfortable wearing it to the office.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah.

      Speaker 2

      Sure, and that's when I can justify adding something to my wardrobe. There is an element of that, for sure.

      Speaker 1

      And that's kind of your words as well. Elevated. So yeah, it's your radar anyway, You've got to get your three words. I don't know. Mine would be a bower bird and if it's on sale, and depends on what mood I'm in, I mean, I guess it's probably easier to dress down. You know, say you've got a beautiful oversized blazer you can wear to work, easy to wear that on the weekend.

      But if there's just really something really great and casual, or you're going on a holiday, obviously you'll still buy stuff that's not for your lawyer life.

      Speaker 2

      Right, absolutely, Okay, Yeah, so I've got a lot of casual stuff down. Yeah, because I'm not in the office the majority of the time anymore. I'm no longer in the office five days a week work like many people. That's why it's very handy. I mean two days a week. It means that I have an amazing workway wardrobe that doesn't get as much time as it should.

      Speaker 1

      And you're probably jumping on a zooms You're like, queer, God, just put this top on it.

      Speaker 2

      That's right there, you go. Yeah, but no, it's really dressing for my comfortable self now.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, and I love that.

      Speaker 2

      I love how it's shifted, but I still want to feel put together.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah.

      Speaker 2

      I think that if my workplace was dressy and still in that business casual dress code, I would still be shopping for two separate wardrobes.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah.

      Speaker 2

      Right, But because that's shifted and transitioned to a more relaxed code.

      Speaker 1

      But I also think you're helping other people sort of do that in their own way, even if their workplace is slightly more corporate than yours. I think you show the versatility well of items that can really do both roles.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, I think that's Yeah, that makes me feel nice when you say that that's the aim.

      Speaker 1

      So you mentioned carrying heavy bags before, and bags in general. What do you look for in a good work bag.

      Speaker 2

      I like a bag that can fit all my stuff. I used to be a crazy bag, used to have separate bags for my lunch and my Yeah.

      Speaker 1

      I'm still a cute handbag, and then this, and then I'm like oh wait and then and I've got three bags.

      Speaker 2

      I want everything just compact.

      Speaker 1

      So yeah, I'm not her yet.

      Speaker 2

      Oh when you do get there, and you do future, you will be very happy, I know.

      Speaker 1

      So are you? You know? Have you got a few sort of smaller bags for weekends lash evening where, but mostly you're a tote that can take it all.

      Speaker 2

      I'm a tote person. I've got a few designer totes whenever I want to inject a little bit of that. Yeah, I've also got some very functional, some very stylish ones too from Belroy. I love their toes because I've got compartments.

      Speaker 1

      Never heard of them.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, there's compartments for everything.

      Speaker 1

      I love a compartment.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, it's amazing Leroy. Yeah, it just makes life so much easier with packing.

      Speaker 1

      Doesn't You're not rummaging around, that's right.

      Speaker 2

      And then yeah, I've got a range of cross body bags that I rely on. Yeah on the weekend.

      Speaker 1

      Would you do a backpack for work or absolutely?

      Speaker 2

      I am a total backpack person. Yes.

      Speaker 1

      So you can get stylish enough backpacks to wear to the office.

      Speaker 2

      You can. You can get tote packs. Have you heard of these? They're like a multi it's.

      Speaker 1

      Like a transformer for a bag.

      Speaker 2

      Yes, it's like it's like a two in one multifunctional bag. We can wear it as a tote or as a backpack.

      Speaker 1

      Oh wow, that's very cool.

      Speaker 2

      I discovered those just after lockdown lifted, like when we were returning back to working. Yes, I think I can twenty twenty one or twenty twenty two. Yeah, and I haven't looked back because when I commute to the office, I'm dropping the kids off on foot. Yeah, and I'm hopping on.

      Speaker 1

      The tree probably carrying stuff for them, holding their hands.

      Speaker 2

      And also, you.

      Speaker 1

      Know, I've won my handbag on the same side for you know, decades, and my back is not enjoying it.

      Speaker 2

      No, and so yep, you need to get on the backpack train.

      Speaker 1

      Okay, but it's nice to sort of chop and change. I do like change on my bag. Occasionally. I hate it when I get somewhere and I'm like, oh, whatever, that one thing's in my other bag. But it is a nice way to kind of switch things up.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, it's very much part of my outfit, my bag. Yeah, so I will. I won't keep the same bag all the time. Very easily, chance for it. As long as it carries everything. Long, it carries everything. Compartments are great.

      Speaker 1

      Okay, yep, love it. You touched on footwear before, so now in these you know your modern life right now. You don't change to get to the office or you just go. These are work appropriate, They're comfortable, and I can go the whole day, whole.

      Speaker 2

      Day, that's right. So I'll wear at the moment because it's so hot. Closed dow sandals are a thing. Strappie sandals ballet flat like a ballet flat. Yeah, I mean, I get like it gets really sweaty. I agree when you're walking.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, and there's not often, I mean, depending on the brand, but most of them don't have much support.

      Speaker 2

      No, they don't have much sport. But I'm more of a loafers person, I've got to say, so loafers would be my thing.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, and I do love a loafer with a worklow I do too.

      Speaker 2

      I have the whole element of like masculine.

      Speaker 1

      Me too, like the Gucci loafer, but it doesn't have to be the Gucci loafer, but just the visual reference. You know, can get really great affordable ones.

      Speaker 2

      Very classic. The Gucci loafers are the ones that I always wear. Yeah, trying to get the costper wear down. I've had them for about three years now when they're amazing.

      Speaker 1

      Oh, I've got a roop off pair of them, but I think they're almost dead, so I probably should have just bought the real one.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, they're great. But when things need to be a little bit more serious, you need to be a bit dressy, then I will wear a low heel okay, but five centimeters is my limit. In summer it will be a sling back that ex ventilation.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, and that's like a pointy court shure.

      Speaker 2

      It's a pointy courtshoe.

      Speaker 1

      Okay. And see what I love about that is now they look great with you know, Bermuda shorts are a little dress like. You can wear them non corporately as well.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah they do. They're great. They're quite versatile. So yeah, I find those low heels do double duty in that sense.

      Speaker 1

      Yes, And I don't want any higher anyway. And I don't work in corporate. I just want to be comfortable.

      Speaker 2

      No, But like that's the thing I used tonish my feet intents. I don't know how I did it. I love it.

      Speaker 1

      We've all been there so not just summer in general. But can you just share your favorite I mean when I say share your favorite corporate wear brands, the thing is I think for me, I used to go, okay, Q Jackie E jack Is that was that? It was she that was a shop way back at you know, I've never been corporate, But now I feel like you could probably walk into most stores in a Westfield and find work appropriate clothes and not. But what are some of your favorite brands that you do wear?

      Speaker 2

      Favorite brands that are wearing at the moment aren't strictly workwear labels like you say, I feel like you can find a blazer anywhere as well. But for me, Anna Kuan is currently a favorite. I think love she can do no wrong, and she's got these amazing knit dresses, like these cotton nit dresses that are great. Yes, I'm wearing a vest at the moment.

      Speaker 1

      You are.

      Speaker 2

      I really love her stuff. I love Folmina, who I mentioned earlier. I do some great dresses. I play on a shirt dress which I really love. There's a workwear label in London called The Fold. They do some really good traditional corporate workwear, okay, but they've also tailored it and twisted now for the modern woman, because I recognize the shift.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah.

      Speaker 2

      Sure, Scanlon Theater is great too, agreed and doesn't like scann On?

      Speaker 1

      But yes, are you in the Facebook? There's a Facebook group?

      Speaker 2

      Yeah? There are? Are they?

      Speaker 1

      I love those?

      Speaker 2

      Yes? Yeah. Scanlon Secondhand is like you really feel like you've achieved something absolutely and.

      Speaker 1

      Still because it's such good quality if someone's taking care of it, I'd go Secondhand for sure, exactly. And do you ever do the more audible brands, like if you looked at Zara Zara workwear.

      Speaker 2

      I love Unicloth Yeah, I love is great work. Yeah, so they're too. Yeah, they've got two massive stores in the city, so it makes it easy to browse. Yes, I think they do really good basics. That would be the two i'd recommend.

      Speaker 1

      Love it before we get into bougie and budget Any last tips tricks, advice for corporate wear, corporate dressing hacks. You know, it's it's the new year. Maybe people want to inject some new style. And if they do work five days a week and think, oh, that's just you know, my boring office job, what's your recommendation.

      Speaker 2

      For me, Because particularly in summer, when you're just sticking to the one layer and your outfits are quite basic, don't scrimp on the accessories. Add some mearings here and there at a necklace, and there are so many ways that you can do it in a budget friendly way. You don't have to, you know, fork out on crazy expensive jewelry. You can get a lot of the gold plated stuff or the gold for may that's not going

      to tarnish, its waterproof. I really like adding those little bit It's a frosting okay around my head and all my body. Yes, I love you, Yeah, And it really makes your outfit quite interesting.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, and then if maybe you're going for afterwork drinks, I don't know. I'm too old to people still do that. But then you still feel a bit fish That's right.

      Speaker 2

      It's a bit of an old life for me as well. But I know you do. You feel a bit smash even at eleven a m. Yeah, you at your desk, why not? Yeah, you're not going to get much use of it. Otherwise you may as well pop it onhr D you or even to the office. That's right.

      Speaker 1

      I love that.

      Speaker 2

      It's very expensive.

      Speaker 1

      How old are I've pretended I work in the corporate environment so I can play along. Let's start though, with your bougie what's your bougie items? It can be boogie is you want? We've had very boogie on here?

      Speaker 2

      Okay, all right, my bougie item, I've got it. Here is my Selene handbag.

      Speaker 1

      She's beautiful.

      Speaker 2

      That is actual. Please. This is the Carbostone.

      Speaker 1

      Oh yes, beautiful.

      Speaker 2

      And even if I'm saying right, Caver Carby, don't ask me.

      Speaker 1

      Yeah, fancy, that's gorgeous.

      Speaker 2

      It's their toe bag, which is discontinued. That I love this bag, and particularly when you're wearing something very basic. Yeah, I could just be wearing a T shirt and just very loose trousers. Yes, I put this on and I feel like my entire and it feels your laptop. It's my laptop. It's all of the things I need for the day. I've even got a little liner for it to like have the compartments it is from. It's from Etsy.

      Speaker 1

      Oh my gosh, I need that.

      Speaker 2

      And so then I've got all of this stuff because I know otherwise I just go crazy.

      Speaker 1

      Well, it doesn't. You rummage around, you can't find anything that's clever. And you know, bags like that you can buy secondhand, but even if you do buy a new from store, they last forever.

      Speaker 2

      They really do.

      Speaker 1

      And that would look fab at a kid's birthday party in jeans and a tea and greatful work. Yes, I love how I'm justifying your bougie purchase that you've already bought.

      Speaker 2

      That's right now. I love wearing it. Took the office. Mainly, I don't trust my boys and they're sticky things to bring it anywhere on the case. Maybe when they're a bit older, but no, that's it's a great Oh, that's beautiful, great work bag.

      Speaker 1

      Well, my pretend bougie. Well it's a real bougie, but my pretend corporate life. There's a brand called Silk Laundry. It's an Aussie brand, and I figured that silk is breathable, so I'm gonna wear that to my fake corporate job. It's the Silk Laundry Relaxed blazer, and it's literally, I mean, you can tell me if I'm approved. This is kind of a deep forest green.

      Speaker 2

      I really love that color because it's seeny.

      Speaker 1

      Like silk, but it's not like that. It doesn't look like cheap, tacky satin, and it's super breathable. So I would obviously wear that just in my non corporate life. But I feel like you could wear that, you know, with a beautiful skirt or pants and you know, maybe one of those sleeveless knits underneath, and it's still sort of work appropriate, and you could still wear that into winter. It's very sort of transseasonal. Yeah, the color makes sense.

      So it's four hundred and five dollars, which is expensive, but also for silk. I mean, I love everything Silk Laundry does. But that's just my fake corporate life blazer. We're in an office at the moment, I know, but what you should see, you know, Muma, me and people are wearing anything, anything, and I mean that lovingly, like we can basically whatever we like and we're very lucky that way. You're dressing for your day too, Yeah, I dressed. Yeah, we're dressing crowd day.

      Speaker 2

      You know.

      Speaker 1

      Before you came in, I was dying a period pain. I had my belt off and my shoes off, lying on the couch. I don't know if you can do that in every lawyer firm. Your budget please, my friend, My budget is.

      Speaker 2

      Hiding underneath these headphones. But it is a pair of earrings. So these are a pair of earrings that I got from Arms of Eve. They're an Australian label. They've got a few stores now, I think in BONDI yeah, things like that. But this is what I was talking about in terms of jewelry. So it's gold plated, heavily gold plated, so it's it doesn't tarnish. And earrings of this ilk are roughly between eighty and one hundred bucks, and it just means that you can wear things that all last

      a long time. They're hyper wallergenic as well if you've got sensitive ears. So I really love wearing these.

      Speaker 1

      And again on the weekend and on the weekend.

      Speaker 2

      Yes, I wear them all the time. I feel like my outfit is incomplete now if.

      Speaker 1

      I don't out an accessory that's right, particularly earrings. I know it's weird, and they don't they call it tabletop dressing because everyone looks from the sort of the waist, so it's like the necklace or the ear rings, and it's just like her life's put together.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah, she's got her life sword. But it might just be Yeah, that's right, misleading, isn't it.

      Speaker 1

      But no, that's well, my fake corporate life. I actually have these pants in real life, my non corporate life. They're the uniglow pleated white pants. They're the single tuck, so you can get single tack ll double tuck. I'll show you here. I've got the white. I don't know if the white's maybe too white for the office.

      Speaker 2

      I'm wearing white now.

      Speaker 1

      Well you are too, you are too. And they come in a really good range of colors one, two, three, four, seven colors extra extra small to extra extra large. They're so comfory. You can wear a belt and sort of do a shirt and a blazer. I just wear them with a tank and sandals in my everyday life. I just think I agree, Uniglo does just fantastic basics that you can really just take that item and really dress it up or dress it down, make it really demure,

      make it really rat mindful. And they've got that areism fabric, which is is just the most.

      Speaker 2

      It. Yeah.

      Speaker 1

      I just bought a few little sort of almost shift dresses that it's just a high neck and a pocket because I just like to run around. I need a pocket and I need it the least amount of fabric touching me. Yeah, And they're so good in that areas and fabric. And I love how Uniclo do the free hemming. Not know that. I just bought some weird hemming machine off and Instagram aut I haven't tried to use it yet.

      Speaker 2

      They do, Oh they do install hemming. I don't know care it's for anymore, but it's like really easy easy yeah and accessible. Okay, sometimes you can pick it up on the same day.

      Speaker 1

      I was going to say, if you're there, and particularly if you work near one, if you call for it and you can go, okay, well I'll grab those tomorrow and then you don't have that pile in your bedroom, going gosh, I've got to get those all taken.

      Speaker 2

      Yeah. The two take to the tailor pile, which is building up for me at home.

      Speaker 1

      Oh, me too, and then I'm like, oh, forget, it's too late. V. I love chatting with you. Thank you for all your amazing content on Instagram. That was just a tiny drop of the amazing advice you give. So everyone can find you over there, and I'd love to have you back soon.

      Speaker 2

      Thank you so much for having me. This has been a lot of fun. Thank you, Thanks.

      Speaker 1

      Thank you for listening to Nothing to Wear. Don't forget to sign up to our Nothing to Wear newsletter. It's free and there's a link in the show notes. This episode was produced by Cassie Merritt, with audio production by Lou Hill.

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