A Winter Workwear Capsule
38 outfits, ten clothing pieces
A little bonus capsule winging its way into your inboxes this month; a winter workwear capsule for my Northern Hemisphere friends. Over the past 15 years, I’ve made it a habit of trying to buy items that work for both my weekend wardrobe, and my work wardrobe (ranging from high corporate to business casual), and suspect you’ll find many of these key pieces are probably already hanging in your closet. Essentially, why bifurcate your wardrobe if you don’t have to?
FYI I’ve switched up the formatting for this edit but hoping that you’ll get a tonne of outfit inspiration from the visuals, with bonus styling tips at the end for paid subscribers.
Just like my summer capsule, I kept the breakdown of items the same:
5x tops
3x pants/skirts
1x dress (can be switched out for an additional top or bottom option)
1x smart jacket/blazer
Not included in the “breakdown” of ten pieces? Key workwear accessories (heels, heeled boots, a tote bag!), and a well made + WARM coat.
In total, I came up with 38 outfits, though if you have a scan you’ll see that I didn’t completely exhaust all my options, so you’d have near 1.5-2 months worth of different looks using this guide as a base. Switching up your accessories or adding flourishes like a scarf etc are a simple way to push these options out even further.
PS. If you need some winter outfit layering ideas, you may like to watch this recent video I shared. Lots of practical tips and most importantly, outfits that will keep you warm.
PPS. You can watch the summer version on my YouTube channel HERE.
PPPS. You’ll have to mind the weird lighting - it was woefully dreary the day I took all these photos.
The ten items
The Curated cashmere cardigan | An outer layering piece that also functions as a top depending on styling.
Sezane ribbed/textured l/s top | Great way to add in visual interest, while still being a solid basic. Excellent crossover for weekend wear, a good outfit starting point, and I also love the little details of the buttons along the sleeves. Cute!
Arket semi-sheer merino l/s top (COS do the same one) | Same "style” as the previous top, but in a different fabrication and texture. Would recommend wearing a skin-toned cami underneath for modesty. These are fab as they’re merino, and temperature regulating. Comes in lots of different colours, too.
Goelia red wool sweater (25% off with JAMIE25) | Capsules don’t have to be all neutrals. A fun pop of colour which adds some brightness and cheeriness, especially on a dull and dreary day. The best kind of pick me up.
Lilysilk cream silk blouse | A shirt is a workwear staple, and I love having a silk one to hand because it feels (and looks) luxurious, while adding a sense of femininity to your outfit.
Dunst collarless jacket | Something smart to elevate a few of the basic tops I’ve shared above. This adds in texture through the flat tweedy fabric and striking contrast buttons. A nice option if you’re a little tired of a staple blazer and want to mix things up.
Tibi fuzzy vest/dress | A longline collarless vest which wraps across the body is low key one of the best layering pieces you can have in your work wardrobe. It’s so unassuming, but works in overdrive as you can wear it on its own, or layered under/over pieces.
Forcast brown pleated midi skirt | Can’t resist a pleated skirt for the office. Classic, and the pleats give it this incredible body of movement.
UNIQLO olive straight leg trousers (AU link here) | The best when it comes to high street workwear. Also comes in varying leg lengths too/can be tailored using their in-house tailoring service (for free!).
Facade Pattern grey wool trousers | Slightly wider and longer through the leg than the UNIQLO pair, these give off a different silhouette which feels more fluid. These styles are perfect if you need to layer heat tech.
For accessories, I selected a classic black tote bag. This one is from Cuyana and won out my personal pick as the best tote bag for work many years ago. Then went with two pairs of shoes. A classic black pump; these are from VIVAIA (12% off with MJ12) - comfort and have a low block heel which are easy to walk in. And of course, an under the knee boot - mine are Midas and also have a block heel making them pretty comfortable despite their height.
the outfits
For paid subscribers, below you’ll find a handful of styling tips which you can apply to your work wardrobe (and beyond). Otherwise, I hope you got some great ideas for remixing your own work wardrobe for the wintery weeks ahead :)