"Business" dress, black trousers - HELP!

Bluemeanie_2

Hello,

I recently got a new job and for the first time in my life I get to wear business dress.

I am a bright coloured kind of person (think coloured Superdry jeans, David and Goliath T-shirts etc). I want to stay true to my tastes by not wearing black/grey/white all the while.

Meanwhile I do not have one outfit to wear on my first day so was going to buy some black trousers.

I won't buy Primark etc as I find it a false economy. I just went to buy some off the Next website but when I looked at the composition they were polyester. I hate that material. Cold in the winter and sweaty in the summer bleurgh! Any recommendations for decent black trousers?

rogueylawyer

Have to say mine are from Next, the high waist style. They are polyester (I may have just checked the label on an item I am currently wearing) but soft and I tend to buy them because they keep their shape and are a thicker material which holds up well. I had a pair of black trousers from House of Fraser that were too thin and lost their shape almost immediately.

One day I will buy all my trousers from Hobbs and Reiss but until then it's Next business wear I am afraid....

Bluemeanie_2

rogueylawyer wrote: »

Have to say mine are from Next, the high waist style. They are polyester (I may have just checked the label on an item I am currently wearing) but soft and I tend to buy them because they keep their shape and are a thicker material which holds up well. I had a pair of black trousers from House of Fraser that were too thin and lost their shape almost immediately.

One day I will buy all my trousers from Hobbs and Reiss but until then it's Next business wear I am afraid....

I'm tallish for a woman (5ft 11"), but have a long body and short legs (in proportion to my height) so I like high waisted stuff as otherwise you can nearly see things you shouldn't! Especially if I bend down! So it sounds like you are wearing the exact ones I was going to order. Were they £28? I'll order them then, based on this, I can always take them back.

It's the horrible, thin, cheap ones I can't stand (I think you know what I mean?).

poppy_f1

my black trousers from primark wash up better than ones i have from dorothy perkins

i wouldnt necessarily rule them out

rogueylawyer

These ones http://www.next.co.uk/x5064s3#774420x50

I have exactly the opposite - 5'3" and short waisted, but it means they sit at a classic high waist level and the regular are long enough to 'break' on my high heels. The crease and thickness of the fabric means they feel more expensive than they are (and oddly, better quality than I remember the trousers being when I worked for Next in 2005!)

I also picked up a couple of the tops, £100 in Next was enough to feed in to my wardrobe to make it look fresh for the season. I'm in a client facing role and am expected to look not out of place with high net worth clients; they're a good basic that do the job for me.

I tend to buy basics, so have a couple of lovely wrap dresses, pencil skirts, a couple of flare skirts and mix and match tops in block colours. Some of the items in my wardrobe I've been wearing since I was at school and are older than our work experience kids!

Bluemeanie_2

poppy_f1 wrote: »

my black trousers from primark wash up better than ones i have from dorothy perkins

i wouldnt necessarily rule them out

The cut of their stuff doesn't really fit me very well if I'm honest. I might give them a go. Just every time I buy anything from there I find you do get what you pay for and it became a false economy for me.

Bluemeanie_2

rogueylawyer wrote: »

These ones http://www.next.co.uk/x5064s3#774420x50

I have exactly the opposite - 5'3" and short waisted, but it means they sit at a classic high waist level and the regular are long enough to 'break' on my high heels. The crease and thickness of the fabric means they feel more expensive than they are (and oddly, better quality than I remember the trousers being when I worked for Next in 2005!)

I also picked up a couple of the tops, £100 in Next was enough to feed in to my wardrobe to make it look fresh for the season. I'm in a client facing role and am expected to look not out of place with high net worth clients; they're a good basic that do the job for me.

I tend to buy basics, so have a couple of lovely wrap dresses, pencil skirts, a couple of flare skirts and mix and match tops in block colours. Some of the items in my wardrobe I've been wearing since I was at school and are older than our work experience kids!

Nearly the same except I've gone for the boot cut style!

pollys

I would set an afternoon aside and try as many trousers on from different shops as you can. I buy mine from M&S they seem to fit me best but some styles I need a 12 some a 14.

It is boring wearing black/grey trousers, I liven mine up with a brightly coloured jumper!

Good luck

Pollys

Bluemeanie_2

pollys wrote: »

I would set an afternoon aside and try as many trousers on from different shops as you can. I buy mine from M&S they seem to fit me best but some styles I need a 12 some a 14.

It is boring wearing black/grey trousers, I liven mine up with a brightly coloured jumper!

Good luck

Pollys

Thank you. I know it sounds sad but at 29 and never being able to choose my own clothes for work I'm really looking forward to it. I love clothes shopping. I probably won't feel the same after a year! It's a novelty at first.

I'll go to Fosse Park/Town and do you suggestion.

Thanks.
BM

rogueylawyer

My one advice; have a couple of don't need to think, don't need to iron, just grab and go outfits on hand.

There is nothing worse than waking up tired/hungover/ill and feeling completely unable to put together a simple outfit. Just throw on and go!

Little_Vics

Red Herring at Debenhams is my go-to place.