Working Girl

Jacket: Zara

Blouse: Gap

Belt: Angel Jackson

Trousers: Gift from my mum

Shoes: Vintage Celine

Ring: Mawi x Disney

I used to work in an office and one of the best things about this (along with the 9-5 hours and proper holidays over Christmas and Easter) was the fact that I could wear what I liked. Our office did have a fairly smart dresscode but smart in the way that you could wear jeans: it wasn't a proper 'suited and booted' office and this suited me just fine. I had complete free rein of my wardrobe and when I worked there it was probably the most stylishly liberating times of my life: I had only ever worked in retail previously (as I do again now) and as such have always, always had to wear a uniform, albeit sometimes one I'd chosen but as anyone who works for a brand will know, you have to dress in that brand and often this can be restricting. When I took the office job I really felt I could go to town on my outfits because there were so few restrictions, and to be fair, dressing for the office is probably one of my favourite occasions for which to dress because I am such a Virgo: I love tailoring, sumptuous fabrics like silk and wool, beautiful muted colours and earthy tones. So for a whole year I wore louche wide legged pants with heeled boots and silk blouses, wool tapered trousers with snakeskin court shoes and satin tees, soft sack dresses with chunky ankle boots and structured blazers. And I loved it! I had just come out of a 7 year relationship at the time and it was a total voyage of self discovery for me, I changed back into the 'old' me and my style changed accordingly-for the better, mind! I could dress how I liked and I totally went for it, and it really helped me feel confident in myself again and I miss the freedom of being able to wear what I want to work! I would have worn something like what I have on in this outfit post for a typical day, probably with a higher heel mind. I love the tweedy jacket from Zara which I bought in the January sales, but it still feels relevant now, the structured shoulder is something I really like and the shape is also really cute. The tapered trousers were a gift from my mum who bought them for herself and, on wearing them once, found they had caught my eye and so she handed them over! I have given her a few of my bits and pieces in return mind you! Bless her. The belt is Angel Jackson via TK Maxx, I love this and it cost me a mere £25. (RRP £149, cheers TK Maxx!)

My ring is the Mawi x Disney one I bleated about in an earlier post, I caved and bought it (and the earrings!) with some Christmas money. The star buy of this post has to be the vintage Celine renaissance revival style slippers which I snagged from a Devon charity shop for about £3 I think. They were made for my awkwardly sized feet (3 1/2 in a perfect world, but since half sizes seem to be about as common as rocking horse poop I always have to buy a 4 and wear an insole, or socks. Not so with these beauties, they are bang on a 3 1/2 and fit me like a dream.) 

So, this is my last post of 2011! Thankyou to EVERYONE who has followed, commented, emailed, or taken the time to get involved in some way or another, I love being a blogger (even if I say I don't, and sometimes I even think I don't, especially when my photos/fashion/style/layout looks crap and I compare myself to every other blogger on the sphere who is sooooo much better than me.)

Hope you all have a wonderful New Year and I'll see you in 2012!