Once upon a time there lived a woman. She worked in a fairy-tale land know as the “city”. Everyday she would put on her corporate clothes and head into the city. The people would bustle with self-importance and she would bustle along with them in her high, high heels. In the city she was able to drink hot coffee and have long conversations with adults.
Then the woman had children. Her wardrobe full of suits, pencil skirts, sharply-cut jackets, tailored shirts and cute blouses languished. Instead, she donned jeans and shorts and clothes suitable for playing with two young boys. Then the woman realised, she could still wear so many of her corporate things in her new life. She just had to put a different spin on them. Alas, the woman has yet to figure to how to drink her coffee hot or have long and meaningful conversations with her two year old (that aren’t entirely one-sided).
Do you have a wardrobe full of corporate clothes that no longer suit your lifestyle? Don’t ditch them just yet. There are plenty of ways to twist your previous work wardrobe into more casual options.
Here are a few ideas on how you can re-purpose corporate clothes …
- Throw a t-shirt over a work dress
Popping a t-shirt over a more formal dress tones it right down and opens up more casual dressing.
- The tops you wore under suits can work with shorts
Sometimes you just need a casual co-worker to bring things down a notch (and elevate shorts at the same time). - Suit jackets can look sporty and cute with pushed up sleeves and worn with something a bit preppy.
By keeping your kicks casual, you can tone done the corporate vibe.
- That black pencil skirt can work double duty as evening wear.
Paired with something sparkly and some killer shoes, your humble pencil skirt can be a viable evening option. You know for all of those date nights (see fairy-tale above).
- Wrap your tailored shirting, push up the sleeves and you have a cute option to wear with shorts.
This works equally well with a man’s shirt – which will be larger and allow for a more exaggerated wrap.
Have a play in your own wardrobe and see what you can re-purpose to a more casual vibe. If there are things that you really aren’t going to wear again and they are still in great condition, why not donate them to dressed for success? Your old corporate uniform could help another woman achieve economic independence. How cool is that for re-purposing?
Don’t do what I did which was leave it so long I threw them all out! I’m desperate for a suit that I tossed out and I still can’t believe I did! The jacket would have been perfect with jeans and the skirt perfect with a casual tshirt and flats! That said it has been nearly 10yrs since I had a business meeting so I’ve almost forgotten what that is like!
Oh no! See, this is what I was talking about the other day about being too keen to declutter 🙂
Great suggestions! I wear my old work Blazers with a tee and jeans in winter too.
I LOVE that look. So polished.
I have a tonne of work clothes I don’t get to wear at the moment, thanks for the tips 🙂
lu @ looking for mama me recently posted…The fraud of motherhood
I hope that it helps you dust off a few pieces.
Oh, this takes me back to when I first stopped working in a corporate environment! I was so frustrated that I looked like I was going to work each day, when I was really just headed to the shops to run some errands. Shop assistants kept asking me if I was on my lunch break. So awkward! I wish I had this blog post back then!
Now that I’m a school mum, I’m not in the corporate world still (although considering it due to some financial changes), but I would like to present myself better (I look like a hot mess adult fail at the moment haha). I have been thinking of mixing some more corporate stuff with casual for the opposite-ish reason!
Thanks for the ideas!
Kez Unprepared recently posted…Kez Gets Physical: Time to challenge myself.
It really is a great way to add some polish back into your wardrobe – with pieces you ALREADY have.
Ok, this is inspirational! Now to get over my fear of ‘dressing up’ for the park!
Ah, yes – I wrote about dressing fearlessly the other day – https://themummyandtheminx.com/2016/02/06/dressing-fearlessly/
Great tips… I am staying tune to see if you solve the hot coffee problem xx
I won’t keep it a secret if I figure it out. 🙂
These are some great outfit ideas, thank you for sharing! 🙂 I have the hardest time wearing pencil skirts outside the office – they just seem too ‘officewear’ for me, never thought of using them for a date night instead! I’ll have to give that a try. Once I can fit back into said pencil skirts 😉
Mica recently posted…Cross Body Bags and Maternity Tanks and Shorts: Summer SAHM Style
You’ll be back in them in no time I am sure. I agree, I just can’t do pencil skirts casually.
I love these ideas. I have bags of clothes I used to wear to an office that I never wear. Thanks for the good ideas.
Really hope you can use some of them!
Love these ideas! Especially the wrap option. I’d never seen that before. 🙂
So glad to provide some inspiration. If you search for Audrey Hepburn and wrapped mens shirt you’ll see who did it best!
I really must do more of this. But part of my challenging is fitting in to my old office clothes!
Claire @ Life on Wallace recently posted…Apple picking in Bilpin
Yes – there is that!
All fabulous ideas, Robyna! Now that I’ve left the corporate world again it’s time to recycle the clothes!
Grace recently posted…FYBF – A night of #comedyvsracism
Don’t let them languish in the wardrobe letting all the other pieces have the fun 🙂
What wonderful outfits! I have to admit, I finally gave up on my corporate wardrobe altogether – my body shape had changed too much and they just never fit again. The plus-side is I got to buy all NEW corporate clothes to go back to work 🙂
Bec @ Seeing the Lighter Side recently posted…Love, Violence & Suicide – Like I Can Love – Review
How fun is a new wardrobe that you actually HAVE to buy!
So clever! Love it all. You inspired me to donate my suits – which wasn’t a suggestion, but mine were all patterned so the pieces didn’t work as well individually. But even if I go back to the corporate life, the patterned suit days are done. I’m a mix’n’match girl these days. (My plain black blazer made the cut, as did my black pencil skirt. Bling’s a-coming!)
Emily recently posted…Once Upon a Twice – Denise Doyen and Barry Moser (book review)
Whenever I have to go corporate for a client meeting these days, I am all about mix and match. I think it makes it so much easier to have a hard working wardrobe when the pieces can do double duty.
I like the way you experiment with your clothes. You have the style within you.
Thanks 😉
Pingback: How to get out of a style rut - THE MUMMY AND THE MINX
These are some great ideas! I love how you can use a suit jacket with some preppy clothes to give a whole new look. It’s amazing how combining corporate clothes with casual items makes an entirely new look. I’ll definitely be using some of these ideas in my daily life. Thanks!
So glad it was of use!
Pingback: The Tough Wardrobe Questions - THE MUMMY AND THE MINX
Pingback: How not to get bored of your clothes - THE MUMMY AND THE MINX