Cargo trousers - this seasons most wanted item

I am sure alot of us will remember the 90s era when cargo trousers were made famous by girl bands such as All Saints and the Spice girls and will not want to re-live those crunchy cotton wearing days. The cargo trouser is making a comeback and it will be this season most wanted item. But, like us, it has grown up. Yes you can find a true form of the 90s version out there, but I will be wearing my cargo trousers in a smart way.

Taking inspiration from the cult brand The Frankie shop who’s cargo trousers sold out many times last year, the high street have now followed. I brought a pair of stone trousers in the Me + Em sale in the Summer and have loved styling them Summer into Autumn. What excites me about cargo trousers styling is wearing them with boots, trainers, flat shoes, heels and eventually sandals when the weather warms up. They are versatile. Forget about the pockets and treat them as a stylish alternative to jeans that you can wear casually or smarter depending on your footwear and outerwear.

My advice would be to not think about how you used to wear them but to see them as new trouser to add into your wardrobe that’s going to up your style this year. I have already worn mine for evening, day and work appointments all with different shoes and outerwear, if you keep them smart then they won’t feel like you are trying to re-live your youth.

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My cargo trouser picks

Army green cargo pant, The Frankie shop via Net-a-Porter, £186.91

Black tapered leg cargo trouser, River Island, £43

Wide leg cargo trousers, River Island, £39

Denim cargo jeans, Mango, £49.99

Taffeta cargo trouser, Arket, £69

The knitted dress

The last couple of Winter’s the knitted dress has had a resurgence but it’s updated for 2022. These easy to throw on dresses can be worn for work, weekend, the school run or out for evening all depending on your footwear. I wear mine with trainers and boots, with bare legs right now and thick black tights in the colder weeks. I love that it keeps me warm when working from home, I can pop on a blazer for work appointments and then a leather biker for evenings out. It’s so versatile you will wonder what you did without one!

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See my pick of current favourite ones

Mango green knitted dress, £49.99

H&M knitted dress, £39.99

Whistles flecked knitted dress, £149

Hush knitted dress, John Lewis, £125

Boden navy knitted dress, John Lewis, £130

Reiss cashmere knitted dress, John Lewis, £198

How to style yourself back to work in 2022

Since January started I have been working with many of you to sort out your wardrobes ready for the return to the office. It might only be 2/3 days per week right now but the feeling towards it has shifted as has the landscape. There is a real want for people to go back into their work environments, to chat in real life, work next to their colleagues and go back to work events again. But the days of wearing a suit and tie, a pencil skirt and jacket have gone as offices are embracing the smart/casual dress code that once was just saved for ‘dress down Fridays’.

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What has changed since the pandemic?

The pandemic has accelerated the move towards smart/casual dressing with companies realising that you don’t need to be suited and booted to look professional and do your jobs properly.

What this does mean is you can’t rely on the old ‘uniform’ of throwing on a suit. Now it is acceptable to bring some personality and self expression to work, this means having a wardrobe full of smart separates instead. That requires a bit more creativity and can be overwhelming.

While it’s clear dress codes have relaxed massively, it’s still essential to look professional at work. It really is part of your tool kit for success as well as showing you mean business and you take your job seriously, Smart/casual can be tricky to master with many people getting it wrong and ending up looking too casual or too formal.

By adding a few key pieces you will get it spot on and hopefully enjoy dressing in a more creative and interesting way. It also means the lines have now blurred; your work wardrobe blends into your weekend wardrobe which definitely has its benefits. It means you can get more wear from everything and have a more sustainable wardrobe with less clothes but more ‘cost-per-wear’, this definitely feels like we have moved on.

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What do you need in your work wardrobe for going back into the office?

There are 6 things that I believe by adding them into your wardrobe you will create lots of go-to outfits that will help when dressing every morning for work.

THE BLAZER

Now the blazer is an acceptable separate that can be worn over-sized, more casual and softer or to add interest and colour to your outfit.

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THE DRESS

Update your look with shirt dresses and looser styles rather than fitted tailored dresses of old. Inject some pattern and colour to give your outfit some personality.

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THE TROUSER

Any trouser shape goes from wide leg, barrel leg, ankle length and high waisted, its all about the trouser.

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THE BLOUSE

Make sure a couple of your blouses at least are a bit statement to add interest and personality. Look for puff sleeves or pussy bow styles.

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THE JUMPSUIT

Just this week on the new series of The Apprentice, Karren Brady was the belle of the boardroom wearing a bubblegum pink jumpsuit. This would have been unheard of just a few years ago but grab yourself a jumpsuit and take the stress out of getting dressed in the morning.

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THE SHOES

Quite often this can be the hardest thing, flats vs heels, those LK Bennett court shoes just don’t feel right anymore, what can you wear instead? Boots, loafers and even smart trainers.

New Year wardrobe declutter

Entering a new year offers the chance for new beginnings, and while we typically assign ourselves to a long list of resolutions that, chances are, we just won’t stick to, one commitment worth fulfilling is – decluttering your wardrobe. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume or the unorganised mess that is your wardrobe then spending time clearing your wardrobe can be a transformative process too.

For me a mid season tidy and clear out helps me keep on top of my wardrobe and helps me re-focus my outfits for the coming weeks til Spring. But if your wardrobe is chaotic then it will make the process of getting dressed everyday much more difficult - sometimes the feeling of not having anything to wear is because you can’t easily locate what you have. Clearing out clothing clutter will also help you to identify what gaps you may have in your wardrobe – garments that you may need to purchase to get the full potential out of the clothes you currently have, enabling you to create outfits with ease and take the stress out of dressing.

In this typically quiet time of the year its a chance to really spend time digging into not just your wardrobe but bags or boxes of clothes you have stored in other rooms, the loft or under the bed. When you go through your wardrobe be realistic about what you wear day to day, what you like to wear and what still fits you. Not sure where to start, then read on for me tips on how to have a new year’s wardrobe detox.

TAKE EVERYTHING OUT

Whatever is in your wardrobe (and drawers or clothes rail) needs to come out. If you have a lot of clothes, you might want to tackle a section of your wardrobe at a time working from clothing through to shoes, bags, and accessories, to make the decluttering process less overwhelming. Seasonal items might be best left to one side to deal with once the weather is more appropriate. I like to make use of a clothes rail to shift items from my wardrobe onto while I look them over and try them on - a bed works just as well! However you choose to tackle your situation, make sure everything you own is turned out and individually considered.

TRY EVERYTHING ON

Everything. Trying on all the clothes you own will help you make better decisions about what to keep or let go of. Clothing on a hanger looks very different on your body, and pretty shoes might pinch your feet; making any decisions without trying it on is a big mistake. Even if you know you love a particular item, trying it on will feel good and help you to discover fresh new ways to style them. Any items you’re unsure of, test them out with the other pieces you own; figure out new ways to wear them and you might save something from being donated.

ASK YOURSELF 5 QUESTIONS

I've found five questions are helpful to consider when making decisions about individual items of clothing. I put them on and stand in front of a mirror to ask myself:

1. Do I wear this regularly? If not, why?
2. Is it comfortable? Do I feel good wearing it?
3. Does this item fit into my overall style?
4. Can I create various outfits with this one item?
5. Do I love wearing this item or do I just like the way it looks on the hanger?

MAKE PILES

This is the holy trinity of sorting, as you are working through your wardrobe making piles of clothes and being honest with yourself when doing so. You can be as clear cut as KEEP, BIN & DONATE, or you can have a pile that is out of season so needs to be stored, you could also have a pile that is ebay or resell and a another pile that is keep but not sure how to wear it or style it. that can be put back into your wardrobe. The piles are a way of making you think, clearing out the clutter that gives you structure and shows you what you wear regularly and what you don’t wear at all. My top tip is to bag up the donate and bin items as soon as you can so you don’t go back to it and so it doesn’t create more clutter sitting in bin liners in the house. If you have trouble letting go of the items you never wear, whether you have sentimental attachment to them or just like the look of it on the hanger; remember that by letting go of the clothes you never wear you're allowing someone else to love and appreciate them.

PUT EVERYTHING BACK

What is left is the foundation to build you perfect wardrobe from and by keeping your wardrobe at a manageable level it becomes wearable and accessible. Focus on on filling gaps you have identified to make the pieces in your wardrobe work harder for your style and resist purchasing unnecessary items. Make a list of things you think your existing wardrobe would benefit from and focus on acquiring these items the next time you go clothes shopping. Your goal is for a versatile and manageable wardrobe to fit in with your space and lifestyle.

THE RESULTS

After decluttering, you should have the room to see exactly what you own so you can reach in and grab what you need without having to hunt through the rails or piles of clothes. Everything you own should make you feel excited to wear it, or at least relaxed and comfortable. Having a well edited, organised wardrobe takes away those feelings of not having anything to wear; you know exactly what you own and how each piece works with the others.

If you need help detoxing your wardrobe then email me now for a consultation.