All Dressed Up

Smart Working

All Dressed Up

By Jennifer Ison

Dresses are a wonderful choice for the working woman. They really do simplify your life and with the right style they are a fabulous way of looking smart, professional and feminine.

Shirt Dress

The shirt dress has always been a favourite of mine – they give you the polish of a shirt but come with the ease of a dress. There are of course many variations on the shirt dress theme. If you are petite (something I know all about!) then a shirt dress with a tie belt is a good pick. This will enable you go for a shirt dress that is a little longer than perhaps your usual length as it adds structure and helps ensure you will be less likely to look overwhelmed with the fabric.

The trio of shirt dresses below are the Tallulah Shirt dress.

If you are on the taller side, then you can afford to have one that is a more fluid and voluminous shape as you have the height to carry it off. A spot print is a good way too of injecting interest without being too bold. LK Bennett’s Tallis Navy and Yellow Spot Print Shirt Dress is a stylish example of this:

https://www.lkbennett.com/product/DRTALLISPOLYESTER BlueNavy%20Golden%20Yellow~Tallis-Navy-And-Yellow- Spot-Print-Pleated-Shirt-Dress-Navy%20Golden%20Yellow

Whatever your height, you can experiment with wearing the neckline buttoned up to the top or leaving open for a more relaxed look. The beauty of a shirt dress is that you can wear it all year round – just add tights and knee-high or ankle boots for the winter and you are ready to go.

Shift Dress

A shift dress is another classic for the office – versatile, simple and elegant. Best if you can find one that is made from a soft fabric with just that little bit of stretch to mould to your body and flatter your curves.

For a great example see the Beiwen Dress below. The dress was one of the items labelled as The Power Dress by The Telegraph earlier this year. Red is definitely an empowering colour to wear (see more below on choice of colour).

Shift dresses are cross seasonal dresses which will give you added value and enable you to get a lot of use out them yearround. I always think that a dress with ¾ sleeves rather than full length sleeves can lighten the look and can allow you wear your favourite bracelet to greater effect.

V-necks give the impression of length – and it is also a flattering neckline.

A single block colour for your dresses is such a smart choice – you can dress them up and give added interest and individuality as wished with jewellery or silk scarves. Most commonly when picking a dress for the office, we do tend to go for the more conservative colours – black or navy but I would ask you to reach out to deep reds, purples, greens or even fuchsia. These are well suited to the workplace when you need to make an impact. I would suggest having both types of colour palette available to you so you can always find the perfect colour choice.

Dresses with a flare

Dresses with a flare give you more freedom of movement, look great and make it easier too when running for the train!

Two popular choices in the Jennifer Anne range are the Bronte Dress in a gorgeous taupe crème Italian metallic thread boucle or for a more conservative choice the Maurier Work Dress which comes in black or navy.

Sweater Dress

For the cooler days, it is always good to have a sweater or jumper dress. Scarves and jewellery are a great addition. Again choosing a dress with ¾ sleeves makes it a little lighter on the eye.

Pair your sweater dresses with court shoes or boots. The Winterson Sweater Dress pictured below is made from a viscose blend of fabrics with a gorgeous texture and is a great example of a sweater dress – a real gem.

Wardrobe Planning

Planning your work wardrobe is probably something that has been on the back burner for the last couple of years. Now, with many lawyers finding that they are back in the office for at least a couple of days a week, it is a task you may find yourself spending more time thinking about even if you have not yet put any plans into action. Dressing well for work is so important for lawyers, it really affects how you are seen and how you yourself feel inside. For all the reasons set out above, I would suggest you start with dresses!

Jennifer Ison is a former City lawyer and founder of petite clothing brand Jennifer Anne. Her clothes and brand have been featured in many publications including The Telegraph, The Independent, The Stylist, You Magazine, Good Housekeeping. Clothes are available online at www.jennifer-anne.co.uk or appointments can be made to try on the clothes in Wimbledon Village.

jennifer@jennifer-anne.co.uk Instagram: @jennifer_anne_petite