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Dress for success

June

Off-the-rack or made for you, a suit is still essential for most office workers.

Tips for buying a suit off the rack

While tailor-made is best, it’s not always affordable or practical for everyday wear. We asked an expert how to buy instore.

  • Lauren Sams

April

Holly Garber, left, and her mum Jenny. “We are both very neat dressers; we have never been interested in grunge or being overly feminine,” says Holly.

The style I stole from my mum

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Life & Leisure quizzed three duos on how they found their personal look.

  • Lauren Sams

April

Karen Miller offers a selection of stylish workwear to suit women up to size 24.

I’m a size 16 woman in a law firm. Where am I meant to shop?

Clothes shopping for sizes not considered “normal” can be a challenge – but here are some great options.

  • Lauren Sams

February

Pair jeans with a blazer and boots for a put-together work look. But opt for darker denim – and no holes or rips.

Can you wear jeans to the office?

Of course you can, say the experts, but to carry them off properly, there are some important caveats.

  • Lauren Sams

September 2023

I don’t like suits or chinos. What else can I wear to work?

The key is to pick up some “casual pillars”, such as a tailored trouser and a casual blazer, that can be mixed and matched to produce multiple outfits. 

  • Euan Black
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June 2023

Is it ever OK for men to flash their ankles in the office?

Knock your colleagues’ socks off by nailing the sock-to-shoe combination with ease and flair.

  • Lauren Sams

September 2022

An oversized suit from Osca Hunt: “Opt for a timeless, contemporary cut with an effortless drape,” says the brand’s head of womenswear.

How to wear an oversized suit without looking like a slob

The look is definitely on trend. Here’s how to ensure the version you choose looks good on you.

  • Lauren Sams

August 2022

A mini from Zimmermann’s Fall 22 Ready to wear collection.

Mini skirts are back: Let women wear them in peace

Their length has long been questioned – but after two years of dressing from the waist up, why not let women call the shots?

  • Lauren Sams

July 2022

Splashes of colour at the Hermès Ready to Wear show for Spring/Summer 2023.

I’m a man and I want to wear colour – so why can’t I find any?

Torn at the seams over what to wear? Ripped to shreds wondering how to style your threads? Send your style questions to our new column, How to Wear It.

  • Updated
  • Lauren Sams
Go glam in ballet flats.

The best flat shoes for the office (yes, you can wear them)

Torn at the seams over what to wear? Ripped to shreds wondering how to style your threads? Send your style questions to our new column, How to Wear It.

  • Lauren Sams

March 2022

Shannon Martinez owner of Smith and Daughters

From chic culottes to bolo ties, restaurant uniforms get a makeover

Once an afterthought, staff outfits are upping the service ante at top dining venues with their fashion-forward melding of form and function.

  • Lauren Sams

March 2021

Now that people don’t need suits every single day, for every single meeting, fashion will reflect that.

How COVID-19 is about to change the suit

If you don’t go back to the full three-piece catastrophe, rest assured that designers will replace formal workwear with something else.

  • Lauren Sams

October 2020

Kogan is sending pyjamas home so that its staff can keep working comfortably and on-brand during lockdown. 

Kogan buys staff WFH PJs, but wants them back in the office soon

The retail entrepreneur has made sure his workforce can keep comfy as they work from home, but thinks after lockdown things will quickly return to just how they were.

  • Paul Smith

September 2020

The coronavirus has not killed off the suit, yet.

The suit is not dead – it's alive and kicking for top tailors

There was some concern COVID-19 might just kill it off but power dressing is still de rigueur for establishment boardroom battles.

  • David Coggins

July 2020

Since the lockdown in March, the number of adultsin th UK making online video calls has doubled, according to Ofcom.

Nine ways to look more polished on work video calls

Professional stylists offer their tips on how you can easily dress up for video conferences while working from home.

  • Meagan Drillinger
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Margaret Thatcher's business suits on display.

Goodbye power suit: will the office become more casual?

The expectation to present 'perfectly' at work is eroding, and some of us are not looking back.

  • Carolyn Breeze

April 2020

Fashion offered welcome relief to the grit and struggle of wartime.

Why you should dress up to work from home

Is that leopard print wrap dress you love a little racy for wearing out to work? Why not wear it in to work instead?

  • Marion Hume

April 2019

Snook couldn't sit down while wearing this form-fitting frock.

How an outfit can give you power

The fabulous costumes for hit film The Dressmaker helped the actors inhabit their characters, says one of the movie's stars.

  • Sarah Turner

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/dress-for-success-1ms4