Looking for back-to-work fashion pieces? Consider ‘statement trousers’

What key return-to-work pieces should I add to my wardrobe?
Nat Miller, Surry Hills, NSW

Demi Moore (pictured with her chihuahua, Pilaf) nails the barrel-leg and cinched-blazer combo at a London film screening.Credit: Getty Images

Don’t let your New Year’s resolution to put your best foot, blazer or trousers forward at work evaporate beside failed attempts to reduce sugar, caffeine and the number of cat videos you send to friends. The best place to start when updating your office wardrobe is by instituting clothing cutbacks – offering voluntary redundancy to frayed shirts, ill-fitting pieces and scuffed shoes. Once you’ve made room, it’s time to introduce the new you – ready for a promotion or, at the very least, able to face Monday morning with your head held high.

The first order of business is to add statement trousers to your office uniform. Wide-legged, high-waisted, cargo and voluminous barrel-legs are all welcome members of your working-wardrobe committee. It takes courage to wear these pants, but they’ll get a better reaction than slumming it in Sunday’s faded tight-fits. Prefer skirts? Keep the volume turned up with full styles that hit mid-calf. The effect you’re after is golden parachute, not powder puff. Ribbed singlets and boxy, cropped T-shirts increase the cool factor in creative workplaces, while a fitted shirt is better suited to an executive aesthetic.

Too-much baggy is becoming as unpopular as microwaved tuna casserole in the office kitchen, though, so play with proportion and choose a blazer with a nipped waist, narrow sleeves and a strong shoulder for a fresh take on the power suit. Allow personality to come through with accessories that are functional but express an appreciation for craftsmanship. After all, everyone wants a details person on their team.

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