I’m Sophie – an award-nominated part-time content creator and full-time solicitor based in London, providing guidance and support to aspiring solicitors through Law With Sophie.

I’m a mentor with Grow, have had several pieces of writing published, and regularly feature both in the legal press and as a panellist at industry events. 

As featured in:

My background & why I started Law With Sophie

I was a non-law, non-Russell Group applicant, graduating in 2014 (and from the GDL in 2015).

I spent a few years after this working in the industry while applying for training contracts.

In 2016, I pivoted to applying for vacation schemes. I secured two assessment centres for vacation schemes, was successful at both, and secured my training contract in early 2017 off the back of one of these vacation schemes (yay!).

Having spent the last few years studying the LPC and training, in 2021 I qualified as an Associate (eek!) at a leading corporate law firm.

After experiencing a degree of difficulty in getting to this point, largely due to a lack of industry connections and information, I don’t want others to struggle in the same way. Through my platform on @lawwithsophie and this blog, I hope to help others by passing on what I’ve learnt in these last seven or so years!

If you’re an aspiring solicitor, I really hope you find these insights useful, and I’d love to hear from you!

Sophie x

Let’s have a natter

I regularly work with brands in the legal space to promote their services through this blog and @lawwithsophie, and to offer content creation and writing consultancy services. I also dabble in workwear content creation for fashion brands. 

If you’d like to work together, or just fancy a chat, please feel free to drop me a note on:

[email protected]

My media kit is available on request 🙂

A bit more about me

• I’m originally from Manchester and most people describe me as very down to earth. Although I take my career *very* seriously, I don’t take myself seriously at all!
• I’m known for a no-nonsense approach to my content, always with a touch of humour.
• I’m a serious foodie and also love wine, nice fizz, and gin. 
• I’m OBSESSED with skincare and make-up – classic Mancunian girl!
• Travel is one of my big passions, and I’ve very nearly completed the “30 before 30”. 
• Show me a dog and you’ll have the key to my heart!

All views on this blog, my Instagram and any Law With Sophie platforms are my own and are not connected with the law firm I work for.

This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You.

We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

The words of which the initial letter is capitalised have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

• Account means a unique account created for You to access our Service or parts of our Service.

• Company (referred to as either “the Company”, “We”, “Us” or “Our” in this Agreement) refers to Law With Sophie.

• Cookies are small files that are placed on Your computer, mobile device or any other device by a website, containing the details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses.

• Country refers to: United Kingdom

• Device means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a cellphone or a digital tablet.

• Personal Data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.

• Service refers to the Website.

• Service Provider means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of the Company. It refers to third-party companies or individuals employed by the Company to facilitate the Service, to provide the Service on behalf of the Company, to perform services related to the Service or to assist the Company in analysing how the Service is used.

• Third-party Social Media Service refers to any website or any social network website through which a User can log in or create an account to use the Service.

• Usage Data refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit).

• Website refers to Law With Sophie, accessible from www.lawwithsophie.com.

• You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.

Collecting and Using Your Personal Data

Types of Data Collected

Personal Data

While using Our Service, We may ask You to provide Us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:

• Email address

• First name and last name

• Usage Data

Usage Data

Usage Data is collected automatically when using the Service.

Usage Data may include information such as Your Device’s Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device.

Tracking Technologies and Cookies

We use Cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on Our Service and store certain information. Tracking technologies used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyse Our Service. The technologies We use may include:

• Cookies or Browser Cookies. A cookie is a small file placed on Your Device. You can instruct Your browser to refuse all Cookies or to indicate when a Cookie is being sent. However, if You do not accept Cookies, You may not be able to use some parts of our Service. Unless you have adjusted Your browser setting so that it will refuse Cookies, our Service may use Cookies.

• Flash Cookies. Certain features of our Service may use local stored objects (or Flash Cookies) to collect and store information about Your preferences or Your activity on our Service. Flash Cookies are not managed by the same browser settings as those used for Browser Cookies. For more information on how You can delete Flash Cookies, please read “Where can I change the settings for disabling, or deleting local shared objects?” available at https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/disable-local-shared-objects-flash.html#main_Where_can_I_change_the_settings_for_disabling__or_deleting_local_shared_objects_

• Web Beacons. Certain sections of our Service and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit the Company, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of a certain section and verifying system and server integrity).

Cookies can be “Persistent” or “Session” Cookies. Persistent Cookies remain on Your personal computer or mobile device when You go offline, while Session Cookies are deleted as soon as You close Your web browser. Learn more about cookies: What Are Cookies?.

We use both Session and Persistent Cookies for the purposes set out below:

• Necessary / Essential Cookies

  Type: Session Cookies

  Administered by: Us

  Purpose: These Cookies are essential to provide You with services available through the Website and to enable You to use some of its features. They help to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these Cookies, the services that You have asked for cannot be provided, and We only use these Cookies to provide You with those services.

• Cookies Policy / Notice Acceptance Cookies

  Type: Persistent Cookies

  Administered by: Us

  Purpose: These Cookies identify if users have accepted the use of cookies on the Website.

• Functionality Cookies

  Type: Persistent Cookies

  Administered by: Us

  Purpose: These Cookies allow us to remember choices You make when You use the Website, such as remembering your login details or language preference. The purpose of these Cookies is to provide You with a more personal experience and to avoid You having to re-enter your preferences every time You use the Website.

For more information about the cookies we use and your choices regarding cookies, please visit our Cookies Policy or the Cookies section of our Privacy Policy.

Use of Your Personal Data

The Company may use Personal Data for the following purposes:

• To provide and maintain our Service, including to monitor the usage of our Service.

• To manage Your Account: to manage Your registration as a user of the Service. The Personal Data You provide can give You access to different functionalities of the Service that are available to You as a registered user.

• For the performance of a contract: the development, compliance and undertaking of the purchase contract for the products, items or services You have purchased or of any other contract with Us through the Service.

• To contact You: To contact You by email, telephone calls, SMS, or other equivalent forms of electronic communication, such as a mobile application’s push notifications regarding updates or informative communications related to the functionalities, products or contracted services, including the security updates, when necessary or reasonable for their implementation.

• To provide You with news, special offers and general information about other goods, services and events which we offer that are similar to those that you have already purchased or enquired about unless You have opted not to receive such information.

• To manage Your requests: To attend and manage Your requests to Us.

• For business transfers: We may use Your information to evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganisation, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which Personal Data held by Us about our Service users is among the assets transferred.

• For other purposes: We may use Your information for other purposes, such as data analysis, identifying usage trends, determining the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns and to evaluate and improve our Service, products, services, marketing and your experience.

We may share Your personal information in the following situations:

• With Service Providers: We may share Your personal information with Service Providers to monitor and analyze the use of our Service, to contact You.

• For business transfers: We may share or transfer Your personal information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of Company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of Our business to another company.

• With Affiliates: We may share Your information with Our affiliates, in which case we will require those affiliates to honor this Privacy Policy. Affiliates include Our parent company and any other subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other companies that We control or that are under common control with Us.

• With business partners: We may share Your information with Our business partners to offer You certain products, services or promotions.

• With other users: when You share personal information or otherwise interact in the public areas with other users, such information may be viewed by all users and may be publicly distributed outside. If You interact with other users or register through a Third-Party Social Media Service, Your contacts on the Third-Party Social Media Service may see Your name, profile, pictures and description of Your activity. Similarly, other users will be able to view descriptions of Your activity, communicate with You and view Your profile.

• With Your consent: We may disclose Your personal information for any other purpose with Your consent.

Retention of Your Personal Data

The Company will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

The Company will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of Our Service, or We are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.

Transfer of Your Personal Data

Your information, including Personal Data, is processed at the Company’s operating offices and in any other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of Your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from Your jurisdiction.

Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by Your submission of such information represents Your agreement to that transfer.

The Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of Your Personal Data will take place to an organisation or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of Your data and other personal information.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Business Transactions

If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, Your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before Your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

Law enforcement

Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).

Other legal requirements

The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

• Comply with a legal obligation

• Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company

• Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service

• Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public

• Protect against legal liability

Security of Your Personal Data

The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Children’s Privacy

Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13. If You are a parent or guardian and You are aware that Your child has provided Us with Personal Data, please contact Us. If We become aware that We have collected Personal Data from anyone under the age of 13 without verification of parental consent, We take steps to remove that information from Our servers.

If We need to rely on consent as a legal basis for processing Your information and Your country requires consent from a parent, We may require Your parent’s consent before We collect and use that information.

Links to Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.

We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the “Last updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us:

• By email: [email protected]

This post is part of a paid partnership with the Commercial Law Academy. – It’s no secret that commercial law is a competitive industry to get into. Like, suuuuuuper competitive! I’ve talked about the fact it took me a wee while to obtain my training contract a few times but, basically, I had …

Read More

Aaaah – the dreaded phrase. “Commercial awareness” is a term which strikes fear into most aspiring lawyers’ hearts! I think this is because there’s so much confusion around what it means, and how you can possess it. Now that I’m fortunate to sit ‘on the other side of the table’, I feel that …

Read More

We all know that the best applications to law firms are well-researched ones. But there’s an overwhelming amount of information out there on each firm, so when figuring out how to research a law firm, it can be tricky to know where to start! To help, I’ve put together a template you can use as a …

Read More

When you’re first researching how to become a solicitor, it can be a pretty overwhelming task. There’s certainly a LOT more sources of information and a wealth of different platforms now, compared to when I was an applicant. Which is great in some ways, as there’s a huge amount of information to …

Read More

Okay, so, they’re not *actually* secret (spoiler alert!)… BUT these resources for your research are little known, or underused, in my opinion! When you’re thinking about how to research a law firm, having a range of sources is always a good idea. Scroll for more! Lexology This is my number one …

Read More

It’s taken me a wee while to figure out what works for me, workwear-wise – but I’ve developed some general rules of thumb that have massively helped me refine my approach to buying workwear over the years:

1. Comfort is key. I have spent WAY too much £££ over the years buying items that I just don’t enjoy wearing, because I don’t feel comfortable & relaxed. I know it sounds obvious but, if you wouldn’t feel comfortable in something in your ‘normal’ wardrobe (see blazers below, for my own example!) – why wear it to work?
2. Buy consciously. You can definitely get great workwear on a budget, but I do think it’s wise to be mindful of quality. Again, I’ve wasted lots of pennies over the years buying items from really cheap stores purely to bulk out the volume of workwear I have. Now, I realise it’s much better to buy a smaller amount of items you really, really love and feel great in – the whole point of a capsule wardrobe, really!
3. It’s not a race. Building up your work capsule wardrobe is something that I’ve found definitely takes a bit of time to finesse. Go slow and just buy a few items at a time that you know you’ll enjoy wearing, and will stand the test of time.
4. Try to pick complementary items. I think it’s most economical to buy items which blend well with what you currently have, and that you can re-wear in multiple ways. This is one reason why my work outfits are mostly neutral or monochrome – they’re all nicely interchangeable!

Your essential work capsule wardrobe – my top workwear basics

Shift dresses

Shift dresses are hands down my fave kind of work outfit. They’re just SO easy to chuck on, but also instantly make me feel like a boss!

Pale pink, nipped in waist shift dress – £32.00 at ASOS

Cream, boucle shift dress – £34.99 at H&M

Pink, tweed shift dress – £59.00 at M&S

Black, nipped in waist shift dress – £28.00 at ASOS

Black/navy tweed shift dress – £90.00 (sale) at Reiss

Crisp, chic shirts

This is probably one of the first items to spring to mind when you think “workwear basics” – and for good reason!

However I’ll be honest, as someone with a slightly bigger than average bust, in the past I’ve steered clear… To avoid drawing attention to that area, and the dreaded gaping-at-the-buttons situ.

But I’ve picked up some great tips (and more body confidence!) over the years, and now I love the way a crisp shirt looks. If you’re in a similar predicament, my top tips are:

• Accept that not all shirts will fit you in the way you want!
• I personally avoid anything fitted or darted as it just accentuates the, errr, issue.
• Wear a minimising bra, i.e. one with a high cup (in as close a colour to your skin as possible, if wearing white). This flattens down the gals, and helps prevent the gaping.
• Go for a slightly oversized vibe to give you a bit more room to play with.

White shirt with pocket – £27.99 at Zara

Cream, satin shirt – £19.99 at H&M

White & beige striped, flowy shirt – £25.99 at Zara

Blue poplin shirt – £19.99 at Zara and similar at Mango here

Pretty, versatile blouses

I love a blouse for those days where you want a bit more comfort than wearing a crisp shirt, but still want to look smart. Tuck them into trousers, skirts, or even jeans on casual days.

White, ruffled, short sleeved blouse – £19.99 at H&M and similar here

White, high neck, broderie detail blouse – £49.99 at Mango and similar here

Taupe, silky, V-neck long sleeved blouse – £17.99 at H&M

Pale blue, high neck, silky draped blouse – £45.00, Pretty Lavish at ASOS and also here

Sage green, pleated, chiffon long sleeved blouse – £24.99 at H&M

Emerald green, short sleeve, satin flowy blouse – £29.99 at Mango

Tweed jackets or tailored blazers

A few jackets and blazers are great to have in your arsenal, to add variety to your workwear capsule wardrobe and dress up a slightly more relaxed top and trousers/dress.

But, confession time… I actually really don’t enjoy wearing the vast majority of blazers! There’s just something about the lining you tend to get in high street blazers that makes me feel gross. Plus, I have super narrow shoulders – so most blazers just make me look like I’m wearing my dad’s jacket. Not so chic!

However, I appreciate I’m probably in the minority here! And I love how a blazer looks on others.

My exception to the “no blazer” rule is a tweed jacket. They tend to have a heavier weight, be better quality, and not have that icky lining situation.

I have a couple of ancient black (H&M) and a cream (Zara) tweed/boucle jackets which I still wear religiously in summer in lieu of a coat, and which otherwise live on the back of my chair, ready for any meetings.

White single breasted blazer – £24.99 at H&M and similar here

Cream boucle jacket – £39.99 at H&M

Beige tweed jacket – £69.99 at Mango

Grey boucle blazer – £34.99 at H&M

Black tweed jacket – £69.99 at Mango

Black blazer with ruched sleeves – £34.99 at H&M and similar here

Comfy yet smart trousers

I love the look of a tailored trouser. But, again… Comfort is key for me! Luckily for us: there are increasingly some great smart styles, which also feel more like PJs than a suit, out there. Score!

These styles are smart enough to wear with shirt & heels, but can also be dressed down with a T-shirt & Vejas for casual Friday.

High waist trousers with slight pleat waist in ecru, camel and black – all £27.99 at Zara

High waist trousers with belt – £29.99 at Zara

Court shoes

I personally love to wear a heel to important meetings and I just feel they elevate some of my fave work outfits that bit more. (Don’t worry, I also spend plenty of time in flats – ain’t nobody got time for sore calves when you’re stressed, running around trying to get docs out!)

If your preference is heels, my fave work heels everrrrr are from Mango. They’re chic, comfy and cheap at only £35.99 – what more could you ask for?! I have a black pair, a tomato red pair and a nude patent pair I recently snagged in sale sat in my wardrobe. They currently come in black, nude, tan croc and a deliiiiiightful berry colour.

I also love the famed £19.50 court shoes from M&S. They’re a *bit* less chic in my humble opinion, as they come a little bit further up the foot – however they’re still lovely and SUPER comfy, being that bit lower a heel. Perfect for dashing off to meetings! I have the faux suede style in black and navy. and they also come in nude vegan leather.

Loafers

If your preference is flats, I personally don’t think you can go wrong with a loafer.

BUT: make sure they’re leather. This doesn’t mean they will cost the earth, and loafers are classic so it’s worth paying a few pounds more. Plus in general, your work shoes get a LOT of wear so cheap work flats will just fall apart… I’ve learnt this lesson the hard way!

I have had these black, patent leather loafers from M&S since literally 2015 (not sure I should be admitting this to the internet!!) and they’re still good as new. At only £45.00, the cost per wear has got to be pennies now! The Russell & Bromley ones are also very popular and come in some beaut colourways, but I personally haven’t yet shelled out the £££ for those.

A smart, large-ish bag

I don’t know about you, but I tend to take a lot of crap to work!  So I love a work bag that’s big enough to pop your iPad, document wallets, etc. (or just snacks…) in there without it bursting at the seams.

The Longchamp Le Pliage range is always super popular for gals across the City and I used mine devotedly for years.

I now have a black leather Coach handbag (similar to this) which I picked up at an outlet store years ago as a Christmas gift.

My dream work bag is probably the Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote, but I don’t really know if I’ll ever justify the pennies for that! Maybe a pre-loved one, one day…

Summer extras

Shirt dresses

Shirt dresses are super smart and flattering, while also being that bit more lightweight for the summer temperatures.

White, cotton shirt dress with pleated hem – £29.99 at Zara

Cream, chiffon shirt dress – £24.99 at H&M

Champagne, silky, wrap/tie shirt dress – £39.99 at H&M

Dusky pink, midi, pleated shirt dress – £29.99 at H&M

Baby blue, printed, tie-waist shirt dress – £49.99 at Zara

Black, midi, pleated shirt dress – £29.99 at H&M

Espadrilles

I love an espadrille in general in the summer, and think they’re a totally work appropriate option too!

Buying items that work for the business AND pleasure…?! Win! For work I pair mine with a floaty chiffon pleated dress, smart shirt dress, or pleated midi skirt.

Neutral wedge espadrilles – £49.99 at Mango

Cream wedge espadrilles – £25.00 at ASOS

Cream, low heel wedge espadrilles – £22.00 (sale) at ASOS

Black, low heel wedge espadrilles – £22.00 (sale) at ASOS

This blog contains some affiliate links, meaning I may get a very small commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.

At any one time, one of my most asked queries is around assessment centre tips. You ask, I deliver! Most law firm assessment centres follow a fairly standard format. From my experience, these are the tasks you can expect at an assessment centre, and some of my tips for acing each task! The written …

Read More

I’m often asked how applicants can make their training contract applications stand out. While there’s no magic formula, in my four years of applications and subsequent years in the industry, I’ve picked up some great tips and tricks along the way. Here are my thoughts! Think about what makes you, …

Read More

This is probably my most popular workwear request, and I’ve been working on this post for a while! This blog post sets out my idea of the perfect work capsule wardrobe. These are the items I would buy if I was starting out building up my workwear collection afresh, with the benefit of what I know …

Read More

This is a long, long overdue post on my top summer workwear tips and answering your FAQs when it comes to truly one of the most first world problems ever: what the hell to wear to work once the mercury starts rising. I’m excited for this one! First things first, some general caveats… …

Read More

Although the majority of you ask me to prioritise sharing as many affordable/budget options as possible in my workwear tips, quite a few of you also ask me what sort of items you should invest more pennies in – and where you can actually get great quality workwear. You’ll (hopefully!) have read in …

Read More

Hello! I’m Sophie, and I’m obsessed with clothes *sheepish grin*. If you’re reading this, chances are you are, too! Even a shopaholic like me can admit that, when it comes to workwear, that old adage “less is more” really does ring true. Especially in this new (post-p word!) working …

Read More

Good news – better weather is (finally!) coming. Being a bit (read: a lot) of a sun worshipper, this heatwave is seriously welcome for me! But with the warmer weather comes a bit of a summer workwear dilemma: how to feel polished and put together day-to-day, without sweltering to death. In my …

Read More

Since the majority of us have been WFH since March 2020, I’m sure we’ve grown FAR more accustomed to wearing loungewear day-to-day! Now things are slowly opening back up, we might not be able to get away with wearing our pyjamas the office… but what’s the next best alternative? I’d say there’s …

Read More

Oh hiiii! How are we all? Happy nearly Jubilee holiday! Wow it has been a LONG time since I last blogged… In my defence, lots has been going on! Shall I fill you in? My new job is fab – but a lot In case you didn’t see on my Instagram, after a lovely three years at BCLP, I felt it was time to …

Read More

This is a long, long overdue post on my top summer workwear tips and answering your FAQs when it comes to truly one of the most first world problems ever: what the hell to wear to work once the mercury starts rising.

I’m excited for this one! First things first, some general caveats…

1. Although this blog post contains my personal thoughts, it’s just based on my experiences – and your workplace might be different. Generally, you really can’t go wrong if you follow the lead of your colleagues!
2. Post-Covid, dress codes do seem to have relaxed. However as a general rule of thumb, I always think, if you’re having to ask yourself whether something is appropriate, it’s probably not! Better to stay on the safe side 🙂
3. If you do have a dress code, employee manual, etc. – give that a quick squizz.

Okay enough of the boring stuff! Let’s get into it…

FAQs from the guys/male-presenting/male of centre folk

Are shorts acceptable?

Okay, so – my guy pals had a BIG range of views on this one. A couple said it was fine to wear shorts in their workplace (two even sent pictures of themselves clad in said shorts!), a couple said absolutely not, and they all work in a corporate environment. So where the hell does that leave ya?!

Honest opinion? If you’re in any doubt, I wouldn’t wear shorts. On a practical level it’s likely your office is air conned and so you only really need to survive your commute, anyway. And I genuinely cannot imagine either of the partners in my team in shorts, lollll.

So I would pop your gams away for now, and stick to a lightweight chino or similar.

What bloody shoes do I wear in summer?!

When I look at the stylish chaps in my life, for me, it’s gotta be: a suede loafer in a dark colour; a boat shoe; or a dressy trainer (in order of smart to casual!) come summer.

A dress or more formal shoe just doesn’t look right with a more casual trouser/chino, to me.

FAQs from the ladies/female-presenting/female of centre folk

Is it okay to wear open-toed shoes?

Yep, in all of the offices I’ve worked in, there have been women who’ve worn sandals 🙂 as always, if in doubt, I’d just follow others’ lead!

And if you’re still not sure you can personally get the ol’ toes out, you could always opt for a shoe which is otherwise open but covers your toes (if that makes sense!!) – like an espadrille or a mule.

To be honest you could also just wear whatever footwear you want for your commute and change in the office, as it’ll likely be air conned and you won’t need to wear sandals per se!

Is it okay to go bare legged?

I don’t have too much to say here except: yes! In all of the offices I’ve worked in, this has been absolutely fine. No need for sheer tights unless you particularly want to wear them.

Some general summer workwear rules of thumb

• My only real ‘rule’ when it comes to workwear is this: comfort is KEY. This is never more important than in summer!
• Opt for lightweight but still crisps fabrics – like linen and cotton – for a breathable, yet chic, look.
• Layering is vital come summer time, because between your commute, the office, and running around throughout the day, you’ll probably experience a few different temps!
• I aaaaalways have a jacket with me in the office regardless of the outside temp, as there really is some sort of conspiracy amongst law firms to make them FREEZING.
• When it comes to summer I always think your tailoring can be more relaxed – think, slouchy blazers over fitted jackets.
• Summer is such a fun and inspiring time to experiment with fashion, and I firmly believe that workwear doesn’t have to be boring, as you guys know! I definitely think you can experiment with a bit more colour and some more design-led pieces.

This is probably my most popular workwear request, and I’ve been working on this post for a while! This blog post sets out my idea of the perfect work capsule wardrobe.

These are the items I would buy if I was starting out building up my workwear collection afresh, with the benefit of what I know now.

With this selection you’ll end up with a small, focused collection of classic workwear pieces which are complementary to each other, provide you with loads of interchangeable outfits, and – most importantly – arm you with a work capsule wardrobe which you love, and which reduces the amount of time spent staring at your wardrobe in the morning!

I know lots of you are on a budget. However, I do get requests for premium/luxury workwear, too – so I’ve picked out some of my fave workwear pieces to suit a variety of budgets. (You may also want to check out this more detailed post I wrote on building up a work capsule wardrobe, with a focus on affordable workwear pieces.)

I’ve done my best to source items I already have and love, that are currently in stock – stock levels are a ‘mare at the moment!

Okay, let’s get into it…

Your ultimate work capsule wardrobe

Your work capsule wardrobe checklist – and some options for various budgets

Tops

1 x white shirt

1 x blue shirt

• Affordable options at H&M and Mango (I have the Mango one and ADORE IT)
• Mid-range options at Everlane and Reiss

1 x neutral silky blouse

1 x black silky blouse

1 x neutral knitted tee/roll neck

1 x dark knitted tee/roll neck

(The exact knitted tees in the picture – from Mango – are the ones I have and love. The black is linked here (currently on sale!). I’ve also linked the cream option in case it comes back in stock!)

Bottoms

1 x neutral trousers

1 x black trousers

Dresses

1 x black shift dress

Outerwear

1 x black blazer

1 x tweed/boucle jacket

Shoes

Leather loafers

Slingbacks

Long time followers will know that the Marks & Spencer leather slingback Chanel dupes – pictured – are my fave, however those are sadly sold out. They do tend to come back each year, so keep an eye out!

In the mean time, here are some alternatives…

• Affordable option – the new season updated versions at Marks & Spencer
• Another great affordable option at ASOS

Black court heels

Neutral heels

Accessories

1 x black (ideally) leather tote bag

My favourite brands for workwear

Affordable workwear

• Mango
• H&M
• Zara
• Uniqlo
• Marks & Spencer

Mid-range workwear

• COS
• Everlane
• Reiss
• The Outnet

High-end workwear

• Theory
• Frankie Shop
• Toteme
• The Curated
• The Fold

–

This blog contains some affiliate links, meaning I may get a very small commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post.