I have a uniform for work

I used to be the kind of person with a wardrobe full to spill and nothing to wear. Seven years ago, I lost a significant amount of weight and 2 clothe sizes. When I had to build my new wardrobe, I did it intentionally. I made sure I had a system to make it work, I picked a uniform that was me.

My uniform is slim trousers, a knitted top, one tee-shit underneath and ankle boots. I wear this formula every single day at work, throughout the year.

• Slim cut trousers fit me well and they don’t need ironing. Trousers are my natural go-to type of clothes. I like dresses in the hot summer when I am on holidays, but in cool Scotland, trousers are my favourites. All my trousers go in the regular wash and the tumble dryer.

• Knits don’t need ironing either, they need a cold wash in the machine but I am ready to make that compromise to be warm in the winter. In the summer my knits are in cotton and go in the regular wash with the other clothes. In Scotland, the summer is not really hot and the office has air conditioning that’s cold in any season! So I pretty much need knits all year round.

• I layer my knits with cotton fitted plain tee-shirts. Long-sleeve in the winter, short-sleeve in the summer. I have vests to add some layers too. They look good enough on their own in case I need to remove my jumper or cardigan if it’s too hot. There are relatively fitted but not tight pieces so they don’t need ironing, I just store them on hangers so they don’t get creased.

• Ankle boots are usually comfortable and more elegant than snickers to wear at the office. I used to have high heels when I was commuting by car (I am small so heels give me longer legs and make me feel better) but I replaced them by flat heels now that I am commuting by foot.

My base colour is navy. I have a lot of blues in wardrobe but I also have greys, beiges, neon greens, ochre yellow and powder pinks to go with the blues as accent colours. When I shop, if there’s something I like and I don’t want it to be a hard decision, I pick it in blue. I have 1 white tee-shirt because I love the shape but that’s it, I can’t be bothered to make a separate load of laundry for whites.

For jewellery, I like rings and earrings. Partly because I think it’s nicer to pick one type at a time so it stands out and my outfit doesn’t get visually too cluttered and partly because bracelets and necklaces make embarrassing noises banging on the desk! I choose earrings that can be worn at night and I usually wear them for weeks before I want a change and choose another pair. There’s no decision to be made in the mornings for earrings and I always have the option of “none” for the rings if I can’t make a split second decision.

I like that formula: it’s me, it’s easy to maintain, I know what to buy and not to buy, and I can get dressed in the morning even when my brain hasn’t started working!