Earlier in the year in the comments section to a workwear round-up of clothes that were appropriate for a casual office (here if you missed it) several of you asked for a smarter edit.

And so for Lynsey, Ann-Marie, Jo, Sian, Emma, Clare and all of you who can’t get away with jeans for the office, here’s a selection of smarter buys. As requested I’ve looked for dresses and skirts with hems that are close to the knee as opposed to just covering the bum and there’s a pair of trousers to keep you warm until spring has sprung. I hope you like them!

Pinstripe jacket £85, dress, £70, trousers, £48 & pencil skirt £45, all Warehouse

Any one of these blue pinstripe pieces would sharpen up your work wardrobe. Buy all four and you’ve instantly got six work outfits that would cover most work scenarios from meetings with VIPs (dress on its own or dress + jacket), desk based days (pencil skirt + jacket + top or pencil skirt + top or trousers + jacket + top) or dress down Fridays (trousers + top).
Buy the jacket here, the dress here, the trousers here and the pencil skirt here.

Dress, £49.99, Mango

This dress would look great paired with a black or white tailored jacket or a fine knit cardigan for work, and equally good with a leather biker jacket on a night out or on the weekend. When the weather gets warmer (assuming you don’t work in one of those offices where the air con is turned up to arctic) ditch the jacket and wear it with smart sandals.
You can buy it here

Flat shoes, £22, heeled courts, £35, both Oasis

If your work wardrobe consists mostly of black, grey and white pieces (guilty) why not add a pop of colour with your shoes? Oasis has you covered whether you prefer flats (the Imie Flat Point) or heels (the Cassie Court) both of which have a suede-like finish and come a variety of colours.
You can buy the flats here and the courts here.

Sleeveless jackets, £45, Topshop & £39.99 Mango

A surprisingly versatile addition to your wardrobe, I’ve spotted people around the office wearing sleeveless jackets on top of either a slim fit fine knit jumper or a sharp shirt, with tailored trousers. For an evening look you could wear it on its own with wide tuxedo trousers, and for the weekend it would work with a pretty Victorian blouse and blue jeans. Buy the Topshop one here and the Mango one here.

Jacket, £69.99, Zara

Lighten up all the black and dark grey pieces in your work wardrobe just in time for spring with this off-white jacket. If such a pale jacket isn’t practical for your job Zara has are lots of options that are darker in colour, but just as covetable.
You can buy it here.

Spotted, or bought any great pieces for work? Do share below!