New year, new(ish) wardrobe: Back to work style

Saturday, 18 January 2025

We’re well into January, which means you’re probably back at work. Probably can’t remember the holidays even happened. Probably staring in your wardrobe proclaiming you’ve got nothing to wear because it’s a new year and you want to feel like a new person but that top sits weird on your shoulders and those pants give you a mild wedgie and good lord you need a holiday, etc.

And look, it can be a little confronting to cram your feet back into shoes after a couple of weeks spreading naked toes over sand. But it’s not all bad – there are ways to update your closet without spending a small lotto win on new clothes. So here’s a selection of tips on how to make the most of your wardrobe when you go back to work.

Clean up your wardrobe

This is not code for: throw everything out and start again. This is code for: maybe see what’s actually in that drawer that won’t close properly? The key is to make it fun. Pour yourself a mimosa, lock your partner and/or kids out of your room, put on ABBA’s Greatest Hits and pretend you’re in one of those movie montages where the main character goes shopping and dances in front of the mirror a lot.

Also: before you start, assess whether it’s the wardrobe (clothes) that make getting changed stressful, or the wardrobe (functional area in which to store clothes). If it’s the latter, have a think about how to improve it. Maybe you need some better storage. Maybe get yourself some nice matching hangars that clothes don’t fall off. Maybe just get something that smells nice so you actually want to open your closet.

Set of 50 pink velvet coat hangers from Space General, $48

Next, slowly chip away at your clothes, section by section, so you don’t panic and quit before you start. If the idea of trying everything you own is overwhelming, don’t! My method is to put everything I definitely want to keep in one pile; everything I definitely want to get rid of in another; and everything I’m unsure about in a third. That’s the pile I try on – after which I move items to the ‘keep’ pile, the ‘get rid’ pile, or the ‘do something with’ pile. See below.

Earl of East air freshener tag from Ruby, $29

Give old items new love

Sorry to Marie Kondo, but before you get too trigger happy on the ‘get rid’ pile, it’s good to remember that tailors exist. That floor length dress you got for a wedding and never wore again? Make like Mary Quant and lop off the bottom. The crumpled shirt wedged under your shoes and dusted in a little bit of mould? Dry cleaners are cheaper than buying a new wardrobe. A nice ‘white’ T shirt that’s no longer actually white? There are extremely user-friendly dyes out there to hide all manner of sins.

Rit fabric dye, $30

Finally, it probably goes without saying, but don’t throw away the clothes you don’t want. Take them to a charity store, a vintage reseller, or…

Have a clothes swap party with your friends

These are a bit like book clubs, in that they’re basically an excuse to hang out and drink wine. But instead of pretending to read a book you haven’t touched, you get to palm off some old clothes and get some new ones. For free!

Fruit Cru feijoa Pét Nat, $25

Invest in some good quality (locally-sourced!) basics

There’s a reason this is cliché advice. Good basics will not only get a lot of mileage themselves; they will also help you give your other, less basic items more mileage. Those pink trousers might be a bit much with your paisley dress, but they’ll look great with a classic T shirt. Meanwhile, the paisley dress will look fab with a white shirt over top.

Buddy T shirt, $89

Better yet, there’s a raft of local designers making great basics out of long-lasting fabrics that are better for the environment. Kowtow and Buddy are two of them. Kowtow uses 100% Fairtrade organic cotton, and its garments are free of plastic - the buttons on this shirt are made with shells instead. Buddy’s T-shirts are a blend of 55% hemp & 45% organic cotton - some of the benefits of hemp being that it uses less water than cotton to farm, is durable and long lasting, and is breathable.

Kowtow Daily shirt, $199

Comfort is key

One of the worst things about going back to the office is the prospect of exchanging sweatpants and slides for fitted waistbands and leather shoes. Fortunately, you don’t actually need to do that. There’s a huge range of work-appropriate clothes that are as comfortable to wear as a towelled onesie.

Marle pants, $260

These Marle pants are made from crisp cotton that’ll keep you cool, and have a stretchy waistband that’ll keep you comfy. Alternatively, cover-all cotton dresses like this Gregory are a miracle garment - comfy, extremely easy to wear (no styling required) and elegant to boot.

Gregory dress, $459

Embrace your outer glow

One of the best things about coming back from holiday is that you no longer look like you’ve spent 40+ hours a week in a fluorescent-lit office staring at a screen, because you haven’t. You’ve been outside, absorbed vitamin D, touched grass.

Glossier ‘Cloud Paint’, $41

This means you can keep your beauty look minimal and simple – which is especially useful when you’re trying to readjust to early mornings. Amp up your newly minted glow and with creamy (instead of powdered) products that boost the dewy factor and keep your skin hydrated.

Alternatively, make the most of your refreshed complexion by going full Pamela Anderson and wearing no make up at all.

Morphe Sun and Done bronzer, $20