These days, my consumption habits are never far from my mind. As I’ve said before, I do not think that individual action can save the planet and I also don’t think this responsibility should be put on individuals – we need systemic change (as individuals, we do of course need to take action to make sure that systemic change happens). At the same time, it just feels wrong to keep buying and buying new stuff that I objectively don’t need, knowing the impact the garment industry has on the environment. So what is to be done?

I am well known for my aversion to the capsule wardrobe concept, but I do think it can make sense in the workwear context. Especially if you work in a traditional office, you may not have much freedom in how you dress to begin with and not everyone wants to spend mental energy on constant figuring-out what you can get away with. Even I have mornings when I just want something that looks nice, fits me well and will not raise eyebrows.

The upside of a work wardrobe made of high-quality classics that can easily be combined is that it’ll look good and polished, last for years and free up time to think about other things. The downside is that it can get a bit boring. Then again, if your goal is to buy less, trendy pieces get tired much faster, while classics that suit you well may not be super exciting, but they also don’t cause disgust and incomprehension six months after you’ve bought them.

The key is of course to pick things you really, really like and can see yourself liking also after five (ideally ten) years. I have been thinking about doing a series about these essential pieces for a while, but didn’t feel like buying any new clothes for it (as that would kind of defeat the purpose) and my existing ones wouldn’t quite work for what I had in mind. And then, like a deus ex machina, Max Mara got in touch and wanted to work with me.

If you are a regular reader, you know that I do not monetise my blog nor do I ask for money on those rare occasions I collaborate with anyone. I am, however, not against collaborations if they make sense in the context of what I want to do and frankly, it is difficult to think of a better fit for timeless workwear than Max Mara. I got access to all the pieces they had available in Estonia and made my own selection, which we then shot, with them taking care of the production costs. This is the extent of the brand’s involvement and I must admit they have been a dream to work with, leaving me with absolutely free hands in terms of how I want to present the things.

But enough of that, on to the clothes. I’m planning to feature eight essential, easy-to-combine items in total and tell you what my considerations are when choosing and wearing them. I am of course not saying that every woman should have those items in their wardrobe, this is obviously a personal choice that depends on many things. I am also definitely not saying that you should buy these exact things I’m showing here: they illustrate some available options, which may not work for your taste, body type, work situation or price bracket (I will discuss alternatives, too). There is nothing here, however, that I wouldn’t gladly wear in one situation or another. And as you can probably tell, this is specifically an autumn edition, which for me is the quintessential Work Season.

A Coat
Being a person of Cold Climate, a coat is an obvious place to start. Now, I will confess to a little heresy: despite the received wisdom of the fashion crowd that the coat is THE most important piece in your wardrobe, I have never considered it that crucial in work context, as you don’t really wear a coat in the office. My number one items have always been sharp dresses and a good shoe, maybe a blazer.

Coats are, however, the ultimate capsule wardrobe and investment pieces, because a coat is almost always a compromise anyway. For most people, the coat has to work with a large share of their clothes, if not everything they are wearing in that particular season. Which means that if you are already limited by practical factors and probably not going for neon green sheepskin, you can take the exercise one step further and make sure the coat will last you many seasons.

A tan or beige long-ish coat (like the Max Mara Icon I’m wearing here) is one option, a black or navy double-breasted version is another. Personally, I love the slim-fit look, but I have learned the hard way that if you want to wear a warm knit underneath, something looser will serve you better. I have a beige Zara coat that is somewhat similar to the Max Mara and I’ve worn it constantly for three or four years. There a similar styles in Zara this year and Massimo Dutti does slightly more luxurious takes on the same theme. For a more body-conscious style, I love my Suistudio camel coat.

Trousers
I originally planned to shoot a pair of camel wide-legged trousers for this section, as they look absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, they were not hemmed and I had to rethink my plan, resulting in two looks that are variations of the same idea: cropped cigarette trousers with a knit and a sumptuous coat. In hindsight, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing – despite my love for the originally planned leggy look it’s not the most practical (for starters, you need to have footwear that is exactly the right height). Slim cropped trousers, on the other hand, are versatile AF.

A few years ago, I realised that out of all my trousers, I almost exclusively wear the shorter ones – some of them culottes, some of them fitted, but always cut above the ankle. After deep analysis, it became clear that it’s mostly because I wear flats on my way to the office and heels in the office and cropped trousers work with both. This is not an insignificant advantage. I also feel that is this cut suits you, it can be worn with almost everything – chunky knits, fine knits, turtlenecks, shirts, blouses, blazers, t-shirts.

The specific trousers I’m wearing here are both very comfortable, another plus. This is of course something you need to assess on a case-by-case basis and be mindful of VPL: softer fabrics tend to be less forgiving in that regard.

The other reason I’m ultimately very happy with these looks is that they allow me to show off two ways of utilising a wardrobe with lots of neutral colours. One is, pretty obviously, by combining two of them (like beige and back, one of the most classic combinations ever) and the other is wearing a neutral head-to-toe. I’ve went with a slightly more adventurous shade, a soft rust colour, to keep things interesting. And also because that rust-coloured coat has one of the most gorgeous textures I’ve ever touched in my life (and a price tag to match…).
What are your go-to brands for work clothes? Do you wear neutral, classic pieces or would rather die? I will be back next week with the next two office essentials.

Clothes by Max Mara (on loan for the shoot), MUAH Erle Taklai, images Laura Nestor.