Workwear Wednesday: Lots of Red and a Coat of Clouds
This look does not come as a surprise to the diligent readers of the blog, I showed the red shirt, red skirt and red shoes combination a while back in my Sezane post. The novelty is demonstrating how to wear all this when it’s really cold, with a sweater, coat and boots. There was in fact a specific request to see the boots, after I posted a shot of them on Instagram.
Everyone (and by “everyone” I of course do not mean everyone) has been wearing red/talking about wearing red this season and although the trend will wane, classic shapes in a red that suits you will remain a good look. If you want to be noticed or make a statement while staying entirely within the limits of a conservative office dress code, wearing red is a great option. In this specific case, all elements individually – at least the indoor ones – are almost boring, but the cumulative impact is noticeable.
Coming to the outer layer, the obvious option in the context of current trends would be to add a red coat and I agree, it would look fantastic. I did not want to buy anything new, however (I do have a red checked jacket that works very nicely here, but it’s not the look I had in mind), so I went for a different approach. I kept everything else red and wore a contrasting coat. Red and pale blue is one of my favourite combinations and I think it still feels fresh.
To the shirt and the skirt, I added a red chuncky knit and red over-the-knee boots for warmth. The slouchy footwear takes away some of the elegance, but one could argue this is a good thing and anyway, I really like the tall-boots-under-a-midi-skirt look at the moment. When it’s cold, this is a great alternative to opaque tights that really seem wrong to me these days. Plus the colour is just amazing. Now is also a good time to reiterate that when wearing red, the shades do not have to match exactly. My shirt and boots are in fact pretty far apart on the spectrum, but it doesn’t bother me at all.
How do you feel about wearing red to work? Any views on colourful coats?
Images by Liina Jasmin, MUAH Grete Madisson. Shirt by Sezane, skirt by Lilli Jahilo, shoes by Prada, sweater by Massimo Dutti, coat and boots by Zara. Sincere thanks again to Tallinn Botanical Garden for allowing us in!
4 Comments
Add yours+ Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I love a colourful coat but as far as wintercoats are concerned I have not yet found one that is warm enough and colourful too. At some point I will try to make my own I guess? This blue one is very elegant and versatile.
This one isn’t warm enough for Estonia either, at least when it gets seriously cold. Although I have discovered that with roomier coats, it is fine if they aren’t super warm as long as you can have a really thick knit underneath.
These Botanical Gardens style shoots are just so gorgeous – hairstyle, makeup, wit. I LOVED this one in terms of colours and layers – thank you so much for it! The shades and shapes all work so well together. It’s been a cold and relatively snowy winter in these parts, and one evening nothing I had was warm enough, so I wore one long loose coat over a fitted one. It was definitely a Look, but not one to repeat. I guess a thermal under layer would have been more discreet, effective, and would possibly have enabled me to move my arms. I’ll know for next time. 🙂
I bought a pair of over-the-knee boots last year and they are proving to be very versatile and wearable in cold, dry weather. They‘re navy suede, so look quite demure, but I wish I had bought a burgundy pair instead, to cut more of a dash. Your boots are fabulous – they look so smart with that beautiful pencil skirt. These posts are very much appreciated. My job is demanding at present, with long days, short nights, and not much of a sense of work-related satisfaction, but instead of going for my usual bad-times options of grey or black dresses I’ve been trying to follow your example, pulling out bright jumpers, brocade minis, the tall boots, and velvet evening dresses (calf-length so easy for day). The exuberance of it all really does cheer me up. No time for make up either, but big perfumes help as always!
Hah, I have in fact worn two coats simultaneously and I think it can work, although it’s not the easiest look plus, as you say, there are probably better ways to stay warm.
I wish you all the best with the challenging times at work. It’s OK for me at the moment, but I know what it means and sympathise. I also agere of course that wearing something special can really help on days like this. Then again, sometimes one just doesn’t have the energy and that is OK, too. Perfume is often the easiest boost, as it literally doesn’t take more than two seconds.