What do women wear to work?
We ask two stylish friends of the newsletter to give us a week's worth of outfits inspiration.
For something a little different, we’ve asked two of our subscribers to share a week’s worth of work outfits. These two women happen to also be close friends of mine (it’s Annie writing today, hi) so it’s truly such a pleasure to introduce them to this special community.
Office / work dress-codes are now so fluid that it can be really hard to decipher what to wear. Your industry is going to have certain aesthetic codes that you’re probably adhering to, whether consciously or not, and it’s normal to struggle to marry your personal style to your work persona. What I admire so much about these two women is the seamless way their work wardrobes link up with their true taste — acting as silent but powerful communication devices — while also being incredibly functional for the myriad tasks they need to accomplish in any given working day.
I can’t be the only one who looks at their friends for style inspiration (although you could argue I look closer than most, given I write this newsletter with my dear friend, who is also a stylist!). I find it endlessly more inspiring to study the women I know, rather than a picture on a screen — probably because when you know the layers of a person, it makes you appreciate how their wardrobes are an extension of who they are, and everything they wear becomes infinitely more interesting and complex to behold.
I hope you enjoy getting to know Ebanny and Mirte, and are as intrigued by their week’s worth of work outfits as I am.
Annie
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Ebanny Dwyer
Ebanny is a luxury communications consultant who has been working in fashion for as long as I’ve known her. She’s one of the most sought-after fashion publicists and communications professionals in the country, and has the kind of IYKYK energy that only the people working at the highest level behind the scenes possess. To me, Ebanny embodies a lot of the aesthetic cues of a ‘fashion person’ (Cathy Karuga wrote about this so brilliantly here) — ultimately, it’s about a certain brand of seemingly simple, 'effortless’ style that is deceptively tricky to replicate. She’s also a deeply passionate advocate for causes close to her heart: animal cruelty, environmental sustainability and women’s rights, and she wears her passion for these causes on her (very chic) sleeve. She even created edie collective, a vegan footwear label that makes very chic shoes (I own 4+ pairs and every time I wear a pair, I get asked where they are from).
What I love most about Ebanny’s style is the attention she pays to cut and silhouette. Her looks are proof that you don’t need tonnes of texture, colour or accessories when cut and silhouette are intentional and interesting.
We asked her to curate her working week in outfits and share some thoughts on each look below…
Monday
Sydney weather has been very Melbourne coded – hot, cold, rainy, dry, humid… you literally have no idea what you’re going to get. I walk to work but also absolutely hate a slight chill, so I wore my Beare Park Carmen Shorts with a blazer and my favourite St Agni top. I’ve owned this top for 2 years and it’s on high rotation. It’s the most beautiful fabric and the perfect cut. They’ve double-layered the material so it feels really secure and really holds you in. I’ve been on the hunt for some more tanks similar to this one: thicker, so tight you don’t need to wear a bra, and if this came in other colours I’d own them all.
Shorts // Beare Park – Carmen Short
Blazer // Viktoria & Woods – Collective Blazer
Top // St Agni – Cupro Jersey Top
Sandals // edie collective – Dian Platform Sandal
Tuesday
Another day in the office. I usually work from home when we’re busy, however I do like to pop in once or twice a week to annoy my colleague Mae and blast 00s pop bangers. This Uniqlo tee is one of my most worn items — I own about 3 in white, 1 in black and might pop in for some more this weekend. I’m not one for fast fashion, but this $15 tee is such high quality. I’ve had one for over a year and it still looks and feels new. This tee is literally treasure at the end of a rainbow.
I paired it with Camilla and Marc trousers (unfortunately they are an older style in terms of fabric and colour, but this is one of their standard cuts). I think we can all agree C+M are the absolute GOAT in terms of everyday tailoring – worth the investment.
Pants // Camilla and Marc – Arnelle Pant (alternative)
Tee // Uniqlo – Mini T-Shirt
Bag // Rylan Bag – 19.57 Black Recycled Alt-Leather Woven Small Tote
Shoes // edie collective – jane loafer
Wednesday
It’s been a big week leading up to the Harris Tapper debut Cruise Launch at Carthona House on the Sydney Harbour, and there are always quite a few pre-event tasks and running around to do ahead of arriving on location.
To continue on theme and celebrations, I wore a Harris Tapper t-shirt dress styled with my favourite Uniqlo baby tee and some butter yellow vegan sandals by edie for a fun pop of colour.
Event day is always a little manic and you are client-facing, so it’s important to be comfortable but also presentable.
Dress // Harris Tapper – Dennison Dress In Drape Suiting
Tee (layered underneath) // Uniqlo – Mini T-Shirt
Bag // Rylan – 19.57 Black Recycled Alt-Leather Woven Small Tote
Sandals // edie collective – Betty Knot Sandals in Butter
For the event, I wore some pieces from Cruise:
My new pant obsession: the Dean Trouser in linen, which I’ve now worn 3 days in a row. I’ve worn them with Harris Tapper’s cult Chaimberlain Top - this is an absolute wardrobe must have! It’s one of those pieces that no matter how you’re feeling when you put it on you feel put together and good about yourself. (plus it looks amazing with everything!)
As we did have some bumping in, I wore my favourite flats: The Dian Platform Sandals by edie. The sunken chunky footbed is super fun but also really comfortable when you’re on your feet for hours.
Top // Harris Tapper – Chaimberlain Top
Pants // Harris Tapper – Dean Trouser
Sandals // edie collective – Dian Platform Sandal
Thursday
Wasn’t feeling the most inspired today when getting ready but you really can never go wrong with a tee, jeans and loafer combo!
I wore that Uniqlo baby tee again. If you don’t own one, you need to go directly to Uniqlo right now (do not pass go). Paired it with my Zara jeans I’ve owned for at least 6 years – Zara really do make incredible jeans - along with a simple black coat because our Showroom Manager loves to blast the aircon in the office.
Zara — Z.05 Rigid High-Waist Mom Jeans
Camilla and Marc – San Coat (similar)
Uniqlo — 100% Cotton Crew Neck T-Shirt
Shoes // edie collective – jane loafer
Friday
I’m not usually in on a Friday, but I had a few showroom appointments I was managing whilst our showroom manager was OOO, and with the weather being so inconsistent, a light weight suit was the perfect option for the cooler mornings and afternoons with the office air conditioning.
Whenever I wear this suit, I get a compliment, so it’s always a surefire winner.
It’s by CAMILLA AND MARC in a beautiful oatmeal colour with the perfect traditional plain suit pant with a slightly flared leg. I love to wear it with a sneaker or chunky sandal to make it a little more casual and easy.
A good summer suit is an essential in my eyes.
Suit Jacket (similar) // Camilla & Marc — Corbett Blazer
Suit Trousers (similar) // Camilla & Marc — Corbett Trouser
T-shirt // Assembly Label — Indi Short Sleeve Tee
Sneakers // Salomon — ACS + OG
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Mirte van der Lugt
Mirte is a brand strategist and the brilliant creative director behind M.CO — a ‘thinking’ studio that does deeply thoughtful and excellent brand and creative strategy for brands like Arrival, SAM, Adore Beauty and Heaps Normal. I’ve worked with Mirte on some very special projects, including The State of Beauty and The Normal Index — safe to say we share a lot of creative synergy, and I feel uniquely qualified to testify to her amazing brain.
One thing you need to know about Mirte is that she used to model and she possesses the kind of beauty and stature that would make an old pillowcase look good. But she isn’t any stock standard clothes horse: this is a woman who approaches dressing with the same level of thought as she pours into her work. There is an intention behind everything, and she wears her wardrobe with a very appealing conviction. I always admire a woman who can take an op-shop find and make it look expensive as all hell.
As well as running her own business, Mirte is also a mother — so her working days are a juggle between meetings, client-facing work, creative execution and the physicality of running around after a young child. What I love most about her week in looks is how she takes a few key pieces and stretches their use into so many different modes and situations. Proof that you don’t need an endless supply of new to look interesting.
Here’s Mirte’s week of work looks, with links:
Monday
Working from home today. Full day of editing, thinking and producing. No meetings, just focus mode!
Glasses // Rayban — Aviator Optics
T-shirt // Uniqlo — husband’s old waffle l/s top (similar sort of vibe here)
Jeans // Levi’s — Second hand pair of jeans that I had tailored
Watch: Seiko — Vintage
Tuesday
Dropping off the boy to school before heading out to the airport to fly to Sydney. This jacket was from my late father. He had it made for my wedding. It has embroidery in it which states mine and my husbands name and the date of our wedding. Handy because we always forget.
Glasses // Rayban — Aviator Optics
Jacket // Custom made jacket for my late father for my wedding
Body Suit // Country Road — (similar here)
Shorts // Sass & Bide — Amps Short
Shoes // Vittoria Rotta — (similar here)
Wednesday
This was my outfit while prepping for a big brand launch in Sydney I was organising. I wanted something elevated but that could also blend into the background. Paired with one of my many Wandler bags. For the Aussies – this Dutch brand is a must!
Jacket // Vintage, no brand
Shorts // Sass & Bide — Amps Short
Bag // Wandler — Slouch Bag
Watch // Vintage Baume & Mercier
Thursday
This is my most me look. I wear these shorts and this jacket so much. I bought these sunnies in an op shop or two dollar shop because I kept losing expensive glasses and I’ve now had them for years. Terrible quality, yet they demand to stay with me.
Sunglasses // op shop find ... I think!
Jacket // Vintage
Shirt // Beare Park — (similar here)
Shorts // Sass & Bide — Amps Short
Boots // Tony Bianco — Fabulous Boots
Friday
Most tired of days working from home, no meetings. Just had to push through and this shirt always makes me happy. Not sure how we got this cause my husband never would buy this, but it’s in his cupboard…?
Hat // Arrival Travel
Shirt // Husbands’s H&M Men’s shirt — (similar here)
Pants // Ted Baker men’s — (option here)
Belt // Kookai — Laura Belt
Watch // Vintage Seiko
Shoes // Onitsuka Tiger — Mexico 66
Saturday (bonus!)
Needed happiness this day. A chill weekend outfit of running around. These pants always give joy. The shirt I bought for my husband at a vintage shop but it’s way too unstructured for him. I’ve worn it to death.
Shirt // Vintage (no brand)
Jeans // Ganni — (similar here)
Loved this!