How to Build a Corporate Wardrobe from 0 (Most Requested!)

How to Build a Corporate Wardrobe from Scratch

The Blazers (Yes, Plural)

You’re going to need both a fitted and an oversized blazer. I’m showing you black examples because you need a black one in both styles. It’s essential. Fitted because it complements certain shirt styles, and oversized because you can style that in a completely different way.

Here’s the thing: the most important part isn’t necessarily the blazer itself – it’s the quality. And personal preference, obviously. I personally don’t like a double-breasted blazer. I feel like it’s too thick and not versatile throughout the season.

In summer, my office air con is way too high, so it’s freezing. I like a blazer over my shoulders to keep me warm, but I want to be able to wear it in winter too, so I just layer up underneath. I love the versatility of that, so I prefer a lightweight blazer. But that doesn’t mean it’s not quality. Keep that in mind.

Trousers (The Foundation)

You need both a fitted and a straight leg trouser. I’m showing examples in black, but this goes for all colors. Everything I’m saying in this article, you can get in multiple colors. You just need to make sure you have at least one of both styles.

They can be styled in many different ways and create many different outfits. It’s just the bare minimum.

T-Shirts, Tanks, Long Sleeves, and Turtlenecks

You need at least one of each. If you can get a black and white in each, or a black and gray in each, these are very, very, very essential. I personally don’t always love to wear a shirt in the office, so I feel like it’s crucial to have these types of things.

They’re really good for layering, and not only that – they’re good for out of the office as well. I’ll be wearing my tanks and tops and turtlenecks outside of work too. Very much my vibe.

The Shirts

At least one white shirt and one black shirt. Again, you can change this with colors, but I feel like it’s crucial to have at least a shirt even if you’re not necessarily a shirt person like me. You need that shirt every so often if a work event comes up, something corporate, something big, maybe a boardroom meeting or something important that you need to jazz up a little bit. Bare minimum – at least one white and one black shirt.

Dresses (Just One, Really)

You need at least one dress. I say one dress and only one dress because I am not a dress person. Well, I am a dress person, but not to the office. I find it so difficult to find a quality dress that doesn’t cross the line of inappropriate but isn’t grandma-ish either, because I’m not a grandma. There’s no in-between. It’s either looking really grandma or it’s just very inappropriate for the office. I haven’t found the sweet spot.

At the moment, I have one maxi dress to my name in terms of office wear and it has done just fine. The great thing about having a maxi dress is that you can also layer it and put jumpers on top for autumn and winter. Very, very versatile.

Skirts

On that note, I would also suggest having at least one skirt. Two if you’re very much a skirt type of person. I’d say having at least one maxi skirt and then one kind of between mid and mini – no, not mini, never mini – between a mid and midi skirt. You know what I mean, that little bit of area between your knee and your upper thigh, but just not too inappropriate.

Jumpers and Cardigans

You definitely need at least one jumper and at least one cardigan. I would definitely recommend cotton for this – something that’s actually going to keep you warm in winter. And if it’s summer and your office loves to blast the air con, you’ll be warm in the office too.

The Commute Trainer (Save Your Ankles!)

First, you need to establish if you’re a heels or a flats person. I personally am a heels babe, always have been, always will be. I could literally run a marathon in heels. I could do 12-hour days in heels without an issue. However, when it came to commuting with my heels, it would just really irritate me because outside is so dirty and my heels would get dirty. I hated it.

So now I keep my heels in the office as much as possible, and I have a commute trainer. This will save your ankles so much. At the moment, my go-to is the 530 New Balances, but any type of sport shoes, any gym shoe that you wear, works. It doubles if you go to the gym before or after work. You don’t have to pack extra trainers. Something I don’t like about going to the office when planning to go to the gym is it feels like secondary school where you have to bring that big bag and your PE kit. I literally feel like I have a PE kit. It’s not the vibe.

In autumn and winter, I switch it to an Ugg – you know, the little Tasman Uggs. Keeps my foot nice and warm.

Heels or Loafers

Depending on whether you’re a heels or flats person, you want to get yourself at least one staple pair of heels or one staple pair of loafers. I am not a loafer girl. I feel like it rips up the back of my foot. I’m not a fan.

However, I love heels – they can also rip up your foot, don’t get me wrong. Hence, I love a slingback. I have multiple slingbacks, but at the moment my staple is a black slingback, which I literally have on right now. Having at least one staple slingback is all you need.

The Statement Pieces

Lastly, I would definitely recommend having one or two staple statement items. I’m talking that outfit – okay, not neon, never neon – but you need that one outfit where you know the compliments are going to be rolling in.

I have too many of those at this point, but I’m talking maybe a co-ord, like a matching top and bottom. A waistcoat and trouser situation.

You need to have one of those just to bring out for special occasions. A boardroom meeting, a presentation, a demo. It’s just nice. It adds that little bit of confidence. When in doubt, you know you have it and you don’t have to go shopping last minute, because that is a literal headache.

That’s Everything You Need

So that’s everything I would recommend you need in your wardrobe as the absolute basics to have a very versatile set of outfits that will more or less carry you throughout the seasons.

How to Build a Corporate Wardrobe from 0 Without Overbuying

Starting from zero feels overwhelming because you think you need everything at once. You don’t. You need a small set of pieces that create enough outfits for two weeks, then you add slowly based on gaps you actually notice.

Start with this “two-week starter set”:

• 2 blazers

• 3 trousers

• 1 skirt or dress

• 6 tops that layer

• 2 pairs of shoes

• 1 coat or trench

• 1 structured bag

Common mistakes:

• You buy too much variety too soon, then nothing matches.

• You pick trendy pieces that date fast.

• You skip tailoring and never feel fully polished.

Your goal is repeatable outfits that look different because you rotate tops and accessories, not because you own endless items. Build the base first, then add personality.