A navy and black outfit for the office

My favourite kind of wardrobe additions are the ones that I find myself wanting to reach for straight away, regardless of the season. This little navy midi length skirt with a peplum hem fell straight into that category, and even though the recent forecast has been pretty miserable – think 15 deg C and rainy – it felt like the kind of piece that could transition well into my winter wardrobe, despite the fact that it’s actually a summer style.

Wearing Kate Sylvester black turtleneck (old but similar here), MVN faux leather jacket (also love this), c/o Boden navy peplum hem skirt, Isabel Marant heels (also here), Cuyana tote (similar option), c/o Mia Fratino cashmere scarf

We took these photos during golden hour – maybe the best time to take photos for that extra bit of warmth – and aside from the light breeze coming through, you probably wouldn’t know that winter has finally hit in Sydney. While I’ve been feeling pretty inspired by lighter colour palettes as of late, I couldn’t resist an opportunity to fall back to one of my favourite colour combinations – navy and black – plus I wanted to show you one of the ways that I’ve been styling this skirt to make it a little more appropriate for the office (keeping in mind I work in television, so it’s a very relaxed dress code).

STYLE NOTES

01 | Broderie anglaise skirt
First, I wanted to start by talking a little bit about the hero of this outfit: this gorgeous peplum hem pencil skirt from Boden*. Granted, this skirt is definitely a more summery item – it’s made of a beautiful cotton broderie anglaise, with peek-a-boo details at the hem line, but I wanted to share one of the ways that I’ve been styling it as the weather has cooled down. I’m always looking for versatility when it comes to any new wardrobe addition, which is why I opted to go for this style in the navy. Not only is it what I’d consider a classic or neutral shade, but it’s dark enough to pair with tights for winter, and the lightweight cotton fabric lends itself well making this a style that can easily take you from a garden party to the office. Let’s just ignore the fact that the former is still a few months away in my case.

If you ever read my blog post on the 12 item work wardrobe, then you’d know that a knee length skirt is one of the key pieces I’d recommend having tucked away in your closet. I’m pretty conscious that a pencil skirt isn’t for everyone, so this is something that I think is worth leaving up to interpretation, depending on your own personal style. Make sure you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel as I’ll be sharing how I pair this with tights for a corporate setting in tomorrow’s video.

02 | Classic cashmere scarf
A recent addition to my wardrobe is this gorgeous cashmere scarf from Mia Fratino – a luxury wardrobe basic I was very lucky to have been sent. This is a pretty luxe upgrade on my go-to scarf from Acne Studios, and I honestly haven’t reached for anything else since. It’s a simple blanket scarf in the softest cashmere, and the kind of piece I’d tuck away in my carry-on when travelling (even if only to wrap around my shoulders), and I love the way the charcoal hue adds a little bit of dimension to my looks, especially when I’m wearing all black.

03 | Mixing black and navy
I’ve read enough style rule listicles to know that you’re ‘not supposed’ to pair black and navy together, but personally, I think they’re a match made in heaven (and besides, rules are made to be broken). Because I’ve opted to keep this outfit really basic with just one navy piece, I feel like this works to highlight the details on the skirt.