Styling A Cashmere Sweater For AW13 | Outfit For A Business Meeting

Black & white check coat, coral sweater, red brogues

This is the second part of my Styling A Cashmere Sweater For AW13 post featuring my beautifully soft coral boyfriend sweater from Pure Collection.

Yesterday I showed how I styled it for a family birthday party outfit with a cute white skirt and boots, and today it’s all about office chic. I needed something to wear to a business meeting and knew that the coral cashmere sweater would be smart and colourful – pairing a bright colour with business-like grey, black and white would hopefully make a great impression without appearing too formal and stuffy!

The trousers are exceptionally old (I’m talking more than 10 years), but as part of a suit they’ve stood the test of time and have given me years of wear. Instead of statement jewellery I went for a crisp white shirt under the sweater (a white collar peeking out of knitwear always looks smart), a bold black and white check coat and my statement-making Asos red patent brogues (how beautifully do they go with the coral?!).

I’m so pleased I chose to get the sweater in ‘Winter Coral‘; I think it may just be my signature colour. With today’s neutrals (black, white and grey) and the bright red, it’s another winner of a colour combination, like yesterday’s coral, purple and white. As I no longer work in an office full time, I’d somewhat missed getting quite so smartly dressed – office chic used to make up about 80% of my outfits but is now only about 10%, so it made a nice change!

Do you have to dress smartly for an office every day? Do you long to break out into jeans more – or like me do you not get the chance to dress in a business-like way very often…?

Black & white check coat, coral sweater, red brogues
Black & white check coat, coral sweater
Red patent brogues

Black & white check coat, coral sweater

Sweater: c/o Pure Collection | Shirt: Reiss | Coat: Marks & Spencer | Trousers: Next (old) | Brogues: Asos | Bag: c/o Marks & Spencer | Glasses: Tommy Hilfiger at Specsavers | Watch: Debenhams (old)

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25 Comments

  1. 23 November 2013 / 7:38 am

    What an unusual and attractive combination. Yes your coral sweater is lovely and (surprise to me) goes so well with the awesome red shoes. Love your black and white coat (it has Greetje written on it, did you see that?). The trousers I would have made tighter, but that is perhaps because I am very much into skinnies at the moment.
    Greetje

    • 26 November 2013 / 11:22 pm

      Thanks Greetje… I think I've kept the trousers simply because being loose, they're extremely comfortable yet are still smart – and to be honest I prefer skinnies too but I'm not that bothered about them being less on-trend! Sitting in a long meeting means I have to be comfy πŸ˜‰

  2. 22 November 2013 / 5:32 pm

    Love the unexpected combo of red and coral! Great outfit!

  3. 21 November 2013 / 2:13 pm

    Absolutely obsessed with that jacket. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous

    • 23 November 2013 / 6:35 pm

      Thanks Jess – I've been obsessing over these oversized checks myself and I'm so glad I got myself one!!

  4. 21 November 2013 / 11:36 am

    The Oxfords are awesome – also the sweater. But in the combination, hmmm – I'm not sure – this is already a powerful mix. πŸ˜‰ I think I like him, but would not be brave enough to carry that way.

    Conny
    Pants and Tops

  5. 21 November 2013 / 10:51 am

    So in love with this combination Catherine! The coat is gorgeous and I can't believe that your trousers are ten years old, a truly great buy for sure. Adore your sweater and the splash of red πŸ™‚

    Take care,
    Daniella xox

    • 23 November 2013 / 6:34 pm

      Hmm I think their cost-per-wear is probably in the minus figures by now, D!! Thanks hun xo

  6. 21 November 2013 / 9:41 am

    Great Oxfords, fabulous colour. I have to be corporate everyday and to quite set guidelines which isn't always the best. I just try to add a little bit of me to each outfit.

    x x

    • 23 November 2013 / 6:34 pm

      That's a great way to put it – "adding a little bit of me" every day! Great philosophy πŸ™‚

  7. 21 November 2013 / 12:23 am

    The coat and sweater are beautiful together! And those oxfords, wow!

  8. 21 November 2013 / 12:07 am

    Love all the color you have going on here – so pretty and perfect for your skin tone!

    • 23 November 2013 / 6:32 pm

      Oh that's so lovely of you to say – thank you! x

  9. 20 November 2013 / 11:22 pm

    For years my husband ran his own business and I'd work with him. I miss office attire, but imagine if I had to dress for the office every day it would get old.

  10. 20 November 2013 / 10:30 pm

    Wow!! Talk about styling something in two completely different ways!! It took me a moment to realize that this WAS the sweater from yesterday…good job!! I wear scrubs to work every day, so a "business" look is a bit of a foreign concept for me; and I'm honestly not sure if I'd enjoy it or not!! Wearing a uniform can get rather boring…on the other hand, business appropriate attire sometimes seems to me to be somewhat restrictive, as well!! If I could do a fun look like you did here…I think I WOULD enjoy that!!

    • 23 November 2013 / 6:32 pm

      Thanks Monika… funnily enough I've never had a job where I've had to wear any kind of uniform!! I think it sometimes depends on what kind of office/industry – I've mostly worked in offices with very relaxed dress codes, so it was a case of "anything goes" as long as it was fairly smart πŸ™‚

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