Ever on the lookout for comfy-yet-chic office wear (don’t judge, we spend most of our waking week at work!), an oversized white shirt with black leggings is one I’ve been thinking about for a while. But I didn’t want to use my basic cotton leggings for bedtime or my more spandexy ones that I wear to yoga. I wanted dedicated daywear that wouldn’t look out of place while out and about…

The shirt is actually where the idea for this outfit started. As you know I love the oversized style, and I’d been hunting for an oversized / boyfriend style shirt that would work on my petite frame.

I lucked out when I spotted this shirt by BDG at Urban Outfitters a few weeks ago, and I bought it straight away to chance the fit once I was already home.

At first I tried it on with jeans, and I won’t pretend I wasn’t pleased! It looks really great with skinny jeans. But all but one paid of my jeans need to be cuffed to fit lengthwise, and I wanted a skin-tight silhouette.

That’s where the idea for the leggings came in, and I picked these leggings up on ASOS after first ordering (and returning!) six other pairs of leather-look leggings.

I made this sugar skull necklace at a Tatty Devine workshop a couple of years ago (you can read about that here if you’d like!), but they have a similar necklace in stock on their site.

And of course it’s November, so an additonal layer is crucial to make sure I don’t freeze and catch cold. This particular sweater is from Victoria Secret in the USA, which I bought earlier this year while I was home, but i found some similar ones for you at Missguided, ASOS and Topshop.

While it not only kept me warm, the sweater helps work the ‘layered look’ trend that’s been popular for quite a few years now. I opted for a cropped one because it helped add a bit of dimension with the layering, and I feel like this helps the outfit look a wee bit smarter than a longer length jumper would look.

Even though this sweater is a near-perfect fit on me, it’s a little bit too long in the arms. (Which is typical for me when I buy clothes outside of the petite section!) One way to cheat the fit of sweater arms is to let the sleeves of the shirt underneath peak out. This makes it look like the sweater sleeves are just the right length, and you can also pull any extra material up towards the elbows and it’ll usually stay there with the support of the shirt underneath.

When it comes to leggings I’m really particular about how I wear them. Particularly, I don’t want anyone around me to know what type of pants I’ve got on underneath (that’s my business, not yours!) so I always make sure my top is long enough to cover anything up.

Unless my leggings are for yoga or sleepwear, I also like to make sure they sit snuggly at my ankle without significant bunching. This reason is twofold: 1. I know I have the right size for me, and 2. I think that when you’re wearing clothes that fit well you just look a bit more put together, regardless of whatever you’re actually wearing!

Now I can’t really get to work without shoes, and with a chance of rain in the forecast that morning I grabbed my new fave* Dr Martens loafers. They’re smart and chic, and with a solid sole they help ground this outfit. *They will be my fave once they’re broken in – almost there! 

I’m pleased to say I had a few compliments on this outfit throughout the day, and it did the job of being comfy while I sat on the floor packing mailers for an upcoming PR activity my agency is working on! I’ll happily wear this outfit again… but probably on a Friday so I can get the benefit of feeling dressed up afterwork at the pub.

Is this a look you’d wear? xo