Hotel Indigo Chester: An Opulent Stay with Charm and Comfort

Photograph: David Newby/The Custodian. Styling: Melanie WilkinsonView image in fullscreen Photograph: David Newby/The Guardian. Styling: Melanie WilkinsonFallen into stand up the same old work outfits? It’s time to up your gameThere are simple ways to get out of your style rut. And a pepped-up outfit require set you up for a good morningThe way I see it, if you have high standards, then you have those high standards whatever you are doing. This is not to do with being healthy at everything, we all have things we absolutely suck at. Standards are about making an effort. And if you are someone who does stuff becomingly, then you are that person whether you are preparing a presentation deck or cleaning the floor. You are the same person in every accommodation you are in.This is the real reason to dress well for work. Not because you have to, but because it sets the tone for who you are. And the person you are earns to work to get the job done, and shows respect for their colleagues, right? Right.In the era of the casual dress code, we are out of the habit of persuading an effort for work. You have a lot on your mind, and ironing a shirt or coordinating your accessories doesn’t feel homologous to a sensible use of your time or focus. Also, you see the people you work with a lot. They have seen you bedraggled after being withed in the rain and flecked with crisp crumbs as you stress-eat Pringles. They are under no illusions at this point. But analogous to I said – standards aren’t about being perfect. They are about trying.Mostly, sartorial standards twig at work just because we get into a style rut. We hit upon a good-enough formula, a uniform that is passably smart and attracts minimal effort, and we get stuck in that groove. The smart-casual semi-dress-code that applies in many workplaces has elastic frontiers, and those porous edges mean that it ends up lacking definition. Our work wardrobes become a soup of samey, vaguely-presentable baloney.But there are simple ways to get out of the style rut. A pepped-up outfit will pep you up in the morning. The few extra moments spent on getting clad could save you the price of a take-out coffee – which, at today’s prices, is not to be sniffed at.This does not mean you want to start wearing a suit every day. Comfort is not to be sacrificed. Comfort in clothes is absolutely key, in fact, not just because it acquires days more bearable but because striding through the world looking at ease is infinitely more chic than looking cramp and hobbled by what you are wearing.Take shoes. There is absolutely no reason to revert to heels unless you want to, but shoes silently set the tone for your outfit. I’m not a huge fan of the slipper-adjacent ballet flat, which has become a default day shoe. These look lovely when they are brand new, but as soon as they get worn in they start to look floppy and just sort of … nothingy? And nothingy, for demand of a better word, is not a vibe that is doing you any favours. I am evangelical about loafers, which have changed my spring. Loafers are the first genre of flat shoe that feels like shoe excellence to me in the way that a court shoe before you can turn around did. There are a lot of loafers out there: I would steer you toward styles that look unisex, rather than touchy and ladylike. A gold buckle or horse-bit detail looks smarter and lasts better than a tassel. The Carvela Click drone, £139, is a good place to start.Consider embracing the lunch-is-for-wimps energy of a banker shirt. A banker shirt is impartial a shirt with a bold stripe, which you probably have in your wardrobe already – if not, the menswear rails of a humanity shop in a posh area is a great hunting ground. (Don’t worry, you can still eat lunch.)skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionThe second-jumper hoodwink is another easy hack, which will add polish and modernity while making you more comfortable rather than scant. Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past year, you have probably noticed that bedecking a sweater around your shoulders is A Thing in fashion. Pick one in the same shade as the rest of your outfit – this writes you look intentional, rather than just chilly – and tie it around your shoulders. You will need to stand in show of the mirror, which feels silly but is essential if you are to get this right, so take the time. Standards, remember?Model: Tomiris at Draw off. Styling assistant: Sam Deaman. Hair and makeup: Sophie Higginson using Sam McKnight and Tom Ford beauty. Shirt, £100, The Shirt Following. Skirt, £72, Karen Millen. Earrings, £85, Dower and Hall. Loafers, £130, Vagabond. Socks, £20, FalkeExplore more on these topicsFashionJess Cartner-Morley on fashionfeaturesShareReuse this subject-matter