It's often very tricky to find an outfit which is suitable for work, that combines a smart, clean-cut look with a slightly feminine, quirky edge. The outfit above uses both looks flawlessly, with the sleek black stretch trousers from Zac Posen (£850), organza pintuck shirt from Cacharel (£270), and the gorgeous plaid wool coat from Marc Jacobs (£2,630) ensuring you're all about business. If money is no object, you can accessorise this look with Gwendolyn Carrié's fish leather wedges (£349), Erickson Beamon's 'Mrs Haversham' floral bracelet (£240) and Kenneth Jay Lane's glass stone ring for £45. In total, this outfit is a whopping £4,384 - about the amount we'd all spend on a car or deposit for a flat! With the aim of saving our pennies, I've hunted down a spookily similar outfit - and you know what? I think I actually prefer the cheaper outfit, except for those fabulous Gwendolyn Carrié wedges, that is. Take a look below for an outfit that is over £4,000 cheaper than the one shown above.
Instead of the very pricey Marc Jacobs plaid coat, try this one from Topshop on for size - the only major difference is that it's collarless, and a heck of a lot cheaper, at £175. The slim cut black trousers from Warehouse are £35, and combined with the pink trim blouse from that same store, at £45, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was the same outfit as the designer example! Finding pink wedges that match the extravagence of the designer ones above is very difficult, so I chose these 'Betty' wedges from Office (£74.99), which combine a funky wedge with a similar shade of pink. The silver rose cuff from ASOS.com is a cheap (£12) shadow of the designer bracelet from Erickson Beamon, and added with the black agate ring from Lola Rose (£62) it gives you the added touch of femininity that is often so hard to wear in the workplace. Would you believe all this costs a low £336.99?
