5 Style Tips to Help You get Back to Business in 2024

Happy New year! Its time to pack away the tinsel and open up the laptop!

It’s never easy to reset into work mode after a leisurely time away from your desk. Maybe you’ve been wearing your Christmas jumper on repeat or enjoying some pyjama days? I hope so! That is what the festive season is all about but getting back into routine can be enjoyable too and I hope that these ideas will help get you back to business in style!

1. Dress Up

The first thing is to make an effort with your outfit and wear something smartish for your return to work. It doesn’t matter if you are going to be working from home or going into the office if you dress up a little you are shifting your mind into work mode and making a distinction between home and work. Plus, you will feel confident and have more energy trust me on this!

2. Wear Some Colour

Do you suffer from the January blues? It’s very common after  the excitement of the holiday season and Spring seems such a long way away. One way to boost your mood is to incorporate some colour into your outfits. It has been proved that wearing colour can lift your spirits so dig out that bright jumper or patterned dress. If you feel nervous about wearing colour start small and try a brighter lipstick, some colourful earrings or carry a bold bag it will make all the difference and help you get through the rest of the dark winter days!

3. Jewellery Always Fits

Our clothes can often feel snug after the festive season and a bit of over indulging! This is where jewellery and other accessories can come to your rescue and help you to feel smart and put together. Remember you don’t need an occasion to wear that sparkly necklace, luxurious scarf or carry that fabulous bag/ briefcase – life is the occasion! Make the commute or that zoom meeting your opportunity to add something exciting to your outfit and it will help distract from the clothes that are feeling a little tighter than usual but more on this below…

4. Be Kind to Yourself

As I mentioned above, many of us will be carrying a few surplus pounds after indulging over Christmas, plus feeling a bit sluggish after some sofa time. It can be a recipe for the January blues. It is important to be kind to yourself at the start of the year. Loose layers with a bit of structure is the key to hiding those extra pounds.

So think about a loose top over trousers with a blazer and some accessories. A loose fitting dress with a smart cardigan. Men can add a smart v neck sweater over their shirt if it’s a little tighter than usual! Don’t rush things, you have enough on your plate going back to work again so relax and enjoy getting back into routine with your meals and activities and your body will adjust accordingly.

5. Be More Organised and be more like Beckham!!

Have you seen the Netflix documentary about David Beckham? If you haven’t I would totally recommend it for some 90’s nostalgia!!

As a stylist I was delighted to see that Beckham plans his outfits for the week! He has a rail where he hangs all his clothes for the week ahead. This is something I have been doing for years and I always recommend my clients do this too.

It’s a game changer and will save you so much time and stress in the mornings. Set aside some time on a Sunday and take a look at your diary and what you have planned for the week. Meetings? Day trips? Night out? Then take some time to think abut what you will wear on each of the days and hang the outfits complete with shoes and any accessories at the front of your wardrobe or on a clothes rail (like Beckham!!).

It will also mean that you will ensure you have what you need washed and ironed and ready at the start of the week! Why not try it?

Side note – I am so passionate about this method that last year I designed a product with the help of the lovely Laura at Hampshire Design Studios. A pack of days of the week hanger tabs. Each tab is labelled with a day of the week and an uplifting quote to set you up for the day and the set comes in a handy drawstring bag. Here’s the link to my Etsy shop if you fancy ordering a set!

I do hope you find these tips helpful to kickstart your new year in style! Wishing you a happy and prosperous 2024!!

Sarah Sullivan is a personal stylist in Winchester Hampshire who loves to help others “Dress up show up and be confident “ with her range of styling services including colour analysis and wardrobe decluttering. You can contact her for a complimentary consultation to find out more by emailing stylesolutionsbysarah@gmail.com on her website: stylesolutionsbysarah.co.uk or on Instagram and Facebook.

More Help to Get Back to Business

If you’re feeling a bit more inspired now you can read some more fab blog posts to get you on track to start the year here.