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The Go-To Addition To My Work From Home Capsule Wardrobe

Introducing the new Summer Cardigan Vest, the perfect work-from-home sweater.
June 13, 2024
By Leah Prescott

Quick! Imagine tomorrow morning, you miss your alarm, and you have only 7 minutes to get dressed for work. How long would it take you to get ready for the day? What outfit would you grab? Would it depend on what clothes were in the hamper or what you wore yesterday?

Whether you have a mandated work uniform or dress completely based on whim, chances are getting ready for your day requires a least a little bit of effort.

If you could make a few tweaks to your wardrobe to simplify your morning routine, how much stress would that eliminate for you going forward?

Wearing My All New Oliver Charles Summer Cardigan Vest

From Stay-At-Home Mom To Remote Team Member

As someone who worked as a stay-at-home mom for years and now works remotely from home, I’ve spent a lot of time over the years editing my wardrobe.

I’ve changed sizes many times (hello, twin pregnancy, and hormonal weight gain), and my personal style has also evolved quite a bit, from boho to athleisure to whatever-I-can-find-that-fits.

Throw in the challenge of dressing for different work environments, wildly unpredictable weather and it’s honestly enough to make anyone pull their hair out! So what’s the secret to dressing with less stress?

Working At Home With My Summer Cardigan Vest - Oliver Charles

The Natural Solution To Wardrobe Stress

For me, switching to a natural fiber wardrobe has made all the difference in my stress and sanity as I get ready for whatever the day has in store for me.

I have already talked about how much it has lightened my household chore burden, making laundry so much easier than it ever was before.

This Vest Is The Natural Solution To Wardrobe Stress - Oliver Charles

What Every Minimalist Work Wardrobe Needs

Today I’m sharing a new piece from Oliver Charles, the Summer Cardigan Vest, which will be playing a starring role in my work from home wardrobe going forward.

There are so many ways that this vest can be styled, but today I created outfits for my three different remote work wardrobe needs: presentations and meetings, comfy and casual, and travel ready.

I hope these ideas will help you with your own wardrobe, whether you are working from home or in the office. This is truly just a springboard, as the possibilities for this piece are unlimited.

Your Wardrobe Needs This Vest - Oliver Charles

The Summer Cardigan Vest: The Perfect Finishing Piece

First of all, let’s talk about the vest itself. For me, getting to try an Oliver Charles sweater before it even goes live on the website is kind of like getting VIP concert tickets for your favorite band. (Yes, I’m a nerd for natural fibers and I am not ashamed about it. You guys can rock out backstage while I cuddle up in my new sweater and read my Kindle, IYKYK.)

This vest is a classic, slightly boxy cut, with chunky buttons and a deep V-neck and relaxed armholes for plenty of ease.

The yak wool blend is incredibly comfortable and, just like every Oliver Charles piece, it’s beautifully 3D-knit with no seams at all, making it feel incredibly lightweight and luscious.

I chose a size medium in the color Emerald Blue, which ended up being the perfect fit for me.

The blue is a beautiful, happy hue and looks great with my current wardrobe made of mostly black and jewel tone pieces. It will be the finishing piece to add color, comfort, and texture to my work-from-home wardrobe.

The Perfect Finishing Piece For A Stylish Outfit - Oliver Charles

What To Wear For Presentations And Meetings

Just because you are working from home doesn’t mean you can’t make a good impression. Although I work primarily remote, I will occasionally need to speak in front of my small team on screen or in person and I always get a bit nervous.

I know that the right outfit can be a big confidence boost, which is sometimes exactly what I need in situations like these.

For presentations and meetings, I came up with four outfit ideas. These could be easily adjusted to fit your particular needs and could be reinvented in various ways with different pieces.

Wearing My Vest For Professional WFH Meetings - Oliver Charles
  • Formula 1: Vest + floral blouse + dress pants + ballet flats.
  • Formula 2: Vest + button up shirt and skirt + heels.
  • Formula 3: Vest + oversized blazer/cardigan + dress pants.
  • Formula 4: Vest + maxi dress + belt.
Getting Cozy With My Summer Cardigan Vest - Oliver Charles

Work From Home Wardrobe: Comfy And Casual Edition

Comfort is probably why we wanted to work at home in the first place, am I right? It’s always great to have a few work-from-home outfits that allow you maximum comfort and also ultimate productivity.

I find being comfortable helps me get more done, because I’m not distracted by tight seams or itchy fabrics.

The Summer Cardigan Vest is the best of both worlds since it’s a beautiful piece that is still unbelievably soft and incredibly comfortable.

Below are four more formulas that will work when you want to be comfortable when working from home!

A Comfy And Casual Summer Vest - Oliver Charles
  • Formula 5: Vest + leggings + Graphic T-shirt.
  • Formula 6: Vest + boot cut jeans + loose blouse.
  • Formula 7: Vest + monochrome tank + cropped pants.
  • Formula 8: Vest + jumpsuit + sandals.
Layering My New Summer Cardigan Vest Over My Wardrobe Basics - Oliver Charles

What to Wear When Traveling For Work

Whether you are traveling for training, to a conference, or to visit your home office, chances are you will need a few options that would be considered travel-friendly outfits in your remote work capsule.

You probably do not want to dress down too much when you are traveling for work, so the following options still present a professional demeanor.

Layering My Cardigan Vest Over A Floral Dress - Oliver Charles
  • Formula 9: Vest + dress+ belt.
  • Formula 10: Vest + linen Pants + jean jacket.
  • Formula 11: Vest + hoodie + wide leg black pants.
  • Formula 12: Vest + maxi fress + jean jacket.
Rocking My Vest Over A Jumpsuit - Oliver Charles

Let’s face it, you still sometimes have to take the dress code up a notch even when you work from home, so it’s important to always have at least a couple dressier outfits in your work from home capsule.

The new Summer Cardigan Vest is a perfect way to elevate your daily wardrobe with an upscale look that will be appropriate for meetings and presentations, whether they are happening in your living room or back at the office.

These next formulas are just a springboard to help you come up with simple ways to elevate an outfit with the addition of the new Oliver Charles Summer Cardigan Vest.

Leah Prescott is a blogger and wool expert who runs the Facebook Group WoolObsessed. Leah writes with special emphasis on natural fiber wardrobes.

If you believe that every good wardrobe starts with owning less and owning better, consider buying yourself an OLIVER CHARLES sweater.
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