Modest workwear for women: outfits for every dress code

Formal offices: structure and plain colour

Banks, law firms, government offices and client-facing roles reward clean lines and calm colours. Modest pieces fit in well when they borrow the tailoring language of the suit.

• A long, plain kurta with a blazer: a straight kurta to the knee in navy, grey or black, with straight trousers and a single-breasted blazer on top. Ask for a slimmer sleeve on the kurta so the blazer sleeve slides over it.
• A long shirt with wide trousers: a collared tunic that covers the hips, worn with pressed wide-leg trousers, looks like a classic shirt and trouser combination.
• Neat necklines: a band collar or shirt collar looks businesslike under a scarf and does not compete with a lanyard.

Business casual: co-ords and shirt dresses

Most offices now sit here, and it is the easiest code for a modest wardrobe.

• Co-ord sets: a matching top and trousers look deliberate and pulled together with almost no effort. See our co-ord sets guide.
• A shirt dress over trousers: a button-front shirt dress worn over slim or straight trousers gives the length of a kameez with a Western outline.
• A kurta with a long cardigan: softer than a blazer and practical in offices where the air conditioning runs cold.
• Printed kurtas in small, quiet prints: they hide creases from the commute better than a plain pale fabric.

Practical details for a working day

A modest outfit has to survive the whole day: the commute, meetings, a lunch at your desk and perhaps prayers. Pockets are the single most useful addition, deep enough for a phone and a pass. Sleeves that push up easily help at a sink. Side slits should let you climb stairs and get in and out of a car without the hem riding up when you sit. A little extra ease through the seat keeps a long top from pulling when you sit for hours.

Fabric matters as much as cut. Cambric, dobby cottons and cotton blends come out of the wash ready to wear and stay opaque under office lighting. Keep chiffon and organza for evenings; they crease and snag on desk edges.

A five-piece starter set

Five pieces cover a full working week if they share a colour family: two long kurtas or tunics, one co-ord set, one pair of straight trousers and one pair of wide trousers. Mix the tops with either trouser and add a blazer or cardigan on cooler days. Neutrals such as navy, charcoal, camel and olive all work with each other, so nothing needs to be matched in a hurry. Our work and campus page has more combinations.

Plan the pieces as one order, with one set of measurements, so the lengths and sleeve widths agree across the set.

Ordering workwear made to measure

If you have a picture of the exact look your office suits, use Send Your Design and attach it to the design quote form. Note the dress code and anything you need: pockets, a collar, a slimmer sleeve for blazers. We make everything in Pakistan and ship it worldwide, whether you work in London or Abu Dhabi.

Production takes 5 to 7 working days from approval and full payment. Shipping time is separate, so order well before a new job or a busy season starts. The written quote includes delivery and any import charges, and payment is in full in advance by bank transfer, Wise or a card payment link.