Career Style Notes: June

Sitting all day in an office is tough enough during the bleak winter evenings so when summer comes around, you’ll definitely need to brighten your mood and your wardrobe with these staple pieces.?

For The Frill Of It?

It can be tricky to create a working wardrobe that nods ?to trends, but Marks ?& Spencer has given you a helping hand with this stunning frill-sleeve white shirt. The traditional button-front style infers a formality appropriate for the office, but the subtle side-sleeve detailing nods to the current penchant for ruffles without diluting the professionalism of the piece. Frill-sleeve blouse, Autograph, €55; pinstriped trousers, M&S Collection, 40; ?tote, €54; all at ?Marks & Spencer.

Crop On

Reinvent your silhouette for ‘summer with a cute cropped jacket. Wear with something high-waisted for maximum impact. Take inspiration from this denim and boucl?-tweed jacket above, Karl Lagerfeld, €365 at net-a-porter.com.

Don’t Sweat It

?Stress is a form of energy, and like all energy it can burn you or boost you,? says Trinity College professor, clinical psychologist, neurologist and author of The Stress Test, Ian Robertson. ?Try to see difficult problems, situations or people as challenges rather than threats. Stress switches on the brain’s ?fight or flight? system, which sets your heart racing, stomach churning and dries your mouth. But these symptoms are present when you are excited as much as when you are anxious. In fact, you can harness these symptoms before a difficult presentation or meeting by saying to yourself, ?I feel excited?, and viewing the stressful situation as a challenge that you can meet rather than a threat that will make you fail.? The Stress Test: How Pressure Can Make You Stronger and Sharper by Ian Robertson (Bloomsbury, approx €20) is out now, ianrobertson.org.

Back In Print

Don’t get tied up in knots trying to inject personality into your workwear. simply invest in a colourful scarf.

This article originally appeared in the June issue of IMAGE magazine, on shelves nationwide now. ?