Our Fashion Editor's pick of the 12 chicest Zoom-worthy tops to transform your WFH wardrobe
Much like our culinary habits - which have moved through the banana bread, homemade burgers, sourdough loaf and dalgona coffee stages - our isolation wardrobes have seen several different incarnations over these past few months.
We began with a few weeks in full WFH-novelty mode, luxuriating in the lack of excuses to ever change out of pyjamas.
Then we panicked that we may never, actually, wear clothes again, so spent a week or two assuring ourselves that a good pair of jeans, fun top and our favourite shoes would work wonders for our mental state. Hey, some of us even put heels on for a kitchen-table-date-night (we only did it once. For a mirror selfie. Hold the judgement...).
We soon admitted to ourselves that denim has nowhere near enough breathability to accommodate the thousands of extra calories we've been inhaling in order to perk up the repetitive days, and resorted to tracksuits. Not quite pyjamas but certainly comfier than regular clothes, they've so far lasted far longer as a go-to option in the morning than their predecessors.
We are, however, considering another minor update.
Nothing as drastic as our previous transformations, fear not, but one that'll perhaps offer a small smidge of aesthetic variation on those endless full-team Zoom calls.
So what's the next step, I hear you cry?
Cute tops.
Now don't panic. You don't need to change any other part of your look. Keep the joggers. Keep the slippers. Even keep the lack-of-bra, should you wish. But we encourage you to zhush up your upper half, whether that be via a puffed-sleeve, a floral pattern or a supersized collar, it'll make you feel like a new woman.
Here are the 12 best tops to buy right now:
BEST AFFORDABLE BLOUSE
Puffed-Sleeve Peplum Blouse, £14.99, H&M
If you're looking for something simple-but-effective to upgrade your lockdown wardrobe without having to reconsider the rest of your look entirely, this sweet puffed-sleeve blouse should be added to your basket pronto.
BEST FLORAL-PRINT BLOUSE
Floral-Print Lace-Trimmed Blouse, £165, Rixo
Floral-prints will never not in-style, and the addition of the lace-trimmed neckline and cropped sleeves render this blouse a contemporary take on an absolute classic.
BEST OVERSIZED SHIRT
Oversized Blue-Striped Shirt, £22, Collusion
Oversized shirts are the perfect option when you're feeling lazy in the morning, as they suit just about everyone and look great for just about every occasion. This striped number is totally timeless and will serve you well for years to come.
BEST OVERSIZED-COLLAR SHIRT
Oversized Ruffle-Collar Shirt, £35.99, Mango
Oversized collars are huge news right now, and they don't come much better than this ruffled, broderie-anglaise high street take. Wear it tucked into jeans, as a layering piece beneath a strappy dress, or peaking out from underneath a round-neck casual sweater.
BEST BLACK BLOUSE
Asymmetric Ruffled Blouse, £560, Cecilie Bahnsen
An undeniable fashion favourite, Cecilie Bahnsen is one of the most in-demand brands right now amongst editors and influencers alike. This asymmetric ruffled blouse would look just as great with black trousers in the office as it would with a cropped charcoal jean.
BEST BALLOON-SLEEVE BLOUSE
Embroidered Blouse, £595, Zimmermann
For something with a little (read: a lot) more drama, this Zimmermann blouse packs a real punch. Intricately detailed with heavy embroidery and embellished with clusters of tiny wooden beads, you be forgiven for wanting to save this for that holiday you've been postponing for the last year.
BEST SHEER BLOUSE
Sheer Ruffled Blouse, £65, & Other Stories
Undoubtedly one of the prettiest blouses of the season, the pale pink and ruffles feel feminine whilst the asymmetric collar adds a more contemporary twist. The speckled, sheer nature renders it dressier than most Zoom tops, and therefore a viable option for post-lockdown dinners, too.
BEST PIE-CRUST COLLAR BLOUSE
Openwork Detail Blouse, £49.99, Mango
Pie-crust collars are growing in popularity right now, and while we love the look of this openwork detail blouse on its own, we cant wait to wear it beneath a soft round-neck knit to allow the collar to gently peak out.
BEST EMBROIDERED BLOUSE
High-Neck Embroidered Top, £32, ASOS Design
Pie-crust neck, puffed sleeves, embroidery - there are so many trends that this blouse is ticking off. It may have a peplum hem, but due to the general mass of fabric we'd recommend tucking it into a high-waisted jean to avoid looking swamped.
BEST EVENING BLOUSE
Off-The-Shoulder Blouse, £315, The Line by K
Whether you're looking to up your sartorial game on Zoom dates or you have a friend's birthday to celebrate virtually, an off-the-shoulder blouse such as this one looks dressy whilst still retaining that at-home comfort so often lost with more typical 'dressy' tops.
BEST FASHION BLOUSE
High-Neck Jodie Blouse, £330, Piece of White
One of the fashion set's favourite contemporary shirt labels, Piece of White have perfected their offering of statement pieces. The high collar and draped sleeves of this one are perfect for layering beneath sweaters and midi dresses.
BEST PRINTED COLLAR SHIRT
Embroidered-Collar Blouse, £25.99, Zara
If you're already sold on oversized collars, why not take it one step further via an embroidered incarnation? This one is certainly a layering piece, and the collar would look particularly chic atop a black, round-neck knitted sweater.
