A couple of months back, I went to Australia for a work conference. I stayed in Adelaide for over a week and you already know that I brought some of the best outfits with me. I have a nice mix of both casual and professional outfits for the duration of my time in Australia. I hope these inspire you for any conferenced you attend or just work in general!
Casual Outfits
This casual fit is a go-to for me. You just can’t go wrong with a leather jacket and some white sneakers. I wanted something easy for my first walk around Adelaide and I wanted to make sure I would be comfortable as I, naturally, went on a shopping spree the first second I had.
I always recommend wearing pants over dresses and neutral colors when shopping. It makes it easier to project the fit when trying on individual pieces as you only need to remove one piece of clothing versus a whole dress. As for the colors, neutrals tend to go with everything and should not clash with anything you try on. Finally, go for comfy shoes and a crossbody purse. Shopping should be an Olympic sport with all of the walking and carrying we do…
I ended up buying a faux fur jacket because it was surprisingly cold in Australia! I’ve been wearing it non-stop since bringing it home, too. Here, I opted for a pair of pleather trousers and some converse. These pants have been a favorite of mine this fall season. They are super flattering, trendy, and keep me warm. Truly a piece every woman should have in her wardrobe.
Work Meeting Outfit
I decided to scratch one of my planned outfits I had packed and went for this new dress I purchased at The Witchery (a new favorite). Since purchasing this dress, it has become a regular in my work outfit rotation. It is easy to dress up for the winter as I did here with the opaque tights, heels, and skinny belt. However, you can also keep it casual with a tan belt and some white leather sneakers. This could even be dressed up for the evenings if you undo some buttons, add a chain belt, some fierce heels, and an evening clutch.
Another fun fact is this dress not only has pockets, but also has a mini button around the inside of the bust area to remove the dreaded keyhole effect on us busty girls! It is a small, but genius detail. I wish all brands did this so we could all stop using so much fashion tape.
Wildlife Sanctuary Day
Last, but certainly not least, is this casual number for a full day at the Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary a bit outside of Adelaide. I booked a special event where I could feed baby animals, so I made sure I wore very casual clothes that could handle some dirt and potential damage.
It is very important to wear pants and close toed shoes when interacting with animals, and even a jacket! I was lucky enough to hold a baby koala and he had the sharpest claws; I was grateful I had my jacket on to protect my skin. By the end of the day, my shoes were covered in mud and I had an undisclosed amount of kangaroo saliva (the food fell on me a few times and they licked away…) on my jeans. The leather trousers would have been a poor choice here!
Conference Outfits
Finally, the work conference outfits begin! For the opening party, I opted for a colorful tweed jacket paired with a classic pair of trousers and black heels. Australia is a more laid-back culture and I did not want to seem too serious right off the bat. As you may know if you’ve been on my blog before, first impressions are everything and hard to erase!
Aussies are also more accepting of tattoos than some other regions. While I personally wouldn’t walk around in short sleeves, I felt very comfortable in a jacket like this one where a bit of my sleeve would peek out. As a side note, I did see another delegate with two full arm sleeves in a polo which was very refreshing.
These two fits were quite similar to my outfits in Boston, which you can see here. They are the same suits, but I switched up the tops and the shoes.
I would also like to give a shoutout to the Mandarin Hotel elevator for the excellent mirror selfies. They truly should have sponsored this post.
The gala dinner’s theme and fun and crazy. While I did not go all out with sequin blazers or blow up costumes (Australians know how to have fun), I did opt for this shiny pleated shirt and killer Valentino rockstud pumps. For me, it was just the right amount of fun, but still keeping a certain level of professionalism.
Final Thoughts
My biggest takeaway from this trip in terms of fashion is that I will never again pack so many clothes. I ended up re-doing a good chunk of my wardrobe while in Adelaide. The fashion here is truly next level and the currency exchange between the Swiss Franc and Aussie Dollar is excellent, too. They are very much into business casual, minimalism, and neutrals. Basically, everything that I love. I even found some great things for my partner! I plan to bring an empty suitcase next year for all of the purchases that will inevitably happen.
Outfits:
A lot of my pieces are years old and no longer available, while others were just past seasons. I did my best with the links! You can find my favorite Australian boutique, The Witchery, here.
Casual Outfits:
Professional Outfits:
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XO, Tess
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