INSPIRATIONAL TAYLOR WOMEN - INTRODUCING JENNIFER BUDDLE #08

taylor woman Jennifer Buddle has mastered the art of Corporate Chic and how to dress for work when travelling. We picked her brains to find out how she does it below! To shop these looks, click here.

Can you tell us about the moment you first discovered the taylor brand?

I really discovered and fell in love with the taylor brand when I was shopping with my new partner (now husband) for a dress for an event. I had been wracking my brain as to where to go to look and remembered about taylor. We went into the Newmarket store and I fell in love with a gorgeous khaki silk dress with splits in the hem… it was so perfect that my partner bought it for me as he thought I looked fabulous, and I felt amazing and confident.

Jen wears the Raw Edge Oblique, Silk Mesh Camber Tunic, Extension Tank and Linear Cogent Pant.

How would you describe your personal style? Has your style changed over the years?

Excuse the pun, but I’m pretty ‘tailored’ and structured in my approach. I like detail and love the way that tucks, pleats and clever placement of seams etc. brings a garment to life. What might look innocuous on the hanger, can look amazing on the body.

I’ve gotten a little edgier over the years and now regularly work patterns and colour into my look. I’ve stopped buying entire outfits, only to be worn in that combination, and now mix and match with more confidence. I think I’ve finally mastered layering too!

Jen wears the Refined Reflection Coat, Swivel Tunic and Integral Pants above.

Can you tell us a bit about your career and how you approach dressing for work?

I’ve been lucky enough to work for some amazing people over the years, but there’s two things that I was told early on which have always resonated for me:

• Sexy is not for the workplace – but elegant is;
• As you age, you’ll buy less clothing, of better quality and you’ll wear more colour.

Given the fabulous options out there, the ‘buying less’ bit is a work in progress, but working in HR I’ve always been conscious of the need to dress appropriately for the workplace. For me that’s predominantly elegant dresses / tailored suits, with the addition of some edgy skinny pants, boots & jackets.

Jen wears the Recessive Blazer, Relief Tunic and Baseline Tunic.

What has been your career highlight to date?

I work as Group Chief People Officer at Restaurant Brands. Our business has grown dramatically over the last few years, resulting in 40% of our business currently being offshore (in Australia & Hawaii). The Group CPO role has provided me with exposure to business operations in other countries which I’ve found really interesting, as well as the opportunity to meet more fabulous, passionate people… and of course, the opportunity to travel and experience new things.

You travel a lot with your job, how does your taylor wardrobe fit in with this? Are there any taylor pieces that are travel must-haves?

I travel for different purposes and each requires careful thought re the audience and physical location that I’ll be in, including the weather.

From left to right: Extension Tank, Silk Mesh Camber Tunic, Attuned Blazer, Single Patch Pocket Integral Pant.

Travel must haves for me are my taylor Mesh Camber Tops & Extension Tanks for layering options, Integral pants and a black jacket. You can go pretty much anywhere with these, dressing them up or down. My new love is the Activity Jean in Black.

What’s your favourite city you have visited?

Los Angeles; I’ve found that it can be a pretty divisive choice, but we’ve spent a bit of time there and my experiences of it have always been positive. The combined interests of my husband and myself mean that we’ve done some pretty cool things…wandered around the Downtown second hand bookshops, visited the Broad Museum, hiked Runyon Canyon, lunched at The Ivy, visited retro record stores on the Sunset Strip, walked amongst the canals in Venice Beach and ridden bikes up the beach paths to Malibu, to name but a few.

Venice Beach LA and The Ivy.

Outside of work, what are you passionate about?

Our dogs… West Highland Terriers called Bentley and Waldo. Huge personalities and hugely restorative after a long day. They are constantly jumping all over my gorgeous clothes, so it’s just as well I’m besotted with them!

How do you like to unwind on the weekends and what do you like to wear?

Weekends are for relaxing after a hectic week. We’re fortunate to live by Cornwall Park, so the mornings are normally spent in exercise gear, walking the dogs. After that, we head to our local favourite Little Jimmy’s, or somewhere in town for dinner, giving me the option to dress up or down my Integrals and favourite top du jour (Industrial Shirt or Inherent Tank & Mesh Camber).

What do you love about taylor as a brand?

The confidence that a well put together taylor outfit can bring. It’s almost like putting on a suit of armour before heading out the door – if I feel that I look good, I can face anything. I love that I can be feminine, yet corporate, or adopt a more casual look, all staying within the taylor brand.

What is your favourite taylor piece that has been in your wardrobe for years?

The Sequence Jacket…. Is it embarrassing to say I own at least 4? In different colourways of course! It’s been my go to jacket for years - it just seems to complete my outfits.

Where do you look for style inspiration?

I follow some of the big fashion houses and local brands on Instagram, as well as the odd blog. I’m always screenshotting looks I like and working out how I can create the look from within my wardrobe. I’m also a bit of a tech nerd, in that I use a style app to allow me to play around with looks (“Stylebook”) and help me to refine my packing.

To shop all Jen's favourite taylor pieces, including the styles she is wearing above click here.