Let's chat workwear! I have been obsessed with the brand Baukjen for a while, as I love their ethos: a B Corp, everything made in Europe, recycled and plant-based fabrics, and suitability for work/play. I haven't done any reviews of the brand in 2026, so I recently ordered 4 new pieces: a striped collar top, two pairs of black wide-leg trousers, and a navy pinstripe blazer. Here's my honest take on each.
The Cameron Organic Cotton Stripe Collar Top (Cream)
I'll start with the piece I've worn the most. The Cameron Top is a long-sleeve polo in cream with a burgundy and navy stripe running around the collar, and that little stripe looks surprisingly chic and stylish. It has a preppy look and I got compliments from people I didn't know about the shirt at work. I wore it to a day trip recently to meet friends and they all loved it!
The fabric is a soft organic cotton rib jersey, and the fit is quite slim, so keep that in mind if you prefer clothing looser. What I love: under a blazer with trousers, it looks refined; with jeans on the weekend, it's youthful and casual. The button-down neckline is nice too. My one honest thought is that ribbed cotton in cream does need washing with other whites, but overall it's easy to maintain. I highly recommend this piece.
The Marian Ponte Wide Leg Trousers (Caviar Black)
Now for the trousers, and here's where I confess I bought two black wide-leg pairs from the same brand, which sounds strange until you try them. The Marian Ponte Wide Leg Trousers is the more structured of the two: a heavy ponte with LENZING ECOVERO and recycled fibres that somehow manages to be both stretchy and architectural. Baukjen describes it as jogger comfort with a tailored cut and it's quite accurate.
What I love about it is the construction- it features elasticated waist at the back, clean flat panel at the front, straight down the leg. At work, these look like proper tailored trousers. From inside the trousers, they feel like you are wearing yoga pants. These have become my default for long clinic-to-meeting days and, frankly, long-haul flights. At £99 they're not cheap, but the ponte hangs beautifully and haven't bagged at the knees. They fit true to size, though if you're between sizes, go down.
The Carson Wool Blend Pinstripe Blazer (Navy Pinstripe)
My favourite piece of the haul! The Carson Wool Blend Pinstripe Blazer is a relaxed-fit, single-breasted navy pinstripe in a recycled wool blend (44% recycled cotton, 30% recycled polyester, 21% recycled wool). It has all the cool details of a good functional blazer: patch pockets, front button, rear vent, fully lined, three buttons at the cuff.
Pinstripe can go into "unfashionable" territory, but the relaxed cut saves it from looking outdated. It drapes nicely in a relaxed fit, so it feels modern instead of stuffy, and it's just as happy thrown over a tee as it is buttoned up for a formal day. This is the piece that pulls my work look together. In terms of maintenance, it's dry clean only.
The Palazzo Trousers (Caviar Black)
The Palazzo Trousers are Baukjen's bestseller for good reasons. It's made from a soft LENZING ECOVERO jersey (95% viscose, 5% elastane) with an elasticated waistband and features a stylish wide leg cut. These are the ones I wear when I go to work everyday, as they're super soft and comfortable.
They go well with the Carson blazer and a heel. They also dress all the way down for travel days and lazy Sundays. Important sizing note: they run large, so size down from your usual. I wear them for long walks, strolls around the park as well as long days in the office.
I'm super impressed with Baukjen (as always) and have been honestly loving them since 2018. My latest Baukjen haul gives me very functional mini capsule wardrobe. Everything mixes with everything, which is exactly what I wanted for a wardrobe that has to survive office corridors, boardrooms, and the occasional nice dinner after work.
What I appreciate most is that the sustainability story and how the fabrics genuinely feels great. Their clothing lasts in the washing machine and knowing it's all ethically made in Europe makes the clothing worth your while. Would I buy from Baukjen again? Already eyeing the knitwear for winter!
Have you tried Baukjen, or do you have a smart casual piece I should know about?
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