Blazer, Elie Tahari; top, RACHEL Rachel Roy (via consignment); pants, AG (via Kijiji); shoes, J. Crew (via consignment); bag, YSL (via eBay)
This blazer, you guys: this blazer is so good. I wear it all the time, and not just on Friday (though, especially then). It has an edgier vibe – hi-lo hem, leather trim, say what?
heyo, hi-low!
Just as I was getting ready to write the praises of the blazer, I realized that this outfit features another wardrobe MVP. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this Rachel Roy top, and specifically its floral print. It doesn’t look particularly loud, but it has all sorts of bits of colour mixed in (blush, yellow, blue, red) which makes accessorizing a cinch. Lazy? Moi? Jamais!
Total outfit cost: $171 (not including bag) / Retail: $819 approx. / CPW: $21.50
Shirt & shoes, Old Navy; skirt, Anthropologie (via eBay);
Here’s a confession: I’m kinda struggling to accessorize this skirt. I adore its whimsical print, but I’m finding it difficult to incorporate it into an outfit that feels right to me. Things end up looking either too matchy-matchy, or too pattern-soupy. I think this chambray shirt provides a good balance … but a chambray shirt goes with pretty much everything. So. Not exactly groundbreaking, this combo.
On the other hand, the tights + clogs thing feels … edgy. I’m the kind of person who is supremely uncomfortable with fashion-forward style statements such as socks + pumps (or, shudder, socks + high heeled sandals) and this (to me) falls in that same category. Did I pull it off? Eh, no passersby stopped, stared and/or pointed, so … I guess?
tights + clogs = winning combination?who needs a wind machine when you’ve got Mother Nature
On the third hand, a Good Hair Day can provide a decent amount of distraction. I’m proud to report that I have finally mastered the beachy waves look – sans perm – thanks to my new oval-barrelled curling iron. It’s super easy, you guys! Just like all those YouTube videos tell you! You just need the right tool (and you can find one, as I did, for under $40 at Winners – score!).
Sweater, J. Crew (via eBay); shirt, J. Crew (via consignment); pants, Banana Republic; shoes, Calvin Klein; bag, Ferragamo (via eBay)
This is definitely on the casual side of “business casual” but it’s sufficiently professional to pass muster in my office. Although it’s a fine line, I think this falls on the professional side by virtue of being simple: just a shirt, sweater, and pants. Yes, the sweater is whimsical; but keeping the outfit uncluttered (and accessory free) makes it seem a little less “full-time blogger dressing for an imaginary office” and more “full-time actual office dweller”. Ahem.
business way casualpaisley in small doses
Ok, here’s something you probably don’t know about me (unless you’re my mom, and you’re not my mom, because my mom doesn’t do the internet): when I was about 11, I went through an intense butterfly-collecting phase one summer. By “collecting”, I mean mostly chasing, because my “net” was an old tennis racquet and, well, you can imagine my rate of success. Mostly, I keep trying to get these little guys:
Pic
Anyway, to this day I have an obsession with butterfly prints, even though collections or actual butterflies kinda creepy me out.
Total outfit cost: $199 (not including bag) / Retail cost: $475 (approx.) / CPW: $25.60
