What to Wear to Work

So pleats are showing up again on pants. I've been trying to ignore it but here they are: right in my face. And um, I have to begrudgingly admit: when done well, they kind of work. (Good god I know I'll regret typing that.) 

So here's an example of working pleats, and working them well. Cropped plus heels to add an elegant, classic look and topped off with a blazer. Although, that beautiful silk top peeping through may be all you need to seal the deal on a the perfect pleated trouser look. 

WARNING: if you are trying to look slimmer, ie., you've put on a little weight through the winter months and now it is just too hot to work out, please please don't wear pleats. They're only flattering on the thinnest of gals, us curvy ones will just find them to be a menace. 

Sometimes, especially on these hot summer days, I'll look up from my computer screen, heave an end-of-the-world sigh and declare to no one in particular that I am so stinking bored with my job! 

But here's the thing: boredom at work is no one's fault but mine. So I set up a meeting with my boss, asked for additional challenges and started working on an e-book that can keep me busy in the evenings. 

I know not everyone has the luxury of being able to ask for better or more exciting work. I remember when I was a server just how mundane certain tasks like rolling silverware could be. But I do think there is always room for improvement; always a better way to do something; an innovative approach or process that you can bring to the table. So keep looking for those pinholes of light -- keep asking for more, letting others know that you are hungry for a challenge and oh, it will come. 

I just wore this color and pattern combo to work. Here, she can take this outfit from the board room to a play date in the swipe of a sweater. 

My outfit for a sweltering but casual Friday: chartreuse linen skirt and baggy grey and white striped shirt tucked in for a more fitted look.

On Fridays, I like to wear tshirts. Not just any ol' tshirt, trust me, but I like to make it known that I've earned the right to wear a tshirt on Friday -- it's been a long week, after all. So usually it's a tshirt + cardi or tshirt and blazer. But when I saw this look, I knew it was love. All of my favorite things: monochromatic, tshirt and heels! Note that the skirt is also made with a soft and casual fabric. It's such an easy look, and totally appropriate for most offices (albeit hem length should vary based on your company's attitude towards thigh). 

Ladies, I started this blog because I want you all to be leaders. In whatever way you dream -- whether it's leaders of the PTA or future leaders of the multi-national corporation where you currently intern. 

So here's what I'll say about this quote:

When things are stagnant, when nothing is happening, don't coast. Step up. Make changes, however small. Suggest a shift or change directions -- this is how you get out of the rut. 

Maybe it's the nostalgia of my yesteryears, when my average outfit consisted of an Ocean Pacific tank (hot pink) paired with spandex shorts (lemon-lime green), but I'm finding myself more and more drawn to neon.

Yes, it's brash. Yes, it is nearly impossible to make these colors a. work for work and b. look good on a professional adult; BUT I don't care. I cannot resist. The influx of neon in the fashion world is too much to bear -- so take advantage. Who knows when neon will be back in style again?? 

Wait! Before you hit purchase on that Urban Outfitters shopping cart full of shit that is not going to be office appropriate, let's take a moment to see how neon can be incorporated into your existing ensemble. 

Pair bright bold pieces with neutral (in this case, the blandest of bland: camel) to tone down the whole outfit

A pop can make all the difference.

3. Don't spend a lot of money on the larger items -- stack neon on top of existing outfits with accessories

4. The lower you take it, the riskier you can be. Go all out with neon shoes. The loafers below are brazen, but in a loafer cut, they also say: guys, I'm just joking around. Shall we walk to lunch? 

This past Saturday as I was strolling across a parking lot, I looked up and saw a tall, gorgeous blond woman wearing bright yellow wide-leg pants and a fitted kelly green tshirt up top. My first reaction, literally as I stopped to stare, was: Oh good god woman, this is awful. But seconds later, as she strode with confidence to her destination (a local brewery beer hall), I realized: this totally works. And I'm serious, after that shock wore off, this girl looked really good. It was both ballsy and endlessly elegant, made so much more so because this was her chosen Saturday outfit amongst a sea of jeans and frumpy sweaters. 

It feels like it takes forever and ever to get to a place in your career where you are making enough money to shop somewhere beyond TJMAXX and Target (Note: I'm at that place and still love both these stores for bargain finds, just sayin'). It happens slowly -- you won't notice at first. Then one day you look up, you've somehow paid rent and all the bills, gotten a manicure and had dinner out TWO time and voila! still money left to buy something nice.

Until that time, enter "Girl on a Budget". This is where I'll take something really lovely but a little pricey for the average gal and track down it's just-as-fashionable, albeit cheaper, cousin. Always work-appropriate, of course. 

The Icon Smoking Loafers - $178

You can buy them here:

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/shoes-flats/27881119.jsp

Girl on a Budget Find: Forever 21 Striped Canvas Flats - $24.80

You can buy there here: http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=shoes&ProductID=2040495049&VariantID=

Doing Denim

I've spent the better part of two years ignoring the denim trend. Alas, I believe it will be hanging around a while longer, and as such, recently updated my work wardrobe to include a polka-dot Chambray button up. I wear it with pearls outside the collar. 

Even if you don't have the luxury of working in an office that allows you to wear jeans, there are still ways to incorporate denim into your look. Throw on a tailored denim blazer in a darker hue, layer a denim blouse under a cardigan or simply pull in denim accents with accessories. It's a smart way to spice up casual Friday, or any outfit for the week. 

  Image one: http://www.thefancy.com/things/212932128113956189/

Image two: http://pinterest.com/pin/92605336060388821/

Image three: http://browngirlgumbo.blogspot.com/2009/03/blazing-blazers-for-spring.html

Image four: http://www.sincerelyjules.com/

"What Women Want at Work" a study performed by LinkedIn. I found some of the results surprising -- especially knowing that the women in this study were more interested in work-life-balance than in achieving a higher salary. I mention this because women are still, in 2013, paid $.77 to every dollar that their male peers are paid.