Time to Present

Blazer: JC Penny’s.  Pant: Anne Taylor LOFT.  Tie: Kenneth Cole.  Oxford: Liz Clairborne.  Shoes: Nine West.

 

I wore this outfit for a presentation I gave which was in front of many of my company’s top executives (including the CEO!).  I wanted to dress “top notch” professional, so a suit and tie was what I went with.  I felt very comfortable with my outfit of choice and thankfully the presentation went very well.

My suit rules

 

I got all gussied up today and put on a suit!  I actually have a ton of suits and separates, but I for some reason I hardly wear them of late.  I might, however, start to wear them more often since I really enjoyed feeling so professional today.  I know… I pretty much always dress in professional attire, but there’s just something empowering about putting on a suit.

My suit rules:

1. Must be a perfect fit.  Should sit close to the body, provide structure, and flatter figure without being too tight or revealing.
2. I always look for fun details in a suit, like stitching, buckles, bows, studs – whatever catches your eye. 
3. Make sure the suit is a quality piece of clothing - good fabric / cut / etc…
4. Add accessories to showcase personality.  Funky shoes and a bold necklace do the trick for me.

Foundation Pieces

  

Same top & skirt, 2 varying looks!

Whether you work in a more conservative office or one with a bit more flexibility, you can always find options with great foundation pieces.

Over the hill – 1010 posts and counting!

Skirt: Body by Victoria.  Gathered Mock Turtleneck: Style & Co.  Short Sleeve Blazer: Forever XXI.  Tights: DSW.  Shoes: Marc Fisher.  Necklace: Macy’s.

I can’t believe it – 1010 posts!  I never thought when I started a random little fashion blog to share my daily ensemble choices that it would become a part of my life for the next several years, but nevertheless, here it is!

I decided to count back in hundreds and visit some blasts from the past.  I’d also like to look back and find some of my favorite outfits.  Next week…  :)

 

A little clarity

Have you ever done the flamingo?  Ya know, “this shoe or that shoe?” while holding up one foot in the mirror and then the other.  That’s what I was doing this work morning!  A bit fuzzy at first, but I made my decision and found a little clarity!

 

I paired this dress with other color accents such as pink in the past, but today, I just wanted to keep with the basics.  Next time I’d like to try red accents.

see my shoes?!?

A little leopard

Dress: Tahari.  Necklace: Charming Charlie.  Shoes: Steve Madden.  Belt: Macys.  Bag: Betsy Johnson.

I love this dress, but don’t wear it that often because it’s just a bit more dressy than what everyday wear calls for.  Actually, the last time I wore it was to a work awards ceremony last January!  Well, today wasn’t anything special, but I decided to pull out the dress anyway.  I figured I could always put on a little cardigan if I needed to “casual” things up a bit.

2 things I did a bit differently this time was to add a pop of color with a fun bold necklace (even though this top has a tie) and to add waist definition with a thick belt.  The flower on the belt is really supposed to go in the front, but it just looked funny and was distracting, so I simply turned it to the back! 

Shades of Purple

Skirt: Forever XXI.  Blazer: H&M.  Beaded Blouse: Macy’s.  Shoes: Jessica Simpson.  Purse: Vintage.

I’m not a huge fan of tone on tone, but I do like different shades of the same color together.  This light purple top is a little pale for my coloring, so bringing in a deeper purple shade in the blazer brings not only definition to the outfit, but makes it a more flattering color combo for me overall.

Animal Print

 

 

I adore this animal print top, but find it often works better layered under another top or dress to give it a bit more shape.

Purple and red accents brought some “pop!” to the otherwise neutral ensemble.

Animal print is still hot in my book.  It’s also still showing up on everything from purses, shoes, computer carrying cases, and of course – fashionistas everywhere!

Color Combinations

Dress: George. Cropped Cardigan: Chadwicks.  Purse: Nine West.  Purple Suede-Like Shoes: H&M.  Necklace: Thrift

 

Mismatch of the day: blue and purple!  I truly love the contrast of blue and purple, and find it an easy combination to work with.  For my neutrals today, I stuck with brown and white.

My color wheel of inspiration:

 

What are your favorite color combos?

Fabulous gift from fabulous friends

Black 3/4 sleeve blazer: Carabella.  Sheer blouse: vintage thrift.  Belt: gifted.  Pants: Ann Taylor Loft.  Shoes: Enzo Angiolini.

I can’t believe I actually had a smile on my face this morning, but I did, and there it is!  This was my Monday morning face-the-music outfit after a crazy weekend of work issues.  Thankfully, everything turned out and the issue was resolved.  I’m so lucky to have supportive people in my life, and I definitely think this cinches it that next year my birthday will be disaster-free!

This silver leaf belt was a birthday gift to me from my fabulous friend Rachel.  I love it!  Clearly, she gets my style as this belt is quite similar to my other favorite belt gifted to me by another fabulous fashionista friend, Kasmira!