Capes are in it to win it again this fall and winter, so above I've provided a round-up of some of my favorites. As you can see in this post, this post and this post, I'm a fan. However, it's important to note that my fondness for the chicly shapeless outerwear goes beyond just a desire to occasionally pretend I'm Hermione Granger (as discussed here) and/or cover up a Chipotle-induced food belly. Not only do I find them very attractive and oh. so. comfortable, but they can also be absolutely clutch when wearing a blazer or suit to the office (as worn in this post). If you're someone that works in a business formal environment and find yourself awkwardly trying to stuff your suit jacket sleeves into the sleeves of a coat or trench, you probably know the misery of this process, not to mention the irreversible wrinkling effect on your suit jacket/blazer sleeves that are subsequently on display throughout the rest of your work day. Enter the cape, which allows for the abandonment of the awkwardly over-stuffed arms, yet still provides that critical extra layer of warmth. So go ahead, get your cape on.
High-waisted skirts, fitted sheath dresses, tailored button downs tucked into form fitting pants... something along these lines is happening most workdays. And that's a good thing. Occasionally, however, I would like to reserve the right to wear something that tricks the outside world into thinking I am a supremely put-together person, when in fact, I am a hungover person wearing a nightgown disguised as a cute work-appropriate dress. This is that dress. It's long enough for the office and has just enough wool in it to deliver an elevated texture and drape, while the knit fabric and dolman sleeves still maintain their supreme comfort factor. Also helpful in pulling off the hoax is the gold zipper detailing along both sleeves. Because anything that is adorned with zippy gold embellishments is sure proof that I'm totally on top of my game today! Psych. I was literally just napping in the supply closet. Michael Kors, you get me.
Ok just for the record, I've never actually napped in a supply closet and am not suggesting you do so. But for real, some days you just want to be a bit more comfortable, and this Michael Kors number allows you to make that happen. Shop more of his amazingness below:
If you're a person that travels a ton like I do for work and play, you know the importance of trusty travel bags. In the last several weeks, these two bags have zig-zagged across the country with me, and have absolutely blown me away. Please note that the above pictures were taken after I lugged them through six different airports and seven different cities over the course of three weeks. Needless to say, these suckers have taken a beating, and as indicated by their current condition photographed above, you'd never know. The black and white printed tote is super lightweight, yet large enough and sturdy enough to safely carry my 15" laptop with lots of room to spare. The larger brown weekender bag is the perfect carry-on size and somehow Sole Society has managed to create a vegan leather that's both incredibly durable and optically equivalent to the real thing. In person, you won't believe it. The rest of my look today is a favorite casual friday ensemble, or of course could work for a dressed-down travel day. For those of you that operate in casual work environments and can sport this outfit any day of the week... well just don't rub it in.
Check out more of my Sole Society favorites below!
Distressed denim. It's been happening for quite a while. However, I've always been torn (no pun intended) about whether it's appropriate for even very casual work environments. For those of you that enjoy denim-approved casual Fridays in more conservative work environments, I'd recommend sticking to the rip-free kind. This has been true for the vast majority of my work experience in more formal offices, so for this outfit, I'd swap in a tear-free pair like this. However, for those of you that work in very casual and/or creative environments (i.e. start-ups or the set of Wolverine III) I've come to understand that certain kinds of distressed denim, when done right, can make the grade. The jeans I'm wearing today have distressing, but as you can see, the distressing is done minimally, and no skin shows through the holes. Conversely, versions like this one or this one, which are great for nights and weekends, are probably too much for a professional setting―pretty much no matter where you work.
When wearing these puppies, I recommend balancing the distressed bottoms with richer elements in the rest of your outfit. This can be done with a silk blouse, a blazer and heels, or in my case today, with studded boots, this cross knit cowl-neck poncho, and soft curls.
What do you think? Is distressed denim an absolute no-go or (if done tastefully), is it passable for casual days at your workplace? I'm all ears, so fire off in the comments below. Happy Friday!
P.S. If you want to get a leg up on holiday shopping (shudder) take an extra look at Barrington. I'm an ENORMOUS fan of these bags (also styled one in this post), and a monogrammed gift is always a home run.
The Nordstrom 40% off sale that's on right now is too good to miss, so above you can scroll through some of my favorites. Whether you're in need of a fresh pair of classic pumps, a new super-slimming sheath dress for the colder months, or some updated workout gear, you should get cracking. Personally, I'm trying to force myself to think about holiday shopping earlier this year so that I finally break the cycle of having a panic-induced aneurysm on December 22nd and then end up paying roughly eight million dollars in overnight shipping. I'd very much like to avoid the "sorry I can't pay for college―spent all of my money on super last minute shipping" conversation with my future children. There's just no need for it. The sale is on until Tuesday. Happy hunting!
I'm a sucker for menswear, especially a solid pleated trouser, and Topshop knows how to do it. These pants are actually the olive versions of the ivory ones featured in this post from August, albeit the satin tuxedo stripe is slightly wider on these. Whether you cuff them for a wide-leg culotte length in warmer months or let them loose during cooler months, they're the perfect year-round staple. I'm not surprised Nordstrom picked them up as well, since their well-curated Topshop selections always seem to appeal to me... and my wallet. Shop other favorites below and don't forget to get in on the Nordstrom 40% off sale that ends tomorrow!
I'm a big fan of the matching sets (or coordinates) we've seen all over the place in the past year or so. I think they're chic and effortless and... every other clichéd thumbs up fashion adjective in the book. However, when dropping funds on these types of matching sets, I often get hung up on the "one hit wonder" factor that these duos all too often espouse. But as you can see above, if you remind yourself that the two are not, in fact, conjoined twins, you can really get great use out of them separately. Each article alone can serve as the perfect neutral base or layering piece for a completely different get-up. It goes without saying that the skirt depicted here is definitely not something that you'll want to don at work, so I reserve wearing the duo together (or the skirt alone) for nights and weekends. The top alone, however, melds perfectly into this workwear ensemble that I was sporting yesterday during the day.
Also, to make sure I don't always think of them as a unit, I actually hang them apart from each other in my closet. The skirt in the skirt section; the top in the top section. (Did you get that? It's very complicated...) I feel a little bit like I'm breaking up a family by doing this, but it definitely helps to get more use out of the pieces by forcing myself to see them as distinct entities. I can't speak to how they're dealing with the separation anxiety, but I'm pretty sure the top whispered "homewrecker"when I was putting it on yesterday.
Just like workplace fashion, holiday gifts for coworkers vary widely across industries, companies, and individuals. In some offices, it's super weird to get your colleagues holiday gifts. In others, it's super weird if you don't. While I can't say where your workplace might fall on the spectrum, I can help offer up the above ideas for those of you who fall in the latter of the two categories.
It's always tough to decide what to get a boss versus a peer, so be sure to take stock of your relationship with each individual and think about what's appropriate to give them. You probably want to steer clear of accidentally spurring any kind of Love Actually-style situation by giving a gift that could be misinterpreted by either the recipient or other on-lookers. So whether it's a "please don't screw me during year-end reviews" gift for a boss, an "I wish you would stop smacking your gum and start wearing deodorant" gift for a less than likable coworker, or a "thanks for saving me from the handsy guy in accounting at last year's holiday party" gift for a great friend at work, there's something for just about everyone. If you have any good gift ideas for coworkers that I've missed, please share in the comments below!
One of the many reasons Nordstrom is my main squeeze when it comes to online shopping is their unrivaled blend of both high-end designers and more affordable brands. If you follow this blog, you know that I fervently subscribe to the high-low philosophy of mixing splurge-worthy classics with lots of budget-friendly pieces as well. Pulling this off sometimes requires a lot of leg work, but it shouldn't always have to. Finding both types of merchandise at one place is mission critical when you don't have endless hours to run between a million different retailers. In this arena, Nordstrom crushes it.
In yesterday's post, the winter white wide-leg pants were one of my favorite finds from the Chelsea28 line which offers really beautiful, quality pieces at great price points. Today, I'm sporting some new favorites from Topshop, another brand at Nordstrom that kills it in the affordability department. I've rarely met a culotte I didn't like, but the flowy drape and perfect high-waisted, pleated fit of these babies is particularly on point. If you're in a part of the country that's been #blessed with a soul-crushing cold front as of late, try pairing them with tall boots or sheer tights and pumps―they'll still look like a million bucks. And this fuzzy delicious periwinkle coat? Take that cold front.
Since the current collection at Nordstrom is unreal, take a spin through some more of my Topshop favorites below. I'm enamored with this skirt (styled beautifully by this amazing blogger) and this incredible bag. I'm also planning on snagging this fringe top for some holiday soirées. Fringe is so fetch right now.
It's office holiday party time! Ahhh, yes. Tis the season to have uncomfortable conversations with coworkers you hardly know over a glass of bubbly. To aid in your mental preparation, I've come up with the following list of topics to help fill awkward silences when forced to make conversation with the guy in bookkeeping that has a weird affinity for porcelain figurines. Discuss the following:
the weather
all of the porcelain figurines at his desk
how cold it is outside
how cold it is inside
whether he expects to receive more porcelain figurines for Hanukkah/Christmas
Oh, and I've also assembled the below guides to help you dress for the occasion. Whether your office party is a casual gathering over lunch, a business formal gathering in your building, or a swanky cocktail party at a local venue, the following will hopefully help spark some ideas.
It's always a bit tough to strike the right balance between festive and appropriate at these types of work events. A sequined pencil skirt would certainly be odd for a party in your office where most are in business attire, but if it's a formal cocktail party at an upscale bar or lounge, it may be just the right mix of not-too-revealing yet still very festive. Thus, the following guide is organized into three general categories: casual office party, business formal office party, and professional cocktail party. Keep in mind that many of the pieces in each category could crossover, depending on how you wear them, so take a gander and then go ahead and amp up your seasonal sweater/sequined skirt/sparkly slacks game. Tis the freakin' season yo.
P.S. Don't miss the Piperlime sale that ends today! Use code 'BESTEVER' for 25% off everything.
Happy Monday! In case you missed it, check out Friday's guide to dressing for holiday work parties here. The guide has been updated, so even if you saw it last week, it might be worth another look... Stay tuned for more holiday shopping guides this week as we near the post-turkey retail apocalypse on Friday (and Monday!). Just keep hydrated and stay limber.
I recently wore this top to a cocktail party, but realized it could be easily repurposed for a daytime work-appropriate ensemble as well. Since it layers so effortlessly over the white button down, it also earns all-season status, making the purchase that much more worthwhile. Similar to the Kate Spade dress I wore in this post, I'm a big fan of these classic pieces that layer easily and therefore can really go the extra mile both in terms of occasion and in terms of climate (Read: En Route to Wisconsin, Layering Like Woah).
It's Black Friday. You know the drill. You hate it, I hate it, but the deals are for real, so let's do this. In addition to lots of amazing things for work and play that are on sale per the montage above, the boots from this post, the dress from this post, the sweater from this post, and the amazing dress version of the top from this post are all. on. major. sale. So go grab some thanksgiving leftovers and snuggle up with your computer to get cracking. Friends don't let friends shop in store on Black Friday. I did it once. It was easily the most terrifying experience of my life. check out @maryorton on instagram...
Happy Black Friday! In addition to my Black Friday GPS guide posted below, I'm sharing a recent favorite Casual Friday look today featuring these delicious Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots. If you're looking for a pair of winter footwear that you'll wear non-stop and will have for many seasons to come, Stuart Weitzman is well worth the investment. An over-the-knee boot is likely not appropriate at most workplaces, but they're AMAZING to commute in -- whether you wear them over jeans on Casual Friday, or under a skirt on a regular workday. With skirts, that extra stretch of leather up over the knee makes an enormous difference in keeping the cold out. Check out more of my favorite Stuart Weitzman picks below!
{click the plus signs above for product information}
Were you too busy or overwhelmed by the sale hype on Friday? Today is your shot at redemption. As much as we all hate the headache of culling through the dregs to find those winner sale items, the outrageous deals that are still out there are truly worth the effort. Above, I'm showcasing many pieces that have been featured on TCC this fall that are currently all on MAJOR sale. Hopefully this will help lead you to some of the sales that I think are top notch, especially since the majority of items above are 30-50% off, and won't be for long. If you want to peruse yourself, take a look at my list of the top sale sites and associated promo codes below. If you buckle down and finish up your holiday shopping today, the rest of the holiday season can be stress-free, nog-fueled bliss. Happy hunting!
To take a closer look at how I styled the pieces above, you can find the full outfit posts as follows:
SHOPBOP― 15% off $250, 20% off $500, 25% off $1000 with code: GOBIG14
PIPERLIME― 30% off sitewide + 40% off markdowns with code: CYBERSALE
J. CREW―30% off full-price styles + additional 40% off sale + free shipping with code: MONDAY KATE SPADE― 30% off everything with code: CYBER30 ANN TAYLOR―50% off everything with code: CYBER50 ASOS― 30% off everything with code: ILOVEMONDAYS ALICE + OLIVIA― 25% off sitewide
BLOOMINGDALES― 25% off a huge selection of regular and sale price items
BROOKS BROTHERS― 30% off select styles + 10% off your entire purchase
MILLY― 25% off site wide + extra 10% off final sale with code CM2014
As always, you'll find many more deals and holiday favorites on my SHOP page here. And, in case you missed it, check out these shopping guides as well...
