BLOUSE: Foxcroft | CULOTTES: Rebecca Taylor (40% off right now and available in every size!) | SWEATER:Equipment (also similar here, here & here) | BRAIDED BELT: Gap (similar here) | SHOES: Jimmy Choo (similar here, here & here)
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JEANS: J Brand | COAT: Vince (similar here, here & here) | CROP SWEATER: Tommy Hilfiger (old but similar here, here, here, here & here) | SHOES: Mango (super similar here, here, here, here & here) | NECKLACE: c/o Julie Vos | RING: Baublebar (also love this one)
The post Casual Friday appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
At long last, I’m thrilled to announce the new and improved name of the blog: Memorandum! The name change has been a long time coming, as The Classy Cubicle no longer seemed to properly reflect me or my vision for the blog. When I started this site in 2013, The Classy Cubicle was the tongue-in-cheek title born out of working in finance in New York City. A year and a half later, my professional life has moved beyond that of the Wall Street cubicle, and so, I believe, has this blog.
To be clear, I have every intention of continuing the blog’s focus on women’s work wear. However, from college to today, my workplaces have ranged from Capitol Hill to Wall Street to Silicon Valley. And as a reflection of these varied professional experiences, I hope to continue speaking to working women in all types of professional environments―not just those who inhabit a corporate cubicle. Thus, I feel that Memorandum, though definitionally rooted in the corporate world, does not have the industry-specific connotation that “cubicle” does. I want teachers, lawyers, journalists, photographers, merchandisers and professional jugglers to feel that there’s something here for them, and not to be deterred by a specific name.
There is much more in the works for expanding and enhancing the blog later in 2015, but for now, I wanted to unveil the new appellation. Welcome to Memorandum!
COAT: Marc by Marc Jacobs (also available here and here; similar versions here, here, here, here and here, whew!) | SHIRT: Cameo (love the t-shirt version too!) | SKIRT: Cameo (also here and LOVE the coordinating pants and trench too!) | SHOES: Asos (similar here) | SUNGLASSES: Nina Ricci (similar here)
To celebrate the site’s new name and to thank the great number of you who have so loyally followed this blog over the past year and a half, I’m excited to host a new giveaway today!
Since readers often ask me what work bags I recommend, I thought I’d give away two of my very favorite tote bags as a little something to help house the memorandums (or memoranda) in your own life as you shuttle between work and play. Regardless of whether you work in a conservative cubicle or a creative artist’s studio, the Tory Burch York Buckle Tote is, in my humble opinion, the ideal and truly “quintessential” work tote. With classic clean lines, gold hardware and gorgeous scratch-resistant leather that comes in (literally) every color of the rainbow, the lightweight tote even includes a padded compartment for your laptop or tablet. Need I say more? Enter below!
Giveaway Rules of the Road:
The giveaway closes at 11:59PM PST on Friday, February 6, 2015. Two winners will be selected at random from qualifying entries below through Rafflecopter. Each winner will receive a Tory Burch York Buckle Tote in the color of their choice and will be notified via email within 48 hours. Using the Rafflecopter widget below, you can enter your name into the raffle up to eight times be doing any of the following:
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JACKET: Ming Wang | PANTS: Pink Tartan (similar here, here, here, here & here) | TANK: Ming Wang (similar here, here & here) | Shoes: Jimmy Choo (similar here)
If you’re visiting for the first time in a few days, you may have noticed that The Classy Cubicle is now Memorandum! You can read all about the unveiling of the new name in Monday’s post here. To celebrate, this week I’m giving away two of my very favorite Tory Burch York Buckle Totes. I secretly want to enter my own giveaway because I’m obsessed with these perfect, perfect work bags… but I’m told that would be “wrong.”
You have until Friday to enter the giveaway below! Lucky winners will be able to choose the color of their choice and with a line-up of hues like this, that’ll be no small task…
The post Track Suit Refresh appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
DRESS: Diane von Furstenberg (also here and affordable options here, here, here, here, here & here!) | COAT: Ted Baker | SHOES: SJP Collection | EARRINGS: Argento Vivo | POLISH: Essie (Vanity Fairest)
Beyond its status as an icon of pop culture, the wrap dress by Diane von Furstenberg possesses a sociological significance of considerable proportion. The dress serves as a symbol of feminism and is credited with launching a liberating style movement worldwide upon its introduction in 1974. For more than forty years, the dress has retained prominence in women’s closets as a timeless wardrobe staple… and forty years is a lot of years.
The dress has been worn by first ladies, future queens, famous musicians and film stars. You name the past, present and/or future occasion, and this puppy will be there, bringing the heat. Wear it to work? Obviously. Wear to drinks? 100%. Wear it to church? Done. Wear it in 20 years on a teleportation trip to New Guinea? I’m so glad you asked. Because if we’re not teleporting by the year 2035 I’m going to lose it.
So help me God, I’m going to teleport and I’m going to do it in a DVF wrap dress.
Bottom line: If you don’t own one, shame on you.
P.S. In case you missed it, I’m giving away two Tory Burch York Buckle Totes this week in honor of the blog’s new name, Memorandum! If you haven’t entered yet, let ‘er rip…
This post was sponsored by Nordstrom. All product selections, styling and opinions are my own.
The post The Iconic Wrap Dress appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
JUMPSUIT: Diane von Furstenberg (also here and similar options here, here, here & here) | JACKET: old but similar here, here & here | MINAUDIÈRE: similar here & here | NECKLACE: c/o Julie Vos | SHOES: c/o Ann Taylor
Continuing yesterday’s theme of classic wrap-tastic pieces that are exceptionally versatile, I give you the DVF wrap jumpsuit. As styled above, I wore this glorious adult onesie out last Saturday night. However, like its cousin the wrap dress, it’s incredibly versatile and (with slight styling alterations) can be worn during the workweek as well―assuming, as always, that it fits in your particular office environment. Especially for those of you that work in creative professions, a jumpsuit can be a fantastic formal alternative to a dark suit. And, for those Fridays where you need something that easily transitions from day to night, this baby can’t be beat. Happy Friday!
P.S. The Tory Burch York Buckle Tote giveaway ends tonight! If you haven’t entered yet, get crackin’ below…
The post Under Wraps: Jumpsuit Edition appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
Outfit One… STRIPED DRESS: c/o Ann Taylor | CAPE: c/o Ann Taylor | MULES: c/o Ann Taylor | NECKLACE: c/o Ann Taylor | BRACELET: c/o Ann Taylor | SUNGLASSES: Stella McCartney
Outfit Two… POLKA DOT SKIRT: c/o Ann Taylor (LOVE the matching coat!) | POLKA DOT CARDIGAN: c/o Ann Taylor | POLKA DOT TOP: c/o Ann Taylor | SUNGLASSES: Stella McCartney | SHOES: Saint Laurent
Today I’m excited to team up again with one my very favorites—Ann Taylor. You can always count on the brand to come out with beautiful pieces for work and beyond. However, the latest collection from Ann Taylor has to be, in my opinion, one of their very best. They’ve somehow managed to take trends—trends that to many seem a bit scary—and incorporate them into really wearable, classic pieces. For example, maybe you’ve never thought you could pull off a cape, or maybe you’ve never given mixed prints (much less mixing navy and black) a try. As you can see above, the beautiful separates and dresses at Ann Taylor make mastering these previously-intimidating concepts a breeze. Now if only they could make decorating my new apartment this easy…
P.S. Huge thanks to everyone who participated in the Memorandum/Tory Burch giveaway last week and for all of your support and sweet words about the big name change! I’m so excited to announce that Christina H. and Julie H. are the lucky winners!!
This post was produced in partnership with Ann Taylor. All product selections, styling and opinions are my own.
The post No Sweat appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
The post Wednesday Wishlist appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
SHIRT: c/o Ann Taylor | SKIRT: c/o Ann Taylor (also love it black here; and similar ivory version here without perforations; ) | MULES: c/o Ann Taylor | NECKLACE: c/o Ann Taylor | BRACELET: c/o Ann Taylor (similar here, here & here) | Sunglasses: Stella McCartney
While the overall concept of this ensemble is not terribly “casual,” I thought I’d save it for Casual Friday because Chambray—no matter how you slice it—is a tough thing to pull off in a professional setting. This particular chambray shirt, however, has a really beautiful drape and a subtle sheen to the fabric—factors that make it polished and elevated enough for the office. What are your thoughts on chambray? Yay or nay at work? Happy Friday!!
The post Casual Friday: Chambray + Leather appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
Happy Monday! I recently teamed up with Boden to talk about fresh workwear staples for spring. If you keep up with me on instagram, you know that I’m currently in NYC for fashion week where the thermometer currently reads 3° Fahrenheit. Needless to say, I need a little springtime pick me up. Check out the full article here!
This post was sponsored by Boden. All product selections, styling and opinions are my own.
The post Spring Staples appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
DRESS/COAT: BCBG | LEGGINGS: Hue (also similar here and here) | TURTLENECK: Majestic | BOOTS: Stuart Weitzman | GLOVES: Coach (old but similar here) | BAG: Sophie Hulme (also here) | Earrings: Baublebar
For a momentary step outside of my typical workwear line-up, I thought I’d share a couple looks from New York Fashion Week. Today, I’m sharing the ensemble I wore to the BCBG show last Thursday morning. This white and black fringed piece is actually a dress, but I wore it more as a coat with a black turtleneck (plus a few other concealed cold-weather layers because I’m not a masochist) and leggings. The leggings could easily be replaced with a pencil skirt or black trousers if you wanted to sport it in a formal professional setting. Personally, I’d really like to see Olivia Pope make this dress happen. I feel like she could verbally assault someone and then punctuate a fabulous one-liner with a little whipping-action fringe to the face. Just a thought.
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The post Fashion Week Memo: Day 1 appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
c/o Chico’s: SUIT JACKET | PANTS | SANDALS | TOP | NECKLACE | CUFF
EARRINGS: Argento Vivo | SUNGLASSES: Stella McCartney | BAG: c/o Henri Bendel | RING: Kathy Kamei (similar here) | POLISH: Nails – Essie (Vanity Fairest); Toes – Essie (A-List)
c/o Chicos: LACE JACKET (also similar here) | TANK | TRACK PANTS
SHOES: Topshop | BAG: Vince Camuto (similar here) | RING: Kathy Kamei (similar here) | EARRINGS: Argentino Vivo | NECKLACE: vintage but similar here
c/o Chico’s: POLKA DOT JACKET | PANTS | COLORBLOCK TOP | CHOKER
SHOES: Kate Spade (similar here and here) | BAG: c/o Henri Bendel | SUNGLASSES: Stella McCartney | EARRINGS: old but similar here
c/o Chico’s: LACE DUSTER | WHITE SHIRT | JEANS | NECKLACE
EARRINGS: old but similar here | SHOES: Saint Laurent (similar here) | SUNGLASSES: Stella McCartney
If you’ve followed this blog for any amount of time, you know that I’m all about versatile pieces that can be worn in a variety of ways and a variety of situations—both in and out of the workplace. From a practical perspective, it’s important to have pieces that can easily transition from desk to drinks when you don’t have time to run home and change before your après-work activities begin. Beyond practicality, however, having a separate office-only part of your closet comprising “work outfits” that you only wear from nine to five isn’t a great idea anyway. You should make your work-ready clothing a contiguous part of one fluid, cohesive wardrobe, rather than feeling like you have to ascribe to a “corporate uniform” of pieces that don’t really feel like you Monday through Friday. What you wear is not only representative of who you are, but also has proven effects on how you feel and perform professionally. Within the bounds of what’s appropriate in your workplace of course, there’s no reason you can’t wear clothing Monday through Friday that really represents you and your personal style.
This week, I’ve teamed up with Chico’s, a brand that epitomizes exactly this concept. As you can see above, each ensemble consists of versatile pieces that can be easily dressed up or down. For example, I wore the white suit above to a business meeting last week, and afterwards ditched the suit jacket and heels for a jean jacket and flats when running to the grocery store. Similarly, I wore the all-black ensemble shopping and running some errands while getting ready to leave for fashion week, and then wore the same pants with heels and a blazer this week for meetings in NYC. One of my favorite pieces is the lace duster jacket that can be worn as styled above for a Casual Friday look, or with a dress for dinner and drinks… speaking of which, is it the weekend yet? Happy Friday!
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SKIRT: Rebecca Minkoff | COAT: Sam Edelman | BLAZER/CAPE: BCBG | SHIRT: Vince Camuto (similar here and more here) | STOLE: old but similar here | EARMUFFS: old but similar here and here | GLOVES: Coach (similar here that are mobile friendly!) | TIGHTS: DKNY | SHOES: SJP Collection | BAG: Sophie Hulme (obsessed with all of her bags!)
This week I thought I’d share a few more street style shots from New York Fashion Week. Of course, it means a temporary departure from my typical work-ready ensembles, but I hope you can still glean some ideas from these outfits that would just require a few alterations (particularly in hem length) to make the professional grade.
The ensemble above involves the strategic combination of navy and black pieces—a concept I used to diametrically oppose. Today, the combination of navy and black is far from groundbreaking, but it’s still a concept with which a lot of people (myself included) struggle. A few short years ago, I (got dressed in the dark and) accidentally showed up at my office wearing black shoes, a black sheath dress and navy tights. I was mortified that I had mistakenly put on navy tights with an otherwise black outfit, so I immediately ran to Duane Reade to purchase some emergency black replacement tights. (Overreact much?) But as my style has evolved, I’ve come to really love the combination when executed properly. Personally, I still think the pairing looks best when it’s clearly deliberate, and not the result of a tragic combination of oversleeping and/or poor lighting in your West Village apartment. For me, the easiest way to pull off the dueling hues is to wear pieces that possess some continuity of print or texture. For example, I chose to execute that continuity via texture (fur) above by combing a navy fur coat with a black fur stole and black fur earmuffs. For another suggestion on how to bring the frenemies together, check out my recent instagram here where I combine navy and black via a little stripe action.
What are your thoughts? Is the black and navy combo do-able?
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The post Fashion Week Memo: Day Two appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
COAT: Marc Jacobs (30% off! similar styles also here and here) | PANTS: Chelsea28 | TOP: c/o Kal Rieman (similar here and here) | SHOES: Stuart Weitzman (another oxford option here) | BAG: Sophie Hulme | GLOVES: Coach (old but similar here) | HAT: BCBG
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The post Fashion Week Memo: Take Three appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
COAT: ICB (similar here and more below) | SKIRT: ICB (similar here; work-appropriate versions here, here & here) | SWEATER: Topshop (old but similar here, here, here & more below) | SHIRT: Pink Tartan (similar here, here & here) | BOOTS: Stuart Weitzman (also available here, here & here) | BAG: Loeffler Randall (also love this version and this version) | SUNGLASSES: Stella McCartney | GLOVES: Coach (old but similar here and mobile-friendly versions here) | TIGHTS: DKNY
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COAT: Ted Baker (last styled here; also here in black and similar versions here, here & here) | TUNIC SWEATER: Proenza Schouler (last styled here; also love this version here and similar styles here & here) | SHIRTDRESS: Black Fleece by Thom Brown | BOOTS: Stuart Weitzman | GLOVES: Coach (old but similar here) | BAG: Loeffler Randall | EARRINGS: c/o Baublebar | SUNGLASSES: Stella McCartney
Today I’m continuing my recap of some favorite street style snaps from New York Fashion Week. As you might have noticed, the bitter cold temperatures in NYC last week often meant ditching any fun footwear plans and sticking to over-the-knee boots that covered as much skin as possible. Luckily, these Stuart Weitzman favorites worked with lots of the ensembles I had planned, so I just ended up wearing them over and over. Tomorrow will be my last Fashion Week Memo before going back to some more work-ready ensembles next week. Happy almost Friday!
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The post Fashion Week Memo: Take Five appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
En route to Nicole Miller
DRESS: Nicole Miller | SHOES: Stuart Weitzman (similar here & here) | HAT: c/o Reiss | BAG: Sophie Hulme | COAT and BELT: Vintage
Tadashi Shoji
Vivienne Tam*
BAG: Loeffler Randall | BRACELET: c/o Julie Vos
Anna Sui
BCBG*
Backstage at Lincoln Center
St. Patrick’s
Elie Tahari
LEATHER PANTS: Alice & Olivia (similar here) | COAT: c/o Reiss (super on sale!) | SHIRT: c/o Ann Taylor | BAG: c/o Reiss | HAT: BCBG | SCARF: knit by me
Pamella Roland
Plaza
Ready To Fish
Sally La Pointe*
Tommy Hilfiger
Mara Hoffman
COAT: Ted Baker (here in black and similar orange version here) | SHIRT: c/o Kal Rieman | PANTS: Calvin Klein Collection | SHOES: Candela (similar here) | BAG: L.K. Bennett (similar here) | SUNGLASSES: Stella McCartney
Noon by Noor
Tome*
Lacoste
Marissa Webb
Alice and Olivia*
COAT: Sam Edelman | EARMUFFS: old but similar here | STOLE: old but similar here
During fashion week, I shared many of my favorite snaps from the shows and streets of NYFW on instagram. Today, I thought I’d share a couple of those here, plus a few extra that I found particularly inspiring (like those incredible Tadashi Shoji gowns). Next week it’s back to business as usual. Happy Friday!
* The five images above marked with an asterisk were taken from Style.com. I wanted to share these runway favorites but didn’t manage to snap a good shot while they whirred by me on the runway. All other images are my own.
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The post Fashion Week Memo: The Best of the Rest appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
COAT: Rag & Bone (also here; similar here, here, here and more below) | PANTS: Rebecca Taylor (also here) | SWEATER: Anthropologie (old but similar here, here & more below) | SHOES: Stuart Weitzman (similar here) | EARRINGS: c/o Baublebar | SUNGLASSES: Stella McCartney
More rose-hued favorites…
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{click on each individual product above for product information and details!}
The colossal Shopbop Sale on all full-priced and sale items is happening now so today I thought I’d share some of my favorites. Many of the items above would be perfect for the office, like this sleek pencil skirt or this classic black dress, but I’ve also included some off-duty picks as well. In particular, these sweats and these silver flats are at the top of my wishlist for spring and summer. The sale is only on until Saturday so remember to use code ‘BIGEVENT15‘ and get cracking…
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The post Wednesday Wishlist appeared first on MEMORANDUM, formerly The Classy Cubicle.
