business

New Arrivals from White House Black Market

WHBM New Arrivals

WHBM New Arrivals

Hi friends! I know a lot of us are working from home right now so our current workwear might look a lot closer to pajamas but in the spirit of wishful thinking that things will go back to business as normal very soon, I’m sharing some work wear inspiration! If you have followed me for some time then you know that I’ve shared White House Black Market many times here on my blog as they are one of my go-to spots for work wear and special event attire. Plus they carry petite and curvy options for the best possible fit and being a petite gal myself, I sure do appreciate this!

White House Black Market’s new arrivals have me craving warm weather, pretty colors, and florals and I’m sure you will see why! You will see a lot of pinks, whites, blacks and neutrals in WHBM’s new arrival section and I am here for it!

WORK WEAR

WHBM New Arrivals

WHBM New Arrivals

WHBM New Arrivals

WHBM New Arrivals

Can we start with these pumps?! They are what I was most excited to unbox as I could already think of so many ways to style them. They are great for the office but I would also style them for date night with a lacy, black bodysuit and jeans! Next up, WHBM’s stretch slim ankle pants are the best fitting pair of work pants I have ever put on. So much so that I probably own at least 4 different colors at this point! They are form fitting but not too tight. They are also stretchy but don’t stretch out. Honestly they are the closet thing you are going to get to wearing leggings to work! I find their sizes run on the bigger side. I am wearing a 00P in the pants, XS in the top and 00 in the blazer.

SPRING DRESSES

WHBM New Arrivals

WHBM New Arrivals

WHBM New Arrivals

WHBM New Arrivals

It must be the shoe lover in me but let’s talk about the shoes first again because I am in LOVE with these kitten heels. The tan and black colorblocking reminds me of Chanel but at a fraction of the cost! Plus the heel height on them is comfortable enough for the office yet classy enough to wear for almost any occasion. I would suggest sizing up a .5 size as they do run a little small.

Now the dress is a totally winner! If I have any Spring/Summer brides, I think this dress would be the perfect shower dress. Honestly this dress could work for any event though. Throw a blazer on with it and wear it to the office or put a graphic tee over the top of the dress, throw on some sneakers, and a jean jacket for the weekend! It really can do it all. PSA: I am wearing a 00 and it’s still a little big so if you are in between sizes, size down.

*Thank you White House Black Market for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Work Wear Wednesday: Midi Skirt Edition

Work Wear Wednesday Midi Skirt

Work Wear Wednesday Midi Skirt

Work Wear Wednesday Midi Skirt

Work Wear Wednesday Midi Skirt

Work Wear Wednesday Midi Skirt

Turtleneck: Similar | Skirt: Goodnight Macaroon (use code XOXOCHIC40) |
Blazer: WHBM |
Shoes: Sam Edelman

Whenever I was still working in the corporate world I think I googled “creative office style” more times than I could count. I was sick of wearing the same thing on rotation every week and felt like none of my work clothes were very “cute” or “me”. One source of inspiration that I continually went back to was Mary Orton from the Memorandum blog. Working ladies, she is GOALS. Her outfits were always way out of my price range but I always had fun trying to recreate her looks for 1/20th of the cost she paid:)

If you are in a work clothes rut and looking for a fun piece to add into your rotation, try a midi skirt! I personally love the idea of midi skirts in the office because they are an appropriate length while still being feminine and cute! It’s a stand out piece that everyone is sure to recognize which is one positive. The other is that it’s longer than a pencil skirt which means you don’t have to shave as high LOL. The less effort to get ready in the mornings, the better. You feel me?

I rounded up several other midi skirts that are appropriate for the office and sure to be a staple in your closet. The great thing about all of these is that you could dress them down for the weekend as well. My favorite way to style a midi skirt lately is with a graphic tee and sneakers!


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Let’s Define Business Casual

What is business casual considered?

What is business casual considered?

What is business casual considered?

What is business casual considered?

What is business casual considered?

What is business casual considered?

Top: Abercrombie ($11) | Pants: Brandy Melville | Shoes: Calvin Klein

Photography by: Ban Avenue

Hi friends! It’s been entirely too long since I’ve posted a Work Wear Wednesday look so I apologize! Since quitting my full time job, traveling the world and having major hip surgery it’s been hard to shoot looks for you but don’t worry there are lots of Fall/Winter looks and office inspiration coming to the blog soon.

A question that comes up a lot is always “what is considered business casual?”. I can guarantee that every person and company will define it a bit different. Handy dandy Google defines it as such: “relating to or denoting a style of clothing that is less formal than traditional business wear, but is still intended to give a professional and businesslike impression”. In my opinion this is still pretty darn vague. The obvious answer is that it is somewhere between business professional (think suits, button downs, the whole shebang) and casual (jeans and a tee shirt).

The great thing about business casual being that it is somewhere in the middle of the two is that you can buy pieces that could either be dressed up or dressed down. For instance, my top that I am wearing in today’s post is just a “fancy” cotton tee that I wear on the reg with jeans or leggings. It actually comes in 5 colors and is only $11 right now so if you are needing a few basic tees I would highly suggest stocking up! Then take these pants for instance. While I did dress them up with a pair of heels, they could easily be worn on the weekend with a pair of slides or even dressed up to a bit more professional with the help of a blazer.

If you are still stuck on ideas for business casual I urge to check out some of my other Work Wear Wednesday posts as almost all of them would be considered business casual. I would also encourage you to always err on the overdressed side if unsure. After all it is always better to be overdressed than underdressed. And as a last resort here are a few quick tips if you are still questioning business casual.

  1. No jeans or leggings– While I do know a few companies that allow jeans at the office, technically jeans are not considered business casual. Nope, not even if they are colored. There are so many options out there that are actually more comfortable than jeans anyway if you just search. My hands down favorite pair of work pants are these stretchy ones from Gap.
  2. Cover your shoulders– Wear a top or dress that has sleeves. Showing your shoulders in the office is considered unprofessional. That being said I almost always wear a sleeveless top but throw on a cardigan or blazer on top of it. This way you can ditch some clothing if need be when you escape the office.
  3. Length does matter– If you are questioning if it’s too short, it most definitely is. Even if you think you can get away with it, leave it for another occasion because chances are once you are sitting at your desk or in a meeting, you are going to be even more self conscious and uncomfortable than when you were debating wearing it in the first place.
  4. When in doubt, thrown on a blazer- Time after time blazers have come to every girl’s rescue. If you aren’t feeling your outfit or think it might be just a tad too casual, throw on a blazer. It will instantly bring your outfit up a few professional points. Trust me on this one 🙂

Since work wear is my most requested topic, I would love to hear topic ideas that you are specifically wanting to hear about. Feel free to leave a comment, message or email me with your suggestions.

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Business Wardrobe Essentials

Top: LOFT | Pants: LOFT | Shoes: Johnston & Murphy

Photography by: Banavenue

You know those business wardrobe essentials that no matter how many new clothes that you get, you just seem to keep going back to? If I had to guess, it’s for one of a few reasons but the number one reason that the majority of us return to the same piece of clothing (no matter how bad it should and needs to be washed), is comfort. There are several days in my work wear past that I sacrificed being “well” dressed for a only slightly upgraded version of pajamas. Thankfully I’ve slowly learned over the years how to build a comfort-approved AND cute closet that starts with these 3 little business wardrobe essential tips!

1.Stretchy Pants – Also known as God’s gift to the working woman. I’m no yogi, but the amount of stretch in these bad boys would definitely allow you to bust a move in the office, you know if that’s your thing. While dresses are the perfect one stop shop option, stretchy pants are where it is at. This cropped style that you see me wearing is very popular right now and is super flattering. I love that LOFT and many other retailers are now offering these pants in petite, regular and tall sizing options so that no matter your height, you don’t have to worry about taking them to get tailored. Go ahead and stock up on these in every color, you can thank me later.

2.Cotton Apparel – When it comes to office space, you just never know if it’s going to be Antarctica or the Sahara Desert. There really is no in between. Finding cotton clothing for the office can be a bit of a struggle since everything nowadays is made out of polyester but hold out for those cotton finds because they are so much more breathable and comfortable! I personally love cotton, sleeveless tops like this one that I can then pair with a sweater or cardigan because those are 2 things that are actually extremely easy to find in a cotton option.

3.Pretty Pumps – Ever heard the quote, “A woman can do anything that a man can do and she can do it in high heels”?. You best believe that is the truth. Not only do I believe that heels are more comfortable than flats, they are also our secret weapon ladies! Hear me out, if your heels are not more comfortable than your flats, you are investing in the wrong pair of pumps. The right pair of pumps makes you look professional and I think you already know that they do wonders for your legs. Talk about a win-win! And heck, if you got it, flaunt it 🙂 I’ve said it several times before, but I highly suggest investing in a pair of brown, black and nude pumps. If you are feeling daring, cheetah print is also one of my go-to colors!

Wardrobe essentials in my book are 100% completely dependent on comfort. As many times as I have tried to convince my boss that the dress code should allow for pajamas and leggings, they just haven’t seemed to go for it yet. Until that day comes (fingers crossed it’s VERY soon), these tips should tide you over.

 

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