Workwear Wednesday

Good morning!

Yesterday morning I had the opportunity to introduce a panel of respected colleagues at an event organized by myself and fellow young leaders in my field.  It's very valuable to get involved in industry organizations and take part in those events.  There were over 80 people attending this panel discussion and it was fully developed and organized by young leaders.  We were glad to have highlighted an important issue in affordable housing today (supportive and homeless housing) and facilitated a fruitful discussion among established leaders in the field.  These affiliations are a great way to bring about positive change within your broader work community and at the same time positively impact your resume and career network.  

Given that there was a substantial audience and it was the first time my group had developed a panel of this kind, I wanted to wear something sharp but also summery as it was a beautiful day in NYC.  I decided on this navy stripe sheath dress from JC Penny paired with a white blazer from Forever 21.  I opted for traditional pearl accessories to offset the linear nature of the stripes.  As always, best thing about this outfit is the price.  

Dress - JC Penny | Blazer - Forever 21, old but similar here | Shoes - Nine West | Bracelet - Lia Sophia, old | Necklace - old, but similar option here

written with love,

Leslie 

Affordable Workwear Outfit Under $100

Good Monday everyone!

It's time for another round-up of affordable workwear for under $100!  Catch my last round-up here.

Today I'm bringing you an affordable outfit idea with styles from JC Penny!  JC Penny is totally a hidden gem!  They have some great collaborators and lines like Bisou Bisou, Nicole by Nicole Miller, I love Ronson, MNG by Mango, Allen B by Allen Schwartz and their Worthington collection is very modern.

I am a huge fan of mixing and matching suit separates rather than wearing a full matching suit everyday.  It keeps your outfit more interesting and appealing and it allows you to be more creative with your style.

This look incorporates a more up to date and summery sheath dress with an office appropriate blazer and peep-toe pumps to top off the look.  The pieces are very functional, too!  You can wear the peep-toe pumps for a night on the town and with other work appropriate outfits.  The dress can also be worn with flat sandals and a small cross-body bag for a more casual weekend look.  All of these items are on sale for a total price of $99.97!  

Dress - Nicole by Nicole Miller, Blazer - Worthington, Shoes - 9 & Co. 

Happy shopping!

written with love,

Leslie 

All photos in montage from JC Penny website. 

Rainy Day Workwear

Good morning friends!

It's still been chillier than I'd like for May and to top it off rainy!  I guess in these times of the Polar Vortex May showers bring June flowers?  Anyway, I've got you covered with ideas on how to tackle your wardrobe these mild, but chilly rainy days.

Tips for dressing for work on a rainy day:

1.  Wear a skirt! This is an excellent opportunity to wear some cute skirts to work.  It's also a practical option to avoid wet pant legs.  Work pants also do not tend to look very good tucked into knee high rubber boots, but a skirt with knee high rubber boots is an adorable look.  Your colleagues will be impressed that you look so good on an ugly day!

2.  Invest in a good raincoat and even more importantly, a good umbrella.  Umbrellas that you buy at the drugstore for 5 bucks get you through an emergency but leave you drenched otherwise.  Invest in a good umbrella that provides full coverage.  This one is a nice option, but these dome umbrellas offer full coverage at an affordable price.  Hunter also has a version of the dome umbrella.

3.  As for footwear, rubber boots are a good option.  In these photos, I am wearing rubber Capelli booties that I snagged at a discount retailer in midtown.  Here is a similar option.  Or you can opt for knee length rubber boots like the popular Hunter boots or this more affordable Totes version.

For milder summer rain, I like wearing my Sperry Top-Siders.  These are more breathable and comfortable than rubber rain shoes.  I've worn mine on numerous occasions in pouring rain and they've held up very well.

My outfit: Rain coat - Laundry by Shelli Segal, old but similar here | Skirt - Zara, old their newer version here | Shirt - Elle for Kohls, old but similar here | Bag - Calvin Klein, similar here | Boots - Capelli, old but similar here

written with love,

Leslie