Make It Work Monday

If you follow me on Instagram (like you should) you probably witnessed the extreme metamorphosis of my closet over the weekend. Sufficed to say I was an amalgam of emotions. Accomplished? Yes! Sad. Totally... While I did not invent the closet purge I do consider myself an aficionado despite my emotional conflict. Maybe it's because of my love of fashion, or my obsession with organization, perhaps my personal/professional ability to make unbiased judgement (ahem recruitment,) or a combination of everything; Either way, I'm exceptionally proficient at it, or so I thought...

I hadn't been completely honest with myself about what was really going on in my own closet. While I had previously purged my closet and gotten rid of a large amount of things it wasn't really a true representation of everything that no longer fit me. Part of my difficulty posting last week was because the items that I would pull from my wardrobe to make amazing ensembles were not actually viable options (AKA too big/loose/unflattering) and it prolonged the entire process. So, this weekend I focused on being truly unbiased and got rid of all of those items. In the end I was left with a sparse selection of clothes from which I was able to piece together this ensemble.

• Top: beige/metallic striped sweater, Ella Moss via Ashby
• Bottom: black capri pants, Lands End
• Shoes & Accessories: gray cap toe ballet flats, Guiseppe Zanotti via Buffalo Exchange; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, gift from Mom

I most recently wore these pants here.

I'm linking up with Mix It Mondays, Let It Shine, How I Spring, Monday Mingle, Creative Mondays,and Personal Style Monday

Sandal-foot

This ensemble was another example of me not appropriately judging the season that we are in. It wasn't as serious as "sweater-gate" but, there was a definite disconnect between what I had selected over the weekend based on the weather report and the actual weather. The swap that I made from the original ensemble was sandals for shoes, a simple but, awesome smart move. When else am I going to wear the oodles of sandals that are occupying space in my shoe closet?

• Top: maroon dolman sleeve blouse, Style & Co.
• Bottom: yellow/brown and rainbow plaid skirt, WDNY 
• Shoes & Accessories: bronze gladiator sandals with genuine stone embellishments, bo'em; coin pearl necklace, V'ta Jewelry; coin pearl earrings, gift 

I most recently wore this shirt here.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for Nailipop manicure strips!

(F)Unemployment Files: The First Day

One of the things that I was initially most excited about regarding my (f)unemployment was the amount of free time that I anticipated I would have. I didn't really have time to see my friends or do the things that I wanted to do as much as I would have liked while working in that position. Naturally, the first thing I decided to do was meet some former co-workers for lunch and catch up. Effectively taking advantage of the seemingly unlimited amount free time is one of the important things about (f)unemployment. While you need to be an effective job seeker (if that's what you're looking for) you also need to break up the monotony of the search by doing nice things for yourself like grabbing a coffee with friends, heading to a museum, or getting a mani/pedi if you can manage the expense. I was also in the midst of holiday shopping so this outfit had dual purposes as I ran all over the area hunting down the best gifts/deals for family and friends after lunch.

• Top: gray tunic, Frazier Lawrence via Mom
• Bottom: peach skinny jeans, Demin Licious via Torrid/gift from BF
• Shoes & Accessories: black and white ruffled snake print flats, Coconuts via DSW; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered by me; black tote bag, Coach (not pictured)

Night Out: Blaze

Even though work was crazy I did manage to have some fun! One of the things that I did during that Fall was attend a festive event called the Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze. It's north of NYC in the Hudson Valley and features thousands of hand carved pumpkins set up in intricate scenes while you walk through and take in the slightly creepy but, utterly amazing spectacle. It's a fun thing to do around Halloween if you are looking for something festive but, want to avoid the creepy haunted houses/trick or treating. Check it out... 

Luckily for me, the date that we acquired tickets happened to coincide with a casual Friday. There was no need to rush home and change or pack an extra outfit which was convenient. It ended up being an extremely tepid night and the blazer was all I needed. It was also extremely humid because of earlier precipitation and my previously styled hair (thanks to Salon Caru in Hoboken) formed loose curls which I totally loved. All in all it was a fantastic (and stylish) night! 

• Top: yellow floral patterned sweater, Dana Buchman for Kohl's; black and white pinstripe blazer, Calvin Klein via SYMS (part of this suit)
• Bottom: skinny jeans, Forever21
• Shoes & Accessories: black Madison Heights Tall Boots, Timberland via Zappos; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered by me; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

November 8, 2012: Winter Is Coming

Correction, winter is was here! After freezing my little piggies off trudging home through a few inches of snow in ballet flats I wanted to make sure I was prepared to stay warm during the morning commute. I went (way) against the rules and wore skinny pants to work so I could easily tuck them into my (secret commuter) black Ringo Star snow boots, courtesy of Cougar. I wasn't taking any chances! Of course by morning the sun had come out and by the time I left work in the evening all the snow had melted away. I suppose it's better to be over prepared... Was there snow in your area? Was it gone as quickly as it came?

• Top: teal cowl neck sweater, Mossimo for Target (same sweater different color here); gray pinstripe blazer, Calvin Klein via Loehmanns (part of this suit)
• Bottom: black really skinny pants, GAP
• Shoes & Accessories: black kitten heel pumps, Coach; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered by me; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit are previously seem and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. 

Don't forget to enter to win a $100 gift certificate from Shopbop!

May 29, 2012: Holiday Hangover

Normally this term is synonymous with gorging oneself on too much food or imbibing a few too many cocktails but I find myself out of sorts for a different reason… too much relaxation? I know, that doesn’t really make a lot of sense. I spent Memorial Day weekend catching up on sleep and doing low key things around the house. Nevertheless, I still had SO much trouble peeling myself out of bed on Monday Tuesday morning to go to work; It was like I had just attempted a triathlon or something equally strenuous. What’s up with that?

That being said I am especially proud of myself for keeping it together wardrobe wise and rocking a professional ensemble complete with blazer! The feeling of sheer exhaustion wasn’t the only hurdle I had to overcome when putting my outfit together. The weather in NYC has been pretty gross. We’re talking high temps, 100% humidity (my hair loves this), overcast, misty rain nonsense... ick! I would really love a sunny summer! Is that too much to ask? Sorry, I digress... Picking out clothes to wear in my air conditioned office is hard when I feel like I won’t survive the commute there in what I’m wearing. Do you have any tips and tricks for summer office dressing that I could utilize?

• Top: pink sweater with black trim, Alfani via Macy's via Mom; gray pinstripe blazer, Calvin Klein via Loehmanns (from this suit) 
• Bottom: black skirt, Proenza Schouler for Target 
• Shoes & Accessories: silver silver Stella wedge pumps, Seychelles via DSW; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered by me; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

 

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a $100 Shopbop giftcard!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a free dress from eShakti.com!!

April 30, 2012: Change Of Heart

So despite various awkward conversations I was still very dedicated to my goal of no purchases unless they were entirely necessary. However, after the most recent conversation I started to doubt my original decision that I didn’t need to stock up on suits for this new job. My mother was kind enough to hit the thrift store for me and pick up a few things. But, after much contemplation and checking in the status of my (paltry) disposable income I decided to bite the bullet and go shopping to get some more suits.

While I will spare you the details of my shopping trip (for now) I will let you know that I did pick up a few really appropriate things for work like, this suit. YAY? While I wasn’t so keen on the pressure I felt to go shopping and purchases more suits this definitely fits the bill for what I would want: cute muted pattern, interesting details, high stance… overall success! What do you think?

• Top: red floral print blouse, Old Navy with a tank top underneath for the modesty; beige blazer, Tahari via Loehmanns
• Bottom: beige skirt with side pleat details, Tahari via Loehmanns
• Shoes & Accessories: gray pumps, Steve Madden; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered by me; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, and here.

February 21, 2012: Getting In The Mood

Long weekend are the best! Did I just have one? In this picture I did. This is sad face all over again but, for real! My floor's really not that awesome... It's always a bummer to head back into the office after you've had an extra day to spend at home for "free" AKA not taking a vacation day. I have generally been trying to consistently wear professional outfits at work. Dress for the job you want and all that jazz, plus it helps me refocus after the weekend. How do you get back into the groove on Mondays?

• Top: pink sweater with black trim, Alfani via Macy's via Mom; black blazer, Ann Taylor via Melissa
• Bottom: beige pinstripe trousers, LOFT/gift from BF
• Shoes & Accessories: black pumps, Nine West; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered; silver watch, Fossil; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, and here.

December 21, 2011: The Final Countdown

The week before Christmas was spent frantically wrapping things up in the office and at home. The holidays really are my most favorite and concurrently least favorite time of the year; There is just so much going on! I just wanted to be comfortable and still somewhat put together as I wrapped things up, the last few days were definitely some of the craziest.

• Top: orange dolman sleeve top, Xhiliration for Target; gray flyaway cardigan, New York & Company
• Bottom:  black true straight pants, GAP/gift from BF
• Shoes & Accessories: black pumps, Nine West; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered; Neverfull GM, Louis Vuitton/gift from BF

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. 

December 14, 2011: Just Another Tuesday

As excited as I might look this was just another day at the office amidst crazy Christmas preparation... 

• Top: cream lace top, Merona for Target with a tank top underneath for the modesty; purple cardigan, Merona for Target (same sweater different color here)
• Bottom: brown knit pants, New York & Company
• Shoes & Accessories: brown/black snake embossed ballet flats, Xhiliration for Target;  coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered; dusty mauve butterfly tote, GAP

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, here,  here, here, here,here, here, and here.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for the complete Mirrors Collection from Zoya!

November 3, 2011: I've Got Lace

If you are participating in this theme week please link up below and put the trend that you are representing where it asks for your name. Please leave a comment after you post, thanks!

Many of the trends this fall make me think of a more classic style and lace is definitely one of them. The other thing that lace reminds me of is a doily. Thankfully, this shirt channels the classic style and not the latter but, despite that it is still a challenging piece to wear to work. Completely see through tops are not what I think of when I imagine professional business attire. O, you do? Then I should be ok... I rocked this top at my last job no problem but, this new office is decidedly more conservative. We shall see how it goes. What other items of clothing do you think push the corporate dress code? 

• Top: cream lace top, Merona for Target with a tank top underneath for the modesty; purple wool blazer, Victoria Holley/Mom's closet cleanout
• Bottom: gray pencil skirt, New York and Company
• Shoes & Accessories: brown pumps, Candies via Kohl's; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered; brown woven tote, Loeffler Randall

Items from this outfit are previously seen here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. 

Night Out: From The Mouths Of Babes

Not only has my work schedule been a little bonkers but, my social life has been a bit cray cray too. I really shouldn't complain; I get stir crazy when there aren't fun things going on, it's such a catch twenty two but, I digress...

With so many things going on I actually got a little stunted when getting dressed. I couldn't decide what to wear on Friday night so I threw a few things on and bounced the ensembles of my little brother and his friend. We collaborated and came up with this outfit which worked perfectly. Who do you bounce fashion ideas off of?

• Top: teal ribbed tank top, Old Navy (same shirt different color here, here, here, and here)
• Bottom: pink and coral polka dots skirt, New York & Company (same skirt different color here)
• Shoes & Accessories: silver gladiator sandals, Isaac Mizrahi for Target; coin pearl necklace, V'ta Jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered; Cerises Pochette, Louis Vuitton (not pictured)

May 5, 2010: So Mom

Everything about this outfit scream "Mom" to me. No, not your Mom, my Mom! It might be because alot of the items in this outfit were originally hers but, I could completely see her wearing this outfit minus the shoes plus shorter pants (she's a half a foot shorter than me.) That crazy teal pop of color is all me!

• Top: maroon sweater, ABStudio via Mom with a tank top underneath for the modesty
• Bottom: black knit pants, New York and Company
• Shoes & Accessories: teal leather flats, ALDO via Re/Dress NYC; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered; coin pearl/stone necklace, borrowed from mom; blue Foley + Corrina City Clutch, gifted via Plaza Too

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a pair of Tiffany style silver earrings like mine!

May 2, 2011: Back To Business

Yesterday was my first day back in the office after a mini sabbatical. It was a bit difficult getting dressed because the weather was so gross outside in the morning. I hope we are not having a repeat of last year! April showers bring May flowers, right? That's what I was told as a child. Don't destroy what I know to be an unequivocal fact with your reality. O, you won't? That's great, thanks. Weather.com will, that jerk...

How am I supposed to motivate and get myself out of bed knowing that is what is going to greet me when I exit my house for the rest of the week!? At least there is documented proof that I made it out yesterday, I make no promises about the remainder. How do you beat a lame forecast?

• Top: green sweater, LOFT (same sweater different color here)
• Bottom: beige pinstripe pencil skirt, New York & Company
• Shoes & Accessories: green tweed kitten heel pumps, Coach; coin pearl necklace, V'ta Jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from Mom then altered, purple tote bag, Coach (not pictured)

Items from this outfit are previously seen here:

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a pair of Tiffany style silver earrings like mine!

March 28, 2011: Time Flies When Your Super Busy

I can't believe that I am almost at the end of one year wearing no repeats to work! It seems like only a month or two ago I started. Maybe that's why I almost repeated an outfit this morning. Thankfully, I have been very accurate in my cataloging of outfits. I guess you can't help leaning towards your first instinct, too bad I already went with that! On a related note, I have almost finished compiling all of my "lost outfits" you know... the ones I've been too busy to post. Thank goodness because it's just about time for me to sum it all up. I wonder where I'll find time for that? 

• Top: yellow floral patterned sweater, Dana Buchman for Kohl's; navy pinstripe blazer, Tahari via Loehmanns
• Bottom: gray wool pencil skirt, Isaac Mizrahi for Target/hemmed by Mom
• Shoes & Accessories: black pumps, Nine West; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from mom then altered; purple tote bag, Coach (not pictured)

Items from this outfit are previously seen here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

February 9, 2011: Breaking All The Rules

So I am down to my last few days in this office and I am feeling a little wild and crazy... You remember last week when I recklessly paired brown tights and black boots? Well, I'm doing it again today! I know it's Wednesday but, I am going to wear denim to work. I can see the horrified looks on your faces now... I know it's cray cray but, I don't care. I have a feeling that things are going to take a turn for the conservative around here and I wanted to push my sartorial limits as much as I can in place where I am comfortable leaving. Sadly, my "reckless" interpretation of the dress code (specifically the denim) is pretty standard around my current office. Even though I personally kept it classy who might be in for some culture shock? That's be me.

• Top: green scoopneck sweater, LOFT with a tank top underneath for the modesty (same sweater different color here and here)
• Bottom: dark denim pencil skirt, Torrid (similar here)
• Shoes & Accessories: black Madison Heights Tall Boots, Timberland via Zappos; brown tights, Merona; coin pearl necklace, V'ta jewelry; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from mom then altered; purple tote bag, Coach

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Weekend Wear: Now I'm Feeling So Fly, Like A G6

Sorry, it's cheesy I know but, I can't get the song out of my head and I'm on vacation AKA it's ok! This morning I am flying out (crazy early) and I definitely gave some serious thought to what I am wearing on the plane. While I am certain that some form of yoga pant, a sweatshirt, and flip flops would be the most comfortable choice the fashionista in me cringes at the thought so, a compromise is in order. What would you wear to the airport?

• Top: green ribbed tank top, Old Navy; gray flyaway cardigan, New York & Company
• Bottom: denim jeggings, LOFT/birthday gift from Mom
• Shoes & Accessories: paisley flip flops (What? I said compromise...); coin pearl necklace, V'ta; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from mom then altered; purple tote bag, Coach 

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

October 8, 2010: Fly By

This week has gone by so quickly! That is probably due to the fact that I had (and still have) so many things to take care of in general. Cue picture of me pulling my hair out... I hope work today goes the same way and flies by. All I can say (or think, or type) is, "YAY vacation!!!" Don't worry I have a few fun surprises for you while I'm gone! Do you have any fun plans?

• Top: yellow floral patterned sweater, Dana Buchman for Kohl's
• Bottom: denim jeggings, LOFT/birthday gift from Mom
• Shoes & Accessories: purple suede-ish ballet flats, Mossimo for Target; coin pearl necklace, V'ta; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from mom then altered; brown leather tote, Bulga

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, here, here, here:

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Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

July 23, 2010: Friday Finally

It's back to normal today. No makeup or contacts (did you guys even notice?) just plain old me in my casual friday best, complete with pejorative eyesight and "natural beauty." I still have no idea what the weekend might entail but, I am pumped for it to start! Do you have any fun plans?

Don't forget, I will be "drawing" the winner of the silver and smoky quartz necklace tonight! Good luck to everyone who entered...

• Top: teal tank top, Old Navy with another tank top underneath for the modesty and layering fun!
• Bottom: trouser jeans, GAP outlet
• Shoes & Accessories: purple flip flops, Bitten via Steve & Barry's; coin pearl necklace, V'ta; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from mom then altered; yellow alley bag; multicolor polka dot scarf, New York and Company (not pictured)

Items from this outfit are previously seen and remixed here, here, here, and here:

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Last Chance! Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

July 21, 2010: Double Duty

I have seen this color combination used in some of my other daily outfit blog reads and I love it! So, I thought there must be some similar yellow and navy in items my wardrobe somehwere that I can use to emulate this pairing... and I found it. I had actually worn this outfit a few weekends ago (with purple flip flops and a different purse) but, thought that it could be appropriate for work so I saved it for workwear instead of doing a Weekend Wear post with it. I'm glad I did because although I have my standard work duties to take care of today there is a huge picnic at one of our other locations that I will be going to in the afternoon. This outfit fits the bill for both as a more casual summer work look for a hot and humid day, as well as, cute "fun in the sun" picnic wear, no?

• Top: navy blue ribbed tank top, Old Navy (before they started making everything ridiculously long)
• Bottom: yellow and brown polka dot skirt, Merona for Target [remixed]
• Shoes & Accessories: silver gladiator sandals, Isaac Mizrahi for Target (similar and on sale here); coin pearl necklace, V'ta; coin pearl earrings, borrowed from mom then altered; vintage Louis Vuitton speedy, eBay

Items froms this outfit are previously seen here:

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!