Monday, July 12, 2010

July 12, 2010: Dressing For Dinner

Today is the start of New York City Restaurant Week and I am excited to get my eat on! For those of you who don't know, NYC Restaurant Week debuted in 1992 when it was developed as a one-time culinary event to welcome the Democratic National Convention (DNC) to the City. Though created to appeal to delegates and other DNC attendees, the program also found a strong following among residents excited to dine at some of the City’s top restaurants for a fraction of the usual cost—$19.92 for three courses—and who wanted NYC Restaurant Week to be a recurring event. Now it's slightly more expensive ($24/lunch and $35/dinner) but, totally worth it!

I have a few reservations over the next two weeks and tonight is Asia de Cuba. I've actually eaten there before (delish!) but, it's been a while and since BF has never been there we are going so I can introduce him to the culinary wonder that is Asian Latin fusion. Because our dinner reservation is on the earlier side of things I have to be able to seamlessly transition from work to acceptable dinner attire. The easiest solution: a comfy yet chic dress, the right accessories, and a touch of make up before I leave! How would you dress for dinner?
  • Top: navy blue jersey knit dress, New York and Company with a tank top underneath for the modesty
  • Shoes & Accessories: yellow vintage inspired cut-out wedges, Merona for Target; semi-precious multi-stone necklace and earrings, custom V'ta jewlery; gray Balenciaga Le-Dix/motorcycle bag

Friday, July 9, 2010

July 9, 2010: Going Through The Motions

I got so many compliments yesterday on my sandals! Which was great but, as an added bonus I noticed that they are already stretching a bit. I passed along the info to everyone who asked me where I got them. In one case the person in questions literally ran back to her office so she could order them in her size... Sure Payless, I'll take some free sandals as commission for all my promoting! How about these?

I'm excited about it being Friday today but, at the same time not as much as I could be if I didn't have a million important things to do this weekend. So getting ready this morning was all about going through the motions... Denim on the bottom? Check. Flip Flops (even though they are not allowed)? Check. T-Shirt? Check. Shirt I would normally wear to work? Check. Counting down the minutes till 5PM? Check!
  • Top: red floral print blouse, Old Navy with a tank top underneath for fun
  • Bottoms: dark denim capris, Macy's
  • Shoes & Accessories: purple flip flops, Bitten via Steve & Barrys (just as comfortable as Havianas but, a small fraction of the cost... come back Steve! How about you Barry?); Tiffany & Co. silver bead earrings; blue Foley + Corrina City Clutch gifted via Plaza Too (not pictured because you've seen them before and I'm being a bit lazy)

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


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Thursday, July 8, 2010

Question: Where Can I Find Eco-Friendly Interview Clothes?

As I have mentioned before I work in HR and in my time functioning as a Recruiter I have seen alot of hilarious resumes and cover letters, met some "interesting" people, and gotten a good amount of questions. One of the more difficult questions was posed to me by a college student at a job fair. I remember complimenting her on her suit (I feel as thought those people are more serious about their search. First impressions, people!) then we proceeded to discuss a greening initiative that she had worked on at former internship listed on her resume... standard job fair stuff. The two topics melded together and we talked about the accessibility of eco-friendly products and clothing made out of organic/sustainable materials which led her to the questions, "Where can a college student on a budget get an eco-friendly interview outfit?"

To be honest, I was a little stumped... OK fine, really stumped! There are lots of places to buy eco-friendly products made out of organic materials or repurposed items but, where are all the suits? Either way, I was hard pressed to find anything particularly affordable in the standards of a college budget. My best solution: thrifting!! What could be more green that using the resources we have and not consuming or expending more? I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. That should be the answer to all of life's issues.
You can get a beautiful suit that someone was tired of or doesn't fit into anymore for a small fraction of the price. More importantly, I don't think I've ever seen a suit in a thrift store that cost more than $25! If you don't have one of the big name thrift stores by you you can shop Goodwill online or smaller consignment shops. Anyway you go about it there is a gigantic potential there to find what you are searching for at an affordable price if you take the time to look. Plus, it keeps those discarded clothes out of landfills. Where else would you look?
I love these questions!! Keep them coming...

July 8, 2010: Second Hand Treasures

I would just like to follow up on yesterday's post. The dress was very well received by everyone in my department who cared to notice, including my bosses. In fact, I got lots of compliments. So, I'm happy with that!

Moving along... Do you ever have those moments where you look at your closet and think, "What is all of this? Time to clean!"? That happens to me alot and just a few days ago the mood struck my mother. I love to help her go through her clothes, give her honest feedback, and snag a few pieces that she is letting go. This top is one of those gems! What are some of your secondhand finds that you absolutely love?
  • Top: coral embellished tank top, LOFT via Mom
  • Bottom: pink and coral polka dot skirt, New York and Company (same skirt different color here)
  • Shoes & Accessories: gladiator sandals, Christian Siriano for Payless. I decided to keep them (obviously, which brings my June spending total to $9.00! I'm breaking the bank, haha) and ended up going with the 8.5 (I'm normally a 9) so they are a little tight but still comfortable and, I know will stretch just enough; gold and mixed metal earrings, gift from my co-worker Natalia/free gift with her purchase from ModCloth; blue Foley + Corrina City Clutch gifted via Plaza Too

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

July 7, 2010: It's Getting Hot In Here

It was 102° yesterday and the temperature isn't really taking a dive so I'm trying to keep cool and, still remain work appropriate. Enter this breezy, lightweight, and slightly shapeless dress. If I add a belt to give it more shape it's too short to wear in the office so I would normally save this for a more casual event but, the temperature is definitely forcing me to work with what I've got. If it wasn't so crazy hot I would probably throw on a little cardi to increase my level of modesty but, overall I don't think this is that bad. My office is extremely laid back... What do you think?
  • Top: black and white print dress, White House Black Market part of a gift from my fab cousin V for my graduation
  • Shoes & Accessories: silver gladiator sandals, Isaac Mizrahi for Target (similar and on sale here); silver beaded necklace, Bitten via Steve & Barry's; Tiffany & Co. silver bead earrings; blue Foley + Corrina City Clutch gifted via Plaza Too