Would you be an animal at work?

Even though I’m not loving this heat wave, I’m not yet ready for summer to end. But I can’t keep fall fashion trends off my mind.  And I also can’t ignore all the new fall collections that are flooding stores and magazines.

One big trend that everyone is talking about is animal print. There sure is lots of leopard print out there!
So here is the big question, how much animal print can your office handle?

Let’s start with the skirt:


If you are going to go with a bold print on the bottom then make sure you keep the length super conservative. Notice that the skirt on the left from http://www.asos.com/ has a fairly small subtle print and is knee length. Pairing this with a black top/jacket and black pumps keeps the look professional. Do the same with the skirt on the left and the attention won’t be on your work!  The skirt is too short and the print too bold.

And what about on top? Can you really do a printed jacket?


What concerns me here is fit. The jacket on the left works because it is kept open and is paired with a solid color top and pants. However, on the right the model actually adds visual pounds to her look by wearing a printed jacket (no matter what the trend - if you are top heavy stay away from animal print tops!)

Plus, do you really want your coworkers to start thinking about the jungle while you are discussing the latest earnings reports?

But, if you are still not sure that you can pull off a leopard printed skirt or jacket (and believe me, I don’t blame you) then try incorporating the prints in small amounts through your accessories:

Watch: ASOS; Bag: Kenneth Cole; Scarf: by CCC; Shoes: Casadei
So anyway, keep in mind, while you might work with “animals” it doesn’t mean you should be one!

Flip Flops? Really?

To date I have prided myself on keeping this blog positive. Believe me when I tell you, a ton of my readers would rather see me a blog about all the unfortunately dressed people in the office instead of the well-dressed ones (they claim its more fun).

Anyway, I don’t know if its the volatile markets, the midterm that I have this week or the cold that I have in the middle of 100 degree weather but I have been driven to negativity.

I have been seeing a lot of this in the office and frankly its just unacceptable!


Even if open toe shoes are exceptable in your office, flip flops should be forbidden.

And here is why:
1. Heels make your legs look longer and leaner (especially when you wear knee length skirts). Flip flops do absolutely nothing for your legs. In fact I personally think they make them look shorter.
2. They don’t match! A pencil skirt and flip flops do not a pair make. Same thing with pants!
3. It is just as important to have coworkers respect you as it is to have clients/ senior managers respect you. Would you wear these to a client meeting? I didn’t think so!

I prefer close-toe shoes at work but if you have the flexibility to wear open-toe shoes here are some professional options:

Antonio Melani Peep Toe $79 @ http://www.dillards.com/

BCBG Peep Toe: $99 @ http://www.dillards.com/

To Golf and What to Wear? That is the Question!

Next Monday, I get to start my work week on the golf course! Now that is the kind of work I could get used to! I will be taking a client out for a game of golf, but the problem is that I am not much of a golfer and I don’t have the proper “uniform.” I decided to get inspiration from the ladies of the US Open.

I noticed a pattern.


All these pros are wearing short sleeve polo shirt and a skort (No, this is not a typo. A skort is a skirt & shorts combo that is especially made for women that play golf/tennis…). Also, notice that the golf shoes actually match the shirt and that the skorts tends to be lighter than the tops.

And then there are the “unconventionalists.”


Some of them wear shorts, long sleeve shirts under their polos and “little black dresses.” Also, great options for my golf outing, but I’ll probably play it safe.

I can guarantee, I definitely won’t be wearing this:


I plan to do some shopping for the event on Friday. I am not really sure which brand will fit me best but I’ll be making stops at the usual suspects: Nike, Adidas, World of Golf and Paragon.
If you have any suggestions let me know and stay tuned for pictures from the event next week.

Aging in Style: the French Way

I just read this amazing article in the NY Times about how to age gracefully: the French way. It’s a pretty amusing read, enjoy!
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/fashion/15French.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=fashion

Casual Friday: The French or the 50s?

It’s finally Friday! Some of us, the lucky ones, get “Casual Fridays”. So I decided to take a break from the suits, skirts and cardigans.  After a full week of professional wear the casual part can actually be more difficult to pull off, but some of my friends in “the business” know how to do it right!

Meet Andrea! She was inspired by Bastille Day and let traditional french fashion guide her:

Top: JCrew; Jeans: Sevens; Shoes: Vintage

Andrea looks fashionable and most importantly Friday appropriate. If her jeans were skin tight and in light blue denim this look would definitely be a disaster but the dark denim flared leg on the jeans is just perfect!
Now Anne here was channeling a little 50’s with the dress, and I loved it! What I love even more is that she brought the dress at H&M for under $40!

Dress: H&M; Belt: H&M; Shoes: Aldo

Anne was so smart to keep the length to the knee, the shoulders covered and the neckline appropriate with a camisole.

Thanks, Andrea and Anne for the inspirations. Have a great weekend!
Oh and by the way I will be in France in August - so definitely more French inspired fashions to follow!

Wild Prints For Wild Markets

The fashion magazines have been encouraging us to wear flower printed dresses all summer and on the weekends I sometimes follow this trend. However, I was convinced that I could never make a flower printed dress look appropriate for work. But then my friend and coworker Elizabeth came to work looking like this. Wow!


Dress: Calypso St. Barth;Shoes: Coach; Jacket: Ann Taylor: Sunglasses: Ray Ban

Elizabeth balances out the softness of the dress with a crisp white jacket which instantly makes this look so professional and put together. I also love that the dress has a larger print and a beautifully tailored collar. Not only is the neck line slimming but it also makes the dress feel slightly more formal.


You can copy Elizabeth’s look in just a few clicks at Dillard’s with these pieces:

Dress: London Times Printed Dress $80
Blazer: Antonio Melani “Shandra Jacket $120
Shoes: Jessica Simpson “Jessica” shoe

Thanks Elizabeth! It’s always so inspiring to see a smart, successful and well dressed woman!

Hedge that risk! Keep these in your desk drawer!

I’m sure most of your drawers are full of the obvious “life savers” : toothbrush, mints, advil, bandaids, hair brushes and maybe even a nail file. But consider some of these less obvious essentials.



1. Dry Shampoo: I like this T3 - Orlando Pita because it is designed to blend in with your hair color instead of making it look gray (available in 2 colors: one for brunettes and another for blondes). For those of you that aren’t familiar with dry shampoo, it’s magic! Its a hair product that takes all the grease out of your hair and makes it look as if you just washed it. Oh, and it smells good too!

2. Standard Black Blazer: you never know when you will get pulled into a meeting with clients or the Big Boss and you can never go wrong with a black blazer (just hang it on the back of you chair - it will save you one of these days).

3. Nude-colored bra: Not that I am speaking from experience or anything, but imagine the day that your bra strap breaks and you have to go searching for a safety pin all over the office. Instead you can just grab a spare bra that you discretely keep inside your desk drawer and change into it in the ladies room.

4. Nail Polish Pen: I love how my nails look on the first day after a manicure.  But after pounding on the keyboard for a day or so my nails start to chip at the edges. This pen is great for small touch ups. But ladies please don’t use this at your desk. This is a bathroom only product - just like the bra!

What did I miss? What kind of “life savers” do you have in your desk?