TheWorkingWardrobe.com

For this week’s “What I Wear to Work” series, we are very happy to introduce to you, analytic expert, Laila! Laila works in a business casual office setting, so she wanted to share how she professionalizes her look for a casual setting. We love how she dresses up her look with a pair of dark skinny jeans and heels, counterbalancing the laid back nature of her button-down. What we love most about this look is Laila’s adorable pose! We would all love to be this happy at the office! Work it, Laila!

Do you want to be a part of our “What I Wear to Work” series? Email a photo, your first name and industry to rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com,  tweet your photo to us here,  or post it on our Facebook fan page! Whatever medium you so choose, we’d love to see what you wear to work!

By Huma Rashid

Last week, I posted a challenge originally posed by one of my friends who reads my blog. She dared me to find at least ONE outfit among the ones worn by the Miss Universe contestants and make it over in a business-casual or at least won’t-have-to-introduce-yourself-to-the-neighbors-and-be-on-an-internet-list sort of way. And as you guys remember, I rose to the challenge. Because I love challenges.

And this week, I was still thinking about the ridiculous outfits worn by those Miss Universe girls. Some of them were just outlandishly bad. But some of them had heart and potential, and just needed a hot meal, a bath, a warm bed, and for someone to believe in them a little. I wanted to take one of those outfits and do that for it. I’m just philanthropic that way, I guess.

So we’re back with another outfit to make over, and I picked Miss India‘s.

Tom and Lorenzo’s commentary on this, you ask? “If you’re gonna be all tasteful and appropriate, Miss India, you might as well stay in your hotel room…”.

I agree with them – this outfit is very tasteful for something like this. She’s not showing a lot of skin at all and she worked her culture’s visual aesthetic into a ballgown-costume. I think she would have fit in more if she went with a super skimpy sari, like with a Princess Jasmine-esque top and a loooong skirt bedecked in gold and silver, as they always are, with thigh high slits becoming some of Angelina Jolie’s red carpet choices. But she went with this totally appropriate number, and I bet she regretted it once she figured it probably hurt her chances, especially when Miss Columbia showed up in little more than a sparkly bra and a loincloth.

But I like this outfit a lot, particularly the color, and so I made it over in a decidedly business casual fashion.

One World Cap Sleeve Dress ………. $29.99
Nine West Ambitious Pump in Off White Leather ………. $23.99
Camisole in Mineral Deposit ………. $12.50

Super discount outfit today – it’s barely $67! How awesome is that?

I picked a blue peacock dress because sometimes, printed dresses are so fun. And the mix of colors makes the blues that much more vibrant. Peacocks are kind of a big deal back in India and Pakistan, which isn’t surprising because they’re AWESOME. Did you know that when there’s a storm coming, a peacock dances around? It’s adorable.

In addition to being just a wee bit shorter than I like my business casual dresses to be (I personally like them knee length to two inches above the knee, but this height is acceptable except in offices that emphasize the ‘business’ part of business casual a little more than the ‘casual’ part, as it’s just about 3″ above the knee), the dress has a plunging neckline. To fix this, I threw in a beige camisole. I despise words like nude that describe clothing or shoes – um, I’m sorry, nude for who? Because I certainly wouldn’t look nude if I was wearing that, and neither would other ladies of color. It’s not an offensive term, per se, but it’s one we don’t need. Beige camisole. Beige camisole.

And I picked a pair of matching beige shoes to complete the look and keep the focus on the dress. That’s my business casual twist on Miss India’s outfit - how would you guys have styled it? Let’s say we opted to make our base a solid blue dress (not a printed one) in a hue similar to the one in the header picture: how would you have styled it? What accessories would you have picked? Sound off in the comments!

By Jacqueline Rezak

It is almost that time for those of you who are interning this fall to get started! This can be a scary time, full of “what if’s” and nervousness. Fear not! Often times on the first day, you will be given an explanation of your duties and you will get the hang of it soon after that.

By Jacqueline Rezak

As I have been in and out of stores like CUSP, Saks, Intermix and many others it seems as though there has been an overwhelming amount of army green. I have seen so many different items in this color including blazers, button downs, jeans, that if I somehow missed this fall’s military trend, I now am facing it head on!

Check out this fantastic ensemble shared with us from Benedict, a Social Engagement Manager for a Fortune 50 company! Not only does she have a snazzy job, but a very snazzy belt! Also did you check out her shoes? Love the substitution for the basic black pump. Job well done, Benedict!

Do you want to be a part of our “What I Wear to Work” series? Email a photo, your first name and industry to rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com,  tweet your photo to us here,  or post it on our Facebook fan page! Whatever medium you so choose, we’d love to see what you wear to work!

By Huma Rashid

So, dear readers, I was challenged the other day by one of my friends, who posted this blog post about the Miss Universe 2010 National Costumes thing, and said she wanted to see if I could turn even one of them into something that someone could actually wear in public without being chased by the nice men in white jackets.

And you guys know I never turn up my nose at a good challenge. SO CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, Megan!

For my weekly post, I decided to make over Miss Georgia. (The country, not the American state.)

Pretty girl and as far as costumes go, not bad. Let’s be honest, it’s hideous, but I feel like it could be way more hideous. I mean, you’ve seen what the other girls were wearing, if you clicked that link. Yikes. Train wreck city!

But I actually loved the color combinations here: brown and cream and red go so well together. I have a pair of silks (traditional Pakistani shalwar kameez, actually) that are those exact colors, and it’s just a lovely combination. Plus, I love when red shoes are worn correctly, and red’s been popping up all over the runways recently – has anyone else noticed this? Designers are totally falling in love with this bold color all over again, and are going all out.

Now, I’m not suggesting you outfit yourself in head-to-toe red and polish it off with Marilyn Monroe-esque lipstick, like the runway models, but I did play around with red shoes and this lovely color combo. Let’s take a look.

Brown Straight Leg Pants ………. $15
French Connection Ruffled Blouse ………. $53
Rocket Dog Ballet Flat in Rosewood ………. $19.95
Bangle ………. $6.99

I pulled off something very simple here. Basically fool-proof. I found a pretty red top with lots of other colors like burnt orange and white, and instead of pairing it with black pants – which would have been too stark, or, as we professionals call it, eye-stabby, technical term – I paired it with brown pants to soften and warm up the look.

I found a pair of red flats to tie in with the shirt and keep that bold red theme going, and finished it with a cream colored wooden bangle since we had some money left over and needed accessories. A shiny brown leather tote with some nice hardware will pair greatly with this, as will a cream colored satchel or a tan or taupe one. Go with a red wallet if you like (you know the kind – the bigger, fancy, sleek red wallet/pocketbooks) but an actual red bag will be too much. You don’t want to overdo the red.

And that’s how I’d make over one of the Miss Universe gals (Miss Georgia). What do I win, Megan? Ooh, I hope it’s a pony.

By Jacqueline Rezak

Although summer is great, some of us prefer the fall season as it allows for a much more flexible wardrobe. Rather then having to find the perfect shirt that won’t leave you too hot on the way to the office but also too cold when your under the air conditioner you can simply throw on a blazer. Blazers are the perfect combination of sophistication and style for the office and with fall quickly approaching it is time to bust them out of the closet.

By Huma Rashid

Sometimes, you really just feel like wearing a white dress. They’re classic. They’re breezy and summery and feminine. It’s best not to overanalyze it: sometimes, you just want to be The Girl In The White Dress.

Here’s a way to be That Girl at work, without looking like you just came from posing for the cover of a contemporary romance novel. Because, duh, the models for the cover of Regency romance novels wear those long dresses that fall to their ankles in a pretense of modesty, but also put some serious decolletage on display. Eh. What are you going to do?

Why, wear this, of course!

Grace Elements Dress ………. $39.99
Rosetti Isabella Purse in Green ………. $35.40
Mary Janes ………. $15
Long Wood Necklace ………. $2.99

I picked this lovely cap sleeved smocked dress. Isn’t it just twee? (As Emma Thompson defines it, ‘twee’ is whimsy without wit. I think it’s a pretty decent British characterization; we in American use the term a little differently, but whatever.) It falls past the knee, totally work appropriate, even when it rides up as you sit.

I paired it with brown Mary Janes and a matching brown beaded necklace that I found on Etsy. And as a finishing touch, I threw in this ‘moss snake’ colored tote bag, which I think is kind of awesome. There’s such a scarcity of awesome green tote bags. It’s a shame, because green handbags are probably my favorite.

And there we have a lovely way to work a breezy white dress into your office attire!

By Huma Rashid

Is it just me or are dresses getting shorter and shorter? It’s not just me. Remember the good old days, about 3-5 years ago, when all the supermodels and actresses were wearing dresses 5″ above the knee and it was super racy and scandalous? Those standards seem downright Puritan right about now.

And if you’re like me, you love dresses, but you don’t want to prance around in something that invites the rest of the world to be your gynecologist. That’s not empowerment; that’s cheap. Aside from the medical exam thing, you don’t want to be responsible for the rise in men’s accident rates, per MSNBC.

I used to get really frustrated when I saw the cutest dress and then realized…that was only half of it. And then realized, no, that was the whole thing! It hadn’t somehow been torn in half before being put up on the rack – that was the whole darn thing! And since there was no way I’d be caught dead in a dress that short, I’d put it back and mosey on over to Burqas ‘R’ Us, where they sell pencil skirts and knee-length dresses.

But after a while, I was just sick of having to pass up on adorable dresses because I didn’t want to look trashy, and like I was wearing a shirt. I decided that I was going to embrace the shirt-like nature of a lot of those adorable dresses by styling them as shirts.

And that’s what I’ve done below, with a super cute little number from ModCloth that simply HAS to have been mislabeled as a dress. Because, come on.

Paris Blues Skinny Jeans ………. $15
Great New Lace Dress ………. $47.99
Leaf Cardigan in Beige Heather ………. $23.99
Zipper Trim Flat ………. $9.99

Let’s talk about what I did. I found this adorable lace dress and, after I was done trying to find the rest of it, decided to pair it with skinny jeans. Skinny black pants would also work wonderfully, it’s up to you, not to mention your office dress code.

I found this cardigan at Kohl’s with a pretty leaf motif in red and green. Leaf motifs are popping up everywhere, and I don’t mind them at all. Plus, this cardigan has banded sleeves and a banded bottom, making it good for skirts and dresses, which is what this lace shirt claims to be, so it’ll be just fine. Yes, they’re not technically worn with pants, but you can make it work with the longer tunic underneath, even though the cardigan has its own shape.

For flats, I wanted something in a nice, pretty, vibrant red to tie into the sweater and pull this whole thing together. (Remember, I usually add sweaters or blazers to sleeveless tops because it’s the office and your dress code may very well not allow for sleeveless tops.) These flats were not my first choice by any means, but were the only ones that fit my budget and didn’t look completely terrible. Again, I’d go with really cute bright red ones, but I’d probably lose the zipper and go with more of a rounded toe, although a pointy toe would elongate the legs. Again, it’s up to you.

And that’s how I might go about styling one of my cute, alleged dresses into the shirt it actually is.

By Jacqueline Rezak

As intern it is very common to be the “go to” person for the other employees in the office. For example, if something needs to be shipped you will be the one running to the UPS store; if coffee is needed you will be the one running to Starbucks; and so on.  Having to go on these types of errands often will discourage an intern but it is important to remember that everyone must pay their dues.