The other day one of my co-workers paid me the sweetest compliment. It was Friday and we were chatting about our days/weekend plans when she turned to me and said, “You know, you should start a fashion blog.”
I wish someone had taken a picture of the blank stare I’m sure I gave her. Me? A fashion blog?
She continued, “You know, not like a normal fashion blog, but more of a business, “what-to-wear-to-work” fashion blog.”
Now before any of you get too excited/worried let me clarify, I do NOT plan on starting a fashion blog of any kind. While I sincerely appreciate the compliment, I don’t have the time or the energy, nor do I think I could get enough of a following to do something like that. That being said, business fashion is something that I do pride myself on. For the past 5+ years I’ve had jobs that require me to dress to impress Monday-Friday, 9-5. I own more pencils skirts than I do pants, and I can count the number of times I wore jeans last month on one hand. While that may sound torturous to some people, I love it. Oddly enough, I’m most comfortable dressed up. My motto: “You can never be overdressed or over-educated.” Thank you, Oscar Wilde.
That being said, my lovely co-worker got me thinking. And when I think, I make lists. And when I make lists, I like to share them. So it is with that introduction that I give to you the only fashionesque blog post I will probably ever do. I like to think these tips apply to everyone, working woman or not.
1. Work with what your mama gave you.
Fashions, be they work-place or runway, come and go. There is always going to be some new trend, the next big thing. And as much every fashion blog, magazine, and commercial will tell you, the newest fashion might just not be exactly what you need to “spruce up your summer.” Ex- I have a big butt (and I cannot lie). This past summer when all those chevron maxi skirts were popping up everywhere, I jumped on the band wagon and bought one. It only took me about 2 seconds in it to realize that my buttocks was just not made to have so much pattern stretched across it. It simply wasn’t flattering. Did that mean that I was fat? That I needed to starve myself to fit in it? Heck no. It just meant that I needed to grab myself that cute turquoise pencil skirt instead, because I could rock it. So the moral of the story? Work with what you have. Do you have brown eyes? Add a little bit of deep purple eyeshadow to the corners of your eyes. You’ll look bomb, trust me. To quote Lady Gaga, “Baby, you were born this way.” Embrace it, hott stuff.
2. Don’t be afraid to try everything once.
Now I’m not trying to negate everything I said in the above ramble. Certain fashions simply are not meant for certain people. But let you be the one to decide that. Don’t be afraid to try a new style, even if it may seem intimidating. Try things on in stores that you normally wouldn’t look at. Check return policies, and give everything a fair chance. Ex-I recently bought a pair of leather leggings (which some would say you have to have no bum to pull off), but guess what, they make my butt look fabulous! (You can ask my husband.) ;) Give things a try, and you might just be surprised.
3. Establish a uniform.
As a little girl, I always secretly wished I could go to some school that would require me to wear a uniform. I grew up watching movies like A Little Princess and tv shows like Gilmore Girls and I loved the idea of knowing that every day I could put on my cute pleated skirt, white button-up, and tie my hair up in a bow. What can I say, I have a thing for plaid. It’s this girlhood desire that inspired my next piece of advice: establish a uniform. Now, my definition of a uniform is a little bit different from what Rory wore every day to Chilton. By ‘establish a uniform’ I mean find one good outfit, one classic, timeless outfit that you can always have ready to throw on on those days when nothing else seems to work. My advice? A classic black pencil skirt and some kind of white button-up. This outfit will always be in style, it flatters every body type, and you can accessorize and dress it up any way you like. Have this outfit prepared and you’ll never have to go through those “what do I wear today??” mornings.
4. You get what you pay for.
So choose quality over quantity. Trust me, I know how tempting stores like Forever 21 can be with their endless $9.99 v-necks. But as tempting as it can be to buy clothes cheap and in bulk, take the time to invest in more durable pieces for your wardrobe. While they may cost more, they will stand the test of time. Now I’m not saying that everyone needs to go out and start buying $29.99 v-necks from J.Crew. I’m saying think about how long you want what you’re buying to last. For example, your uniform. That black pencil skirt is never going to go out of style. So why not make it an investment? Go somewhere where you can trust the quality (Banana Republic, J.Crew, Nordstrom, Loft). Believe it or not, these stores actually have pretty amazing sales themselves. So you can get the skirt you want, at the price you want, and keep it for years to come.
5. You don’t need to wear a white shirt/tank top under everything.
Ohhh if I could only tell you for how many years I have wanted to shout this from the mountain tops. Ladies-there are only two reasons why you would ever need to wear a white shirt under something. 1-If it’s see-through. 2- If it’s too low cut. Now, I hesitate in saying this, because I don’t want anyone to think I’m not a fan of modesty or appropriately covering yourself up. Sometimes, the shirt is too low, and you just need something under it, I get it. But most of the time, IT’S NOT. I think, especially within LDS culture, we get so used to putting a white shade top under everything that we never even stop to think that maybe we don’t always need it. My friends, I am telling you now-you don’t. Walk away from the white undershirt, it will change your life, I promise you.
And a couple of quick tips:
6. Buy the LBD. Just do it.
7. Invest in a good shampoo/conditioner
8. Become really good at doing your hair one way (for those days nothing else seems to work)
9. Wear your pretty clothes and be busy with style
Phew. That was quite the rant. And it felt surprisingly good.
Well there is it, my one and only fashionesque post. Glad I got that out of my system. :)
I wish you all a happy, bustling October!
Let’s end with a quote:
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| Leather leggings, what, what |
