I have loved clothing since I was a young girl. I even tried my hand at being a fashion designer and made a cute Jean Skirt on my cabbage patch sewing machine. My mom let me wear said skirt in the house but proposed that outside the house it should be worn by my doll since it was a little scandalous 🙂
Fast forward to today and each week I style an inspired look for the workplace. My goal is to help you look and feel your best. Two months ago I met this women and she has changed the way I think about clothing and shopping. Elissa is the owner of the amazing MonelleVermont, and this fall she helped me elevate my Lil’ Workstyle. She also helped me dispel two myths about boutique shopping that I previously held. First, I had always thought that boutiques were SUPER expensive. I’ve found that this is not the case. Almost every item I’ve shared below from MonelleVermont is around $100 and they are each unique Pieces vs. everyday staples. The other myth I had was that the clothing would not fit me. I am tall and so often I hear other people complain about their own sizing challenges. Working with Elissa and her team meant that I had a personal stylist (move over Trunk Club), and they found me styles that fit like they were tailor-made. They also helped me expand into new styles that I would not have otherwise ventured into.
Each week there is so much more I want to tell you when I post my #lilworkstyle so this blog post will allow me to go a little deeper into the pieces and method behind my styling.
Ruffle Sleeves- You are seeing a lot of sleeve embellishments this season which pair nicely with the skinny pants which don’t seem to be going anyway. When skinny denim first arrived back on the scene in 2005 I was convinced it was a fad and would be here today gone tomorrow, boy was I wrong! With any outfit I start with one key piece and build from there, in this case it was this amazing Gretchen Scott shirt. This shirt fit like it was tailor-made and was sleek allowing for a super easy front tuck. The front tuck is a trend that I have pulled into the workplace, rather than tucking my full shirt in which feels too uptight I do as the mommy bloggers do and just tuck a small portion of the front in to define the waist. I finished this look off with Emerald Tassel earrings. Jewel tones make their way back every fall/winter and this year is no exception. I also keep a drawer full of assorted mugs, because that’s what you do when you are in the coffee industry and a blogger trying to add that touch of workplace authenticity. I already shared that I am a recovering perfectionist so hopefully this does not surprise you 😉
Weekend to Work– I love making pieces work overtime and not having specific items for work and play. This plaid shirt was something I originally purchased to wear casually on the weekends so I was excited to incorporate it into my workday. I find that any shirt with a collar can be dressed up or down depending on how you style it and plaids are no exception. Pairing this shirt with grey denim further dressed the look down so I purposely styled the rest of the outfit with more formal pieces. A Navy blazer from JCrew is a staple in my closet, they don’t usually go on sale but I managed to find this one at a pretty nice discount. Then I topped the look off with a sparkly necklace and bracelet which both play more formal to counterbalance the laid back core of the outfit. Finally the cutest pair of flat pointed shoes added the extra formal polish this look needed.
Chicago Style On my recent trip to Chicago for a leadership summit I embraced a capsule collection and picked twelve key pieces that can pair in so many ways. I always bring my Barbour Jacket when I travel because it packs small, is waterproof, and has a detachable hood and removable liner. It will literally get you through any weather and is formal enough to pair with my work attire.
Tuckernucking When I met with Elissa from MonelleVermont she asked me if I was following @tuckernuck and now it is my latest obsession. I pull a lot of my outfit inspiration from their feed and love how they style their outfits. This fall trend is called the “noodle” scarf where you take a long scarf, fold it into a triangle and then roll it up to create a long tube. Since the scarf is the focal point of this outfit I tried to keep the rest neutral, I layered a long-sleeved button down under a Michael Stars sweater (no this is not a piece from college MS is officially back!), My finishing touch was a pop of pink with my suede loafers from JCrew.
Carcoat Comfort How many of you work in a freezing cold office year round?! Enter the cozy carcoat, it feels like a warm hug all day long. This one has the most exceptional detailing along the sleeve and pockets and I topped it off with the ADA wrap belt to define my waist and give the coat more polish. If you haven’t noticed I wear A LOT of navy pants. I wear them instead of black in most cases, because I personally find it pairs better with the color pallet in my closet. I also wear these Tory Burch gold flats on repeat because they literally go with everything and her updated version is way more comfortable than the original reva flat I previously wore. The other thing I’ll point out about this look is that it does not have my usual pop of color. Normally I add a splash of color to keep things lively and fun but between the detailing of the coat and belt I didn’t want to dilute the look by adding color.
Bell Sleeve Sweater This is another work to play look for me. This sweater has become a staple of my weekend wardrobe for fall so I enjoyed dressing it up for the office by adding a collared chambray shirt underneath. The fun tassel necklace is my hit of color and a basic grey tailored pant from Banana Republic is the perfect backdrop for the look.
Two Previous Lil’ Workstyle Posts so you have the background on this series:
#LILWORKSTYLE | WINTER WORKSTYLE ROUND UP
Please share your go-to #lilworkstyle tips below or any questions I can help answer.
Next Up: A Lil’ Vermont Holiday Gift Guide. Curated with love and a focus on Vermont Brands & Businesses! If you don’t want to miss this and other fun posts click the follow link to be notified by email when there is a new post.
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