Wardrobe Inspiration: Day at the Office

Day at the Office by oceangirl15 featuring red shoes

The one thing I miss the most about working in an office setting is the professional wardrobe I got to wear. There’s nothing better than walking into work looking and feeling like a successful lady. In DC, I could walk to work everyday and sported flats until I got to the office. I traded those in for heels. As Victoria Beckham said “I can’t concentrate in flats.”

I was inspired by yellow and navy today because I think they are good transition colors between summer and autumn. The pop of red in the heel adds that hint of fall while the bright yellow reminds us of summer. I absolutely adore these nautical accessories too!

A few tips for new ladies to the professional scene:

1. Raid discount stores

Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Ross, and a few others have designer brands on mark down here. I’ve found the majority of my skirts and tops for work at these places. Just a little hint, go straight for clearance and look through it then hit the full price racks.

2. Shop often

I go to my favorite stores at least once a week to shop. Some of you may wonder how I afford that. Well, it’s simple really- I don’t always buy anything. The reason I shop so often is so that I can find full price items that I like and check back every week to see how far in price it has dropped. If I feel that the price has been marked down enough, then I will purchase it.

3. Take advantage of New York & Company

Every so often they do a promotion that gives you something like $50 off if you spend $125 or more in the store. Whenever I get these in the mail, I am sure to use them for things I need in my wardrobe such as a suit (blazer and skirt) or a little black dress.

4. Pick neutrals and then add color

In a previous post I discussed neutrals and utilizing them to expand your wardrobe. Invest in them! Pick quality items such as pants, blazers, and skirts that will last awhile. To add the color you want I recommend being careful with what you buy and the cost. Many colors and styles go out of style overnight so splurging on a teal business suit is not the best idea. However, buying a teal top to go underneath a neutral suit is fine.

Hopefully this gives you all a fair look into saving money and looking professional as well as a little outfit inspiration. Enjoy!

Pretty Little Things: Stationary

I love getting letters! When I was away at college, my mom would send me little letters just saying how much she missed me (she would also include a little cash for my favorite Starbucks drink). My grandma would also send me cards and little notes on birthdays and holidays. Anyway, the stationary of an individual doesn’t seem to be as important as it used to be. “Snail mail” isn’t used to deliver a message like it was years ago. A part of me would like to bring that lovely tradition back to the light.

Apart from my own stockpile of stationary and notecards, I took some time the other day to find a few examples of stationary and notecards to share with all of you. I went to Target and found some I liked there but the prices were all $4.50 and up, which I thought was a little high for notecards. I went to Marshall’s after that and found that most notecards were under $4.00! These are a few of my favorites that I found:

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on stationary or notes to send to people. It really is all about presentation, which if done correctly can be inexpensive and chic. Take a look at these notecards below by Ashley Brooke Designs. They each retail for around $18 for a total of 10 notecards!

I love Ashley’s designs and she inspires me so much, but for right now her work is just a little too pricey for my budget. However, investing in a few inexpensive ones that are designed well and don’t have anything written in them that seems “cheap” is a great way to make up for the money you didn’t spend and still have some class. FYI when I say “cheap” I mean things like “Happy birthday, now where’s the food?” with a picture of a bored looking person on the front. That’s rude and classless.

Have you ever seen cards like that? Please share below, I’d be interesting in seeing the horrible cards out there!

Stay classy!