The Commandments of 9 to 5 Style.

The do's and don't of the 9 to 5ers according to The Hills star Lauren Conrad (who worked at Peoples Revolution and Teen Vogue):

•Thou shalt never let your outfit outshine your work. (Yes, creatives and fashionistas, this applies to you as well!)


•Thou shalt abstain from clothing with obnoxious logos. (Besides Bebe logo tops being so 1999, no one wants a walking billboard in their office.)


•You shall avoid all sexy and revealing clothing. Never show more than 1 inch of cleavage or wear a skirt that skims your bum. For most offices, skirts that hit more than 3 or 4 inches above the knee are considered inappropriate (If you want to wear shorter skirts, or even dress shorts, pair them with opaque tights to temper the higher hemline). Also, no tank tops unless you have something layered over it to cover your shoulders.


•Thou shalt not wear any ripped, torn, or sloppy clothing. This includes anything that can be worn to the gym or the beach (gym shoes and flip-flops etc.).


•Thou shalt dress like my female boss. If you do not have a female boss, emulate the highest-ranking female in your company. This doesn’t mean steal her style. Rather, base your office attire on what she considers appropriate. Is she casual? Always dresses to the nines? Take a cue from the people in positions you aspire to have someday. They don’t say, “dress the part” for no reason.


•You shall always dress to impress—even on “casual Fridays.” Don’t let casual Fridays fool you. Jeans may be okay, but that old tee reserved for lazy Sundays and those hot pink flip-flops are just not going to cut it… Casual Friday attire should be based on your weekly work wear, but taken down a few notches.


•Thou shalt not don underwear as outerwear. Ever. This is pretty self-explanatory…


•You shall always use your best judgment. Consider your work environment and dress accordingly. Anything you can wear to a club should never step foot in an office. If you’re unsure about an outfit, it’s best to err on the side of caution and go with something else.

(full article here)


Here's a few example of Casual Friday done right:

Cred.

Cred.

I loved this list though. I couldn't help taking in the 9 to 5 style of New Yorkers on my trip to the city in May and I was shocked by some of the outfits they wore. Granted, I dont' know where they worked - but I can tell you shorts, tiny skirts, and 'club wear' would never fly at my job.

I've read many times to dress for the job you want, not the one you have - and I do love that idea as well. For my job, I have to be aware of how physical my job will be that day as well. If I'm packing 40 boxes to mail to our Rams event in St. Louis - it's not a skirt or dress day. If I'm going to have to sweat in out washing water coolers as part of my post event routine, I'm not going to wear 5 inch heels. So I'm a firm believer in wearing what works for you - but that doesn't mean a compromise on dressing to impress.

Love,

B

Starting September Off in Style.

Continuing to kick off September in Style I wanted to share a few pieces as inspired by an article in People StyleWatch magazine's September issue.

On page 224 there was an article by Amy E. Goodman, she's the author of the book - 'wear this, toss that'. She made a list of the four pieces every woman needs ( my list would include more than 4 items BUT props to her for keeping it simple). So I'm including her list along with the items from my own closet that make up that list.

Amy says about her list in the article, 'These items will end up saving you money - because you'll wear them all the time'.

1. A Super Soft Sweater.

I have to confess - I spent more on this sweater than I would have thought I could muster up the courage to spend. But I loved it. From the feel to the fit to the simple design, I totally fell for it and just had to have it. I visited it 3 times at Nordstrom Rack before pulling the trigger when I realized there was oly one left in my size. I haven't regretted it yet - I still love it. And according to Amy Goodman, I did the right thing.

2. Perfect Fitting Dress.

Please excuse the self portraits via blackberry and mirrors as well as the lack of makeup and the pre-workout headband look. This dress was another find at Nordstrom Rack - courtesy of the clearance rack for $22. I love it. It's a great shade of red that I find to be complexion flattering, it's empire waisted which is ideal for people with my build, etc.

This was actually my favorite item on Goodman's list. I think every girl should have more than one perfect fitting go-to-dress for special occasions (or dates!). I bought this one recently after returning to singlehood thinking it would be the perfect date dress and well, I might just be going on some of those.

3. Sexy heels.

Goodman mentioned both black and open toe which brought these to mind for me. I have a lot of shoes - including heels so it was hard to me to decide which ones to feature as my example for the list but I think Goodman would have approved of this selection. They're got that 'it' factor that gives them a little edge.

4. A Sparkly Piece of Jewelry.

This Stella & Dot necklace was one I fell in love with, couldn't afford, and literally hosted a party to get a sick discount on. I don't wear it often but I have to say, I've loved having it. It's an easy want to dress up a simple dress but it's equally fun paired with a simple jeans, tee, and blazer combo. Versatile,comfy (not too heavy on my neck), and always eye catching.

This isn't the list I would have made (hmm, maybe I'll feature mine later this month) BUT I have to admit after thinking it through, I do feel like having these four items has given my wardrobe a little umph. They're great go to piece to spice up an outfit. I think the trick is to have statement pieces but to know how to combine them with simple, no frills pieces so as not to look 'overdone'.

Welcome to Septemeber which for this blog will be primarily about style. We're off to a great start, don't you think? Do you have these 4 items in your closet? What would be on your list?

Love,

B