Culottes... Love Them or Hate Them? 6.07.2017

Let's talk culottes... 

They're definitely a polarizing trend! I actually kinda hated them at first because they reminded me of the stretchy brown gauchos I sported in the year 2000-ish 😱

However, they've steadily grown on me and eventually I caved when I saw these in person and decided they would be a great addition to my summer work wardrobe! I really struggle with what to wear to work in the summer because I don't want to wear black trousers every day, but also don't want to buy a ton of work appropriate dresses and skirts to rotate. Since these are flowy/breathable and are a dressier fabric, I decided to give them a try!

For me to feel good in culottes, I dress them up with an elongating stiletto heel, and then pair them with some sort of simple top or blouse. These pants make quite the statement, so I like to keep everything else very minimal! 

I will say that I feel they look better in person than they do in photos. They're not exactly effortless to photograph...lol. I don't 100% love these photos (is that weird to admit since I'm posting them??), but it was ridiculously windy that day and we struggled a little bit to get good shots!

Culottes (I also have these, and love this striped pair)  |  Tank
Heels (also love these)  |  Bracelet  |  Lipstick ('velvet teddy')

So what are your thoughts on culottes? Do you love them, or do you kinda hate them??

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Fashion Forward Office Attire 2.09.2017

Top  |  Pants  |  Heels  |  Sunglasses ('weekend riot')  |  Similar Bag  |  Lipstick (in 'velvet teddy')

I'm switching things up today with an office outfit, which I hope is helpful to you girls! When I did my blog survey last spring, I got some requests for office attire, but I haven't posted many yet. One explanation is that I make an effort to buy tops and sweaters that I can style for work and also more casually, so a lot of the outfits you see on here I'm just tweaking for the office with some black pants and a pair of pumps.

I like to have as much fun with my work wardrobe as I can and I do this through interesting details. For example, I love the ruffles and sheen of this top (also worn in this post), and the embellishments on my velvet heels...so there are multiple textures and details in this outfit. You can also add interesting details with earrings and other jewelry, embroidery, lace, color combinations, layers, and mixing textures. I recently discovered the brand English Factory at Shopbop, and I love that all of their tops have unique details and cuts! I'll definitely be keeping an eye on their selection, especially as we approach spring and summer.

Here are some of my favorite finds that will make your office attire super chic...

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Comfy Work Outfit 8.30.2016

^^ What happens when you're sweating + wearing a velvet choker #gluedtomyneck

Tee: H&M (nearly identical here) | Pants: H&M (similar)

Blazer: old F21 (similar here & here) | Heels: Steve Madden

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Sunglasses | Choker

I picked up both this tee and the loose jogger pants from H&M back in the spring and had never worn either of them! That's really unlike me because I'm so picky about what I buy since I'm always on a budget. But one morning last week I was feeling adventurous (and also running low on clean clothes) and threw them on together and loved the result! For my office I skipped the choker in favor of one of my Kendra Scott necklaces, and opted for classic black pumps, but for this blog post I wanted to spice up the look just a bit. This outfit was so comfy! It kind of felt like I was cheating and wearing sweats to work because loose-fitting pants felt like an absolute dream after wearing fitted trousers and pencil skirts all week.

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Summer Work Wear 7.28.2016

Top: c/o ModCloth (lots more here) | Skirt: c/o ModCloth (so many cute skirts here) | Wedges: c/o ModCloth

Since I work full time beyond blogging, I get quite a few requests for ideas on what to wear to work. Today, I've partnered with ModCloth and ShopStyle to show you a summer work look that's also wearable beyond the office! I do have to dress up for work, but since my office isn't business formal, I usually stick with outfits like this that are put-together and stylish while also being comfortable. ModCloth is such a great place to look for work wear that checks all of my boxes (and they have so many cute, affordable shoes, which certainly doesn't hurt)! One thing I like about ModCloth is that they take a lot of current trends and interpret them in a work appropriate way...and the perfect example is this lace-up tank! I would never think that a lace-up top or dress would work for the office, but this top totally works and can be layered under a blazer or cardigan in the fall and winter. 

 A few other favorites from ModCloth...

Thank you to Shopstyle and ModCloth for sponsoring this post!  

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Favorite Work Attire 1.06.2016

Blazer: H&M (similar here & here) | Tank: Topshop

Pants: c/o James Jeans | Heels: Aldo

Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs | Necklace: CC Skye c/o Rocksbox

I recently received some requests for work outfit ideas, so I figured with it being a new year that I would go ahead and kick that off! This (or a version of this) is one of my favorite work outfit concepts - I always feel chic and polished in it, so it's my go-to for when I need to dress up a bit more or can't come up with something else creative at 7am. 

For those who may be newer readers, I am the Director of Communications for the school district we live in. So, while I don't necessarily have to wear formal business attire, I do need to look nice on a daily basis and can only wear jeans on Fridays. Typically if I have a day where I'll just be in my office getting behind-the-scenes work done, I will wear a sweater, skinny black pants, and flats or leather ankle boots or tall boots. On days when I have meetings, events in different school buildings, or community events, I will style something a bit dressier like in this post and wear a blazer and heels with my black pants. Notice that the common thread is skinny black pants... They're my number one essential for work attire and what I wear nearly every day! This new-to-me pair by James Jeans has a lot of stretch and is super super comfortable, while still looking polished. They're my first pair from James Jeans, but I have always seen their cute stuff while browsing Shopbop and want to try more styles! I also wear these affordable black skinnies from H&M (not as soft, but very flattering) and like the Old Navy pixie pants for more of a trouser look.

xo,

Jacy 

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Blush + Black 3.17.2015

 Top: sold out Forever 21 (want this blush tunic blouse!) | Pants: H&M | Bag: H&M (similar here, here) | Shoes: H&M (go down 1 whole size) | Sunnies: Karen Walker | Necklace: BaubleBar (non-pearl version here) - both 30% off today! | Watch: Fossil | Bracelet: Margaret Elizabeth 

I'm always on the hunt for ways to make my work attire interesting and fashion-forward while still being modest and professional. So, I love when I find tops with some kind of interesting detail, or with a longer length! Then, I just add interest and texture with accessories - in this case my heels and statement necklace.

I've always loved blush pink, but I'm just extra obsessed with it lately! It's so airy and feminine, but I love how well it pairs with black and white, so it can be a bit edgy too when you want it to be. I picked up some blush pink tulips at the grocery store over the weekend and it's amazing how much they've lightened up our living area!

PS - Both my statement necklace and the non-pearl version are 30% off right now!

xo,

Jacy

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Statement 2.25.2015

 Blazer: H&M (sold out in cream, so here is a similar option) | Oversized Tee: Target (similar) | Pants: H&M (wear them ALL the time) | Necklace: BaubleBar | Heels: Prabal Gurung for Target (similar under $50, more here, here) | Bag: H&M (similar here, here) | Watch: Fossil | Bracelets: Margaret Elizabeth, From Dylan (c/o) | Lip color: NARS 'Damned' | Nail color: Essie 'Chinchilly'

I've wanted this statement necklace since the first time I saw it! I am really not a statement necklace girl because I don't really consider myself too preppy or the super sparkly type, but this one is so different and it's both pretty and edgy at the same time. I wore this outfit yesterday for a really busy work day filled with events, but love that this necklace has a cool, edgy vibe that will completely work with more casual outfits as well. BaubleBar (one of my absolutely favorite places to buy jewelry) also has a non-pearl version that comes in different colors, and a similar, smaller version as well!

On a totally different note... Is anyone else kind of getting to the meltdown point about winter this year?? I am usually not one to be seasonally depressed, but we have had an extra cold winter for Missouri and I feel like I'm about to go crazy! The week forecast for here is basically really cold with either snow or rain depending on the day, so bare with me if outfit posts aren't exactly plentiful ;) Get me some somewhere warm and sunny ASAP!

xo,

Jacy

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Work Attire 1.29.2015

 Shirt: Forever 21 (similar) | Pants: Zara (love these and these) | Heels: Prabal Gurung for Target (similar here, here) | Bag: H&M (similar price point here, higher end here) | Belt: J.Crew Factory (similar on sale) | Watch: Fossil | Bracelet: From Dylan c/o | Nails: OPI 'Mimosas for Mr. & Mrs.' | Lips: NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 'Damned'

Let me just start off by saying that it was so freaking windy when I took these yesterday! I had to take an insane amount of photos just to end up with some without crazy windblown hair! I wore this to the office and to some meetings yesterday, and the lighter colors had me dreaming of spring (however one look at the weather forecast for this weekend dashed those dreams). 

I hope you're having a great week! The weekend is almost here, thank goodness!

xo,

Jacy

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