Workwear

Usually around this time of year the dread of going back to school is offset by my excitement of starting with a clean slate. I love buying new school supplies and fancy organizers, but the really great part is buying new fall clothes. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on my mood) I no longer have an excuse to create a fresh start. Instead, I'm working in the same office that I have been for the past 12 months.

So, to right this wrong, I'm dedicating this back-to-school period my wardrobe-redo-time-of-the-year. Not quite as catchy, but there you have it.

My office isn't extremely formal, so I decided to get some inspiration from The Sartorialist and Face Hunter.

I love the cropped, short-sleeve jacket (right), it's lady-like but not stuffy and crop jackets have been in style long enough that I'm sure to find a cheap version. I probably wouldn't wear plaid (middle) to work unless I could find one with a trim cut. I love the way this Asian-Johnny-Depp look alike wears plaid so elegantly. I really like the layering in the left image and the way the sweater hangs.


Face Hunter usually has more edgy fashion, but I could wear some version of the outfits in the pictures below. An elegant tank with high-waisted, wide-leg pants (top left) or a 3/4 fitted skirt with a wrap top (top right). I'd love to find a dress like this navy blue one (bottom left). It looks comfortable and formal enough for an office and pencil skirts (bottom right) are a pain to walk in, but they look great.
Here are some pieces I found at Gap.com. I would layer a thin turtleneck under the trapeze dress (left) and I'd pull my hair back and wear my glasses with the shirt dress (left) for a librarian look.
I found some great stuff at LaRedoute and they're having their fall preview sale so I'm very tempted to actually purchase some of these items. I love the cuts of the clothing in this website and I've never been disappointed with La Redoute. The black dress in the lower right photo is a little conservative, but I love the skirt detailing. Talk about the perfect Little Black Dress!
Of course my materialism doesn't end with clothing. I found some great office supplies at SeeJaneWork.com. It's not really anything I need, but considering that I spend the majority of my day in the office, making it aesthetically pleasing is really not as frivolous as it sounds.
So now I just have to keep working in order to afford these purchases. Hmmm....I'm sensing some type of vicious cycle....

CL