How to Wear Style in a Super Casual Office

An old high school friend, Valerie, wrote to me a while ago:
"My job is uber casual like you can wear pj's and no one would look twice. I feel like I'm starting to lose some style and I'm tired of jeans everyday. What are your favorite casual yet pulled together looks? What key pieces should I look for this spring? Also, it's reallllllly cold in the office so layers are good for me since I'm already cold natured."

Valeria, I can totally understand your dilemma! You don't want to loose your style, but you also don't want to walk into work feeling like you're wearing a ball gown. To keeping things casual yet stylish, think of it the up-down factor.

If you're going to wear a dress or skirt (something that's usually more dressy) you would want to style it DOWN - small, simple accessories, flats or boots, denim or leather  jacket or a boyfriend sweater always makes things more casual.

If you are going to wear jeans and t-shirt (something already very casual), you want to style it UP. Add a pair of high heeled boots or wedge sandals. More large statement pieces of jewelry and bold lipstick. Add a blazer or trade the t-shirt for a button-up. 

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Change out those jeans for a skirt. Pair with flats or sandals. 

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One of this Spring's trends is minimalism. Keeping things clean and simple will make you look fresh and fashion forward. 

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Throwing on an effortless sundress is one of the easiest ways to get ready. Throw a cardigan over it to make it appropriate for the office and wear only a few key accessories. 

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Maxis aren't just for the beach. Add a blazer and you have instant professionalism. A crisp oxford button-up & wide belt is the perfect mix of a little funky and a lot classic. The most casual (and most comfortable of all!) is a maxi dress with an oversized throw-over. 

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If you feel something is too dressy, add denim. A denim jean jacket or chambray shirt immediately tones down a look. 

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Stripes make anything look classic and pulled together but not stuffy. Pair it with a blazer and then choose between either a statement necklace or colored jeans. 

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Playing with patterns and bold colors adds a big but easy punch to the humdrum of a boring wardrobe.

You can also take a look at a past Belted Pear post where I talk about how to look pulled together most of the time.

Besides clicking on the links for these photos, a few other resources to peruse might be these ladies' blogs. 

Running Late

J's Everyday Fashion

A Clothes Call

And when in doubt, just ask yourself... WWJAD? 

She epitomizes the perfect blend of being pulled together and chic with simple and effortless casualness. 

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Hope this helps, Valerie! Thanks for asking.
If anyone else has some perplexing fashion situation, feel free to email me at lindseydish@ymail.com and I'll see if I can help ya out! :) 

I Wanna Be Formal, But I'm Here to Party, Too*

*Business on the top, party on the bottom! 

Yesterday I was in a rush to get out the door. All I knew was that I was going to be wearing jeans because my dress pants were dirty and also because well... you know... 

Technically I don't think I'm supposed to be wearing jeans when teaching so I figured I'd wear a blazer to look more professorial. And then a blouse, too because it always seems to be so warm in the classrooms and if I had to take off that professorial blazer, I didn't want to look like one of the students. Basically, I figure if everything else about my outfit gave me the appearance of being well-dressed, maybe no one will noticed I was actually wearing jeans.  

I didn't even mean to plan it this way, but apparently this blazer just loves hot pink.  I grabbed this blouse to wear with jeans because I know it looks luxe. A friend with (expensive) great taste gave it to me during a clothing swap. It's made of beautiful, light-weight material (had to wear my beloved cami underneath it) and the color is off the charts. The only problem is, it's a little boxy and I always forget about that. I think next time I'm going to either tie it at the belt-line or tuck it in. 

Lately, I've been pretty lazy when it comes to make-up. Clean skin, bronzer, mascara and lipstick and that's it. But this day I put a little bit more effort into it and dang, now I remember. THAT'S why folks love make-up so much. It makes ya look pretty darn good! I'm also trying something new with my eyebrows. I can't tell if I like it or not yet. What do y'all think? (Or do you even notice?) 

A pair of my favorite earrings! They're cupcakes! 

Blazer: American Eagle Outfitters | Shirt: Clothing Swap | Jeans: Cello | Shoes: Goodwill | Necklace: Flea Market | Watch: Citizen | Earrings: Naughty Cat | Ring: Clothing Swap 

Lacey Lady-Like Lindsey

I felt like going for a bright, sweet, vintage look today to match the bright, sunny weather (finally! after the rain all weekend). I also wanted to go back to my favorite fashion inspiration: vintage. Since starting the fashion blog, I've tried to push myself out of my comfort zone. But vintage silhouettes are my bread and butter. Flattering to a pear-shaped lady and so girly. 

This dress is so gorgeous: the color, the tulle, the length, the lace. It's so flattering and feminine. And did I mention the color? Electric blue is one of my favorite colors to wear. It's such a bold color and it's very much on trend. I'm quite pleased with how the little cardigan went nicely with the dress. I bought it on a whim while grocery shopping but I haven't worn it yet because it's kind of a strange length. Luckily, it hits me right at the waist, as does the dress. The cardigan covers up me nicely too because I feel like the dress has too much exposed up top for work. To finish the look off, I paired my sunglasses and red belt for an extra pop of color. Such a happy look! 

Dress: H&M | Sweater: Homeplus | Belt: Thrift Store | Shoes: Thrift Store | Sunglasses: Target | Earrings: Gift | Watch: Citizen Eco-drive 

Cheating Fall: Creating an Autumn Outfit with Summer Clothes

I'm dying to wear fall clothing because I'm getting bored with my summer ones but the weather isn't cooperating.  So I decided to cheat a little and wear summer pieces that are in fall colors. I kind of think the outfit turned out to be a little 90's-inspired but maybe I've just been watching too much Friends circa '94. What I really love about this outfit is how high waisted the skirt is and the blousey-ness of the top. I wasn't really crazy about this top before because I didn't think it was very flattering (it's a really boxy cut) but with the high-waist and the narrowness of the skirt, I like it a lot more. 

I grabbed my leather jacket on the way out because it's started to turn cool in the evenings. I loooove this jacket. I bought it in Coticachi, Ecuador back in university when I was doing a study abroad program. I got it for $60! Coticachi is famous for its' leather products. Streets after streets of knock-out prices on anything made out of leather. We were only given 30 minutes to check out everything which would give any fashionista a heart attack! 30 minutes is definitely not enough time to get your attack down, check out all the styles, prices, and then haggle. Some how I managed to get this by literally running into stores looking for the perfect motorcycle jacket. Luckily for me, the oxblood color is still on trend. 

Top: Forever 21 (Clothing Swap) | Skirt: Goodwill | Jacket: Ecuador | Shoes: DSW (Similar) | Jewelry: Thrift Store | Sunglasses: Eunhang Underground

Colorblocking Curves

Colorblocking is one of my favorite things in fashion. It's simple and easy but makes an outfit chic and interesting. So what is colorblocking? Basically, it's just wearing multiple solid colors. It can be as easy as wearing a colorblock dress or even an outfit, pairing colored pants or skirt with a different color top. Colorblock dresses are so great because they are easy to throw on but oh, so flattering. The dark color on the outside of this dress is slimming and the band emphasizes my small waist. And I love the navy and white combination - it's so crisp and fresh-looking. Of course, I prayed the white-wearers prayer, "Please, don't let me get anything on this! Especially my bum!" I was nervous wearing it on the bus but luckily nothing happened. But I did have my Tide pen in my purse, just in case (never leave home without it!) 

The other great thing about colorblocking is that the variety is endless! Below are five of examples of adorable colorblock dresses. 

Dress: Calvin Klein (Ross) | Shoes: Chinese Laundry (Goodwill) | Necklace: India | Earrings: Cambodia | Bracelet: Gift 

1. Mod Cloth

2. ASOS Curve

3. Express

4. River Island

5. H&M