florals week (day 3)

merona blouse & wedges
mossimo slacks

{all thrifted target stock}

it feels a little weird to experience that first really warm day of the season, especially when you've been dealing with winter for the past six months and it snowed last friday, but that was today... 70!  i'm not quite ready to go bare-legged yet so i opted for pants today and this floral blouse so i can continue to join andi, brynn, and kate and the florals week they are hosting.  i really like that this blouse is more of an abstract floral pattern and pretty enough to stand on its on against some basic black slacks.

just a reminder that marissa and i are hosting our 3rd pantone-inspired color challenge next week.  here's the colors we chose this time around.  be sure to come back here to my blog on monday to link up!

let it be friday!

​lauren conrad for kohls blazer   ·   old navy sweetheart boot-cut jeans
jc penney scarf   ·   merona milena wedges

if there were ever a day to wear a blazer with flowers all over it that only cost 20 cents out of pocket  (thanks kohl's cash!), it should be on a friday!  i haven't done one of these "let it be friday" posts in a while but they are always fun, i might need to resurrect the idea!

one last reminder of the pantone-inspired fall color challenge marissa & i are hosting next week!  i'm looking forward to seeing what looks everyone pulls together throughout the week!  remember we'll be linking up with marissa on monday.  see you there!

get the look: similar blazer / exact tee / exact jeans / similar scarf / this season's wedges

tuesday {neutrals}

this is what i wore to work on tuesday, but it was not what i wanted to wear.  at all.  i had on a different skirt that i realized was dark brown, not black, about five minutes before i wanted to head out the door.  i suppose i could have changed into brown tights, but at that point i figured it easier to slip on a new skirt that wrangle out of tights and into a new pair.  instead i tried on about three different skirts before settling on this one as it matched well enough with the gray sweater.  ordinarily i wouldn't have posted this outfit since i felt so uninspired and boring, but it's a good reminder to myself that hey, it's okay.  and now, looking back on it a day later, i actually kind of like it!

it also felt a little redeeming when one of my coworkers said, "i like your bracelet!" and i was able to reply, "it's actually a belt!"  learned that trick from dotty - thanks, lady.  i'm not sure if my coworker though it was "cool" or not but at least it gave me reason to think my outfit wasn't totally dullsville boring.

have a great week!

wednesday {thrifted}

 

a tagless blazer of unknown origins {thrifted}   ·   calvin klein skirt {thrifted}

isaac mizrahi blouse {thrifted}   ·   merona milena wedges {thrifted target stock}

 

one of the quickest realizations i came to when i started thrifting a couple years ago is that hey, i can put together pretty great outfits from my thrift store of choice (the GW).  this was especially timely for me as i started my first professional job a little over two years ago after obtaining my master's degree.  up to that point i was a jeans-wearer 7 days a week, which is just the way i was used to dressing since high school and into college.  i owned a few pairs of dress pants and what could pass as dress shoes, but i never had a reason for dressing up and certainly didn't have anything in my closet that could guide me into a workplace environment, no matter how casual.

 

i am sure many of you guys have similar stories to mine.  i found that the basics i wished to fill my closets with could be found within the racks of donated clothing, and this avenue has worked really well for me to build and expand my professional wardrobe.  sometimes it doesn't always come through - i can't tell you how long i've been looking for a basic white button-down at the GW.  i have several white blouses that i wear regularly as layering pieces, like the one i'm wearing today, but i'd like a plain, fitted, long-sleeved white oxford shirt.  the ones i see at the GW are never that appealing or in good condition.  since my hunt has been going on for so long and it's still a piece i wish to have in my closet, it's time to perhaps purchase this item new.   however, i've been able to find plenty of other great closet staples and wardrobe basics at my local GW.  this skirt is one of my recent faves - a solid navy pencil skirt in a classic cut and work-appropriate length that will never go out of style.  this tagless blazer is another new addition from my haul on sunday and i think it also has longevity.  it's been really fun to have such success in thrifting and i hope that i can continue to encourage other people to give thrifting a try.  goodwills and thrift stores usually have pretty solid missions and give back to the communities that provide them with donations and there's a big part of me that appreciates that too.

  

i'm curious: how did you begin to build your professional wardrobe when you began your career?

monday (4/23)

merona tie-neck blouse {thrifted target stock}  gap v-neck sweater

handmade (by me) skirt {fabric here}   merona milena wedges {thrifted target stock}

if i take a quick glance in my closet, i see lots of pinks, purples, maroon, and blue cardigans.  maybe that's why i'm always drawn to those colors at the fabric store, too.  i always bypass the blacks, grays, and tans and hover around the purples & blues.  i love the floral print and the richness of the colors.  very, very me.  click the link above if you'd like to see a swatch of the fabric from joann.com; i'm not sure how many people who pop by here are sewers or are interested in the fabric i use, but i'll try to link to the fabric that i use if i can find it online!  have a nice evening!

tuesday (green!)

simply vera wang top   old navy cardigan   forever21 belt {thrifted}

merona doubleweave skirt & milena wedges & necklace {thrifted target stock}

this isn't what i planned on wearing today, but of course i had to wear some green for ebew.  by the end of the day i knew that my days in tights are numbered... i have to draw the line somewhere when we start having sunny days and highs in the 60s and 70s.  it's always a bit of an adjustment for me transitioning from winter to spring & summer, way more so than transitioning into winter... so we'll see what i come up with for the rest of what is going to be a warm week.