the interviewee.

old navy button-down   ·   xhiliration blazer {thrifted}

limited skirt {thrifted}   ·  merona milena wedges

so, yesterday i had an interview.  it's been over three years since i have interviewed so i admit that i am out of practice as evidenced by the chain of emails i had going on with my dad about discussing salaries, but i suppose i could also be out of practice with knowing what to wear.  i get kind of annoyed at the standards in place for interview wear.  maybe behind my quiet, introverted exterior is a rebel within me!?  of course it depends on the company, the position, and culture of the work environment but i don't think a black suit, white button-down, and string of pearls needs to be standard interview garb nowadays... maybe if i were interviewing to be a lawyer or for an upper-level management position? 

i tried to strike a good balance between remaining true to my personal style while ensuring i would be taken seriously with what i decided to wear.  i knew i wanted to incorporate some color and i think the skirt added some interest too despite being grounded by the black tights and black shoes.  of course, this is how my fashion-inclined mind interpreted my outfit... who knows what the interviewer thought or if she even cared what i was wearing -- it was a friday, after all, and she was wearing jeans!

what are your thoughts on interview-wear these days?  do you lean toward the traditional route or do you feel it's okay to wear anything that could be defined as "business-casual"?

get the look:  similar blazer / similar button-down / similar skirt / this season's wedges

july 17th {limon}

 

old navy lace crochet top

merona doubleweave skirt   ·   merona milena wedges

i am having the most difficult time finding a true yellow top! when i put in an order at oldnavy.com a few weeks ago, this is one of the tops i added to my cart as i love the white one i own so much.  i guess my eyes deceived me while looking at the picture online as i did not anticipate it to be quite so neon yellow.  but for $6 and change i am willing to keep it and try to work it into my wardrobe, especially when i saw the yellow tone matches perfectly with one of the colors in this skirt!  i ended up really liking this outfit by the end of the day!

i also put in an order at j crew factory recently and ordered a double-serge pencil skirt in "succulent green" only to find that a more apt name would be "highlighter yellow!"  as much as i enjoy bright colors, this bright shade of yellow feels intimidating. i'll be sitting on that skirt for a bit before i decide to keep or return it as it cost a bit more than my $6 shirt.  sadly, i also ordered the pleated shift dress after seeing m at apples & pencil skirts post about it, but it is so short.  :(  i am going to try to see if i can recoup what i paid for it on ebay, otherwise it'll have to go back.  i am of average height, but i'm having a harder and harder time finding skirts and dresses that hit right at the knees, which for me is the length i am most comfortable with to wear to work.

clearly, i have not had complete luck online shopping lately!

april 29th {emerald}

mossimo blouse {thrifted target stock}   ·   limited skirt {thrifted}

xhihlaration blazer {thrifted}   ·   bauble bar necklace

it's a little hard to believe this time last week i was wearing tights and layers of long sleeves and now i have bare legs!  it always takes a little bit of adjusting to such stark contrasts in temperature, but it's been lovely so far to get to experience some low 70s before another cold front hits mid-week.  i really think that minnesota has come back alive with the warmer weather!  it's still chilly in the morning and in offices so i grabbed this blazer, but it was the perfect time to pull out this emerald flutter sleeve top that i haven't touched all winter.

i can't wait to see how you are also wearing emerald for day one of the pantone-inspired spring color challenge marissa and i are hosting.  grab a button and submit your link below -- and if something is off, please bear with me as i've never used a linky tool before and i may not be able to correct it until this afternoon.  thanks!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://literatelystylish.blogspot.com/" title="literate & stylish"><img src="http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a240/whatwedo/PantoneSpringChallenge_days2.png" alt="literate & stylish" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

april 8th {doubleweave floral}

merona doubleweave skirt   ·   gap cardigan {thrifted}

merona milena wedges {thrifted target stock}

i get such a thrill when i can add cute, versatile pieces to my closet for mere dollars--or less.  this may be why i bought two target stock blouses at the goodwill yesterday for 99 cents each (seriously... they had a 99 cent rack of target stock) and why i was willing to wait for this skirt to drop to 70% off at an actual target.  the thing about target is that as soon as new merch hits the floor, you know it is going to go on sale soon.  i blogged about this season's new doubleweave skirts at the end of february and they went on sale almost exactly a month later.  after items go on sale you might have to wait another month or so, but then they start to go on clearance.  once something is on clearance, an additional drop from 30% to 50% or 50% to 70% off happens roughly every 2 or 3 weeks... so i just kept watching this skirt during my normal target trips until they got to 70% off.  it's not often that i come across clothing that i feel i NEED to have, clothing is something i want, so i tend to be pretty good about playing the waiting game for a good deal.  i'm glad it paid off this time for me and i could finally buy this skirt that i've been admiring for a while.  i don't have many tops in the same exact shades as the colors in the skirt, but that might push me a bit to experiment with different color schemes.

how do you feel about buying clothing at full price vs playing the waiting game for a sale or clearance markdown?

february 18th {vested}

h&m vest {thrifted}   ·   gap button-down

j crew skirt {ebayed}   ·   xhilaration blazer {thrifted}

there are definitely certain styles i see on other people that i think are cute but i question how they'd translate on me.  wearing cuffed skinny jeans and booties was one of them, but i'm proud of myeslf for giving that one a try.  there isn't a big risk of not liking something if you are smart about how you go about trying to implement it.  i've been thinking for a while that i'd like to find a menswear inspired vest and just happened to find this h&m one at the goodwill a couple months ago.  yep, it took me a couple months to figure out a way to wear it.  my first thought was to take inspiration from what i wore and layer the vest underneath a blazer paired with my trouser jeans and black and white gingham shirt, but it just felt like too and like my effort was trying to hard (i love that look on jess!).  so instead i paired it with a less bold button-down and neutral skirt. 

let's chat!  / do you own a similar vest?  how would you style it?  i'm going to need some ideas if i want to get my $3.50 worth out of this vest!  :)

wednesday (tiered)

old navy button-down   ·   merona cardigan {thrifted}
eshakti tiered genus skirt   ·   merona milena wedges {thrifted target stock}

i have the worst luck when it comes to ordering items at eshakti, but for some reason that doesn't stop me when they request that i review an item or i win a giveaway.  i purchased this skirt during a promotion and despite thinking that i've finally figured out my size, it is still too small.  i swear, i have ordered a range of three sizes from eshakti in both skirts and dresses and they have all differed so much that i don't know what size i am in their brand!  well, thank goodness for layers of cardigans and blazers to hide a side zipper that isn't zipped all the way.  at least the length is perfect!  as for the wrinkles... i'm not sure that there's anything that i can do about that by the end of a workday.  thanks for visiting!

tuesday {rebellious}

the limited skirt {thrifted}   ·   old navy perfect cardigan  

thrifted necklace   ·   merona milena wedges {thrifted target stock}

 

rebellious / the heavier, tweed-like texture of this skirt gave me pause for a moment, thinking that it might only be appropriate to wear in the fall or winter, but i'm breaking it out a few months early!  let's all be rebels with our seasonal clothes, shall we?  lately the temps inside have been tolerable enough to wear longer sleeves or heavier fabrics and i can get away with it on days like today when i do not have any appointments or home visits scheduled outside the building where i'd be running back & forth to my car and to my office building.  i don't normally gravitate towards black & white prints, but i liked the unique texture of this skirt and for a few dollars at the GW it was worth trying something a little different.  are there any fabrics that you only wear during certain parts of the year?  i have a mustard colored corduroy skirt that i didn't wear at all last year because it just didn't feel right to wear in the summer and soon enough fall and winter passed by too.  i'll have to remember to wear it during an early fall day.  thanks for visiting!

thursday {work to weekend}

i recently received a comment asking if i wear the handmade skirts that i wear during the week to work on the weekends as well.  the current answer to that is "no" but i hope in the future that will turn around.  my weekend wear is really nothing special.  during the fall/winter i am always in jeans--and not even what one might consider stylish or on trend jeans like skinnies or colored denim.  nope, my jeans of choice are dark-washed old navy boot cut jeans.  in the summer i tend to wear more casual skirts (like this one or this one from old navy) and some sort of more casual blouse (like this one) that sometimes get pulled into work rotation.  i don't do a lot on the weekends and don't really have a reason to be intentional about the way i dress but that doesn't mean that can't change! this reader's comment made me wonder if maybe i could start getting more wear out of my handmade skirts on the weekends, so i took that thought and turned it into a challenge for myself.  here's what i came up with:

this navy & white scroll fabric is one of my favorite skirts that i've made recently.  the picture on the left is how i wore it to work today where i went to a continuing education seminar with other professionals in my field, back to the office, and then to a care conference for one of my clients.  the picture on the right is how i wore this skirt on sunday when i went to get my hair cut and ran a couple errands.  i really liked both looks and i think they were both suited for my agenda each day. 

there are three main things i look at when comparing my weekend wear to work wear:

1. shoes: i always wear flats on the weekend and i usually always wear heels or wedges to work.  wearing cute flats on the weekend tones down the professional vibe that heels give an outfit and gives me a chance to wear shoes that aren't in my rotation that often.

2. jewelry: my standard is some sort of statement or long beaded necklace to accessorize during the week.  on the weekend, i still like to wear some sort of necklace so i'll reach for a simple silver chain with a charm.  it adds some visual interest to the neckline but in a more relaxing way.

3. tops: i like to layer blouses and cardigans to work but like less fuss on the weekend - i think this is the time to pull your your tees.  it instantly adds a more casual vibe to the look of your outfit!

do you have any skirts that you bought (or made!) intending to only wear them to work?  do you think my three steps would help transition them to weekend wear as well?  also, be sure to let me know if you'd like to see more posts like this in the future!

monday.

 

talbots blouse {thrifted}   merona skirt {thrifted target stock}

merona milena wedges {thrifted target stock}   inpink necklace

today was one of those days where i had a hundred items on my to-do list, yet this was a pretty simple outfit that kept me feeling calm & polished throughout all of the different interactions i had at a care conference for work, the post office, bank, and police department.  it may not be the most exciting, but it was practical & professional and i definitely needed that confidence today!  i hope your week is off to a great start!

thursday.

old navy cardigan   handmade (by me) skirt

merona milena wedges (thrifted target stock)

today must be the week of repeats after the discussion i started monday about re-wearing the same outfit or components of the same outfit close together.  i didn't post tuesday or wednesday but both were pretty copy-cat looks and this outfit today is a twin to the outfit i wore last monday.  my mind has been so overwhelmed with the theft of my car, trying to get any sort of information or timeline from my insurance company (that finally came today and i am sensing some pending closure), and busyness at work so i have to give my self a little break in the wardrobe department.  at the same time, this is definitely my "uniform" and so i'm glad that despite everything going on i could still pull something together with minimal effort that is aesthetically pleasing to me and appropriate for my work environment.  thanks for visiting!