Blazer

Image by H&M

Like this blazer by H&M a lot. Great and simple design (for under 30 Euros...) that can be styled up or down.

Inspiration

Images via Styleheroine

Some great work wear inspiration found on Evangelie's blog.
Burgundy is such a great way to inject some colour in to rather dark-toned work ensembles without going over the top.

What do you think?

Casual Friday / Marc Cain

Images by Marc Cain

Love the idea of incorporating the striped or dotted pieces into a classic ensemble with a white blouse and a black blazer.

A Bow

Images by Tales Of Endearment

This outfit Marianna Rothen wore when being photographed by Natalie Joos is such great work wear inspiration. The bow on the blouse is a little twist to the usual standard white blouse but has a great effect. It can be done by adding a little white ribbon to any white blouse already sitting in your closet. The blazer has just a couple of more special details. the slightly pushed up sleeves entirely change the silhoutte. Ready to copy? :-)

The Fold

Good quality and stylish work wear is often hard to find if you don't want to spend a fortune. Especially if materials are important to you (travelling a lot, away from irons....wool materials make such a difference to wrinkling!).
I recently discovered The Fold. Two girls who know the corporate world from the inside have started the label. Looks very promising to me!

Pull Up The Collars

Image by Hanneli Mustaparta

Doesn't she look amazing? Flip up your collars girls! And combine the look with a blouse collar-less blouse. (Neon nail polish optional for the office ;-) )

Houndstooth

Images by Romwe.com

These trousers are a great winter alternative to mix up a classic black blazer and white shirt.
Too minimal? Mix in bright accessories!

Off-Duty / Jewellery Tree

Image by Stylescrapbook

I would love this tree that Andy found to hang all the filigrane necklaces that tend to get all tangled up.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Off-Duty / The Perfect Closet

I love Sabrina's closet! It seems so well organised and not overflowing as opposed to so many other "fashionista's" wardrobes. Check out the video on Vimeo!

Have a great Saturday!

Neon

Images by Asos.com

Another great ASOS find. Such a cool change from the usual suit!

Do you like it?

The Top

Image by Asos.com

Asos really seems to have so many great work wear options at the moment. The top makes the entire outfit. And nude heels always look great. This is another combo that I would throw on immediately!

Sleeves

Images by Extra Petite

Amazing difference! Again it's entirely in the cut... in the alterated sleeves to be exact. The form of a sleeve can change the entire outfit. Extra Petite even shows on her blog how to alter a sleeve yourself.

The Cut

Image by Mr. Newton

In this outfit it's all in the cut. And the shoes.
The suit could not be more classic but the shoes and the sweater she pulled underneath are just making this outfit plain awesome. Love it!

What do you think?

Dresses

Images by H&M & Asos

These dresses are great options to update your work wardrobe with some fresh colours and cuts! (Plus they are budget friendly.)

Hope you all started well into your week!

Off-Duty / French Cool

Jalouse Magazine: Une Fille Comme Les Autres from Matthew Frost on Vimeo.

I could watch this video over and over again. Enjoy your Sunday!

Off Duty

Image via http://luellajune.tumblr.com/

That is exactly what I'm doing this weekend.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Casual Friday / Lara

Images by Vogue.fr

How great is this girl's wardrobe? And her appartment / workshop?
Not to even talk about the jewellery she creates...

Black and Girly

Image by Clochet

A combination by Clochet I love. I often use slightly girlier skirts in my work ensembles pared down with simple black or dark grey basics.


What do you think?

Blouses With A Twist

Images by Asos.com

While I adore a well-cut classic simple white blouse, I love how a more special design can update your entire look and make it unique.
Take your classic grey or black suit and pair it with one of these blouses that I found on Asos - I might need to update my blouse collection with a model like these as well!

What do you think?

How To Tie a Scarf

Have you already seen this video by Wendy? It is an absolute must-see! (And from an incredibly sweet girl too.)
Plus scarves make a great addition to a very basic work outfit!

Petrol

Image by This Time Tomorrow

I have to admit, I have never really thought of petrol as a colour for a suit - but how great does that look? Would be a great change from the usual black/grey/blue without lacking any of these colours' classiness.

The Tuxedo

Image by Emersonmade

Looks amazing. Especially because of the more greyish black of the jacket.
The jacket and pants could just as well be worn separate from each other teamed up with a grey pair of trousers / jacket instead. This would instantly "deglam" it for the office while still making a special ensemble.

Happy Monday everyone!

Off Duty / The Perfect Sweater

Love, love, love this sweater.

Off Duty / Saturday

Image by http://www.pinkwallpaper.blogspot.com/ found via Pinterest

Cozy and wonderfully inspiring. Perfect for a grey, snowy saturday. (Head over to Shannon's blog to see lovely decorating and fashion pictures!)

Have a nice weekend!

Bagllerinas

Stumbled across these ballerinas in a post by Chiara - how great are they to have in your carry-on on business trips or even in your handbag to slip into when your heels become unbearable?

H&M did some for a couple of Euros last season - but these leather ones look so much more office appropriate. (BTW, they also seem to have models with a longer cap for less toe cleavage...)

Alexandra

What a great look by Alexandra from Lovely Pepa! The colours are completely office-worthy. Though the skirt might need to be a tad longer in a formal corporate environment its beltish detail makes the whole look so much more interesting.
I also love the all-black upper half as a change from the usual light blouse and dark jacket and trouser / skirt combo found way too much in work wear. And I am a biiig fan of dotted tights. They are such a good way to make a super classic skirt suit look so much more modern.

What do you think?

Pimp My Blouse

Black buttons on a white blouse are kind of a secret fetish of mine ;-) But why not sew on some coloured buttons onto a very classic white blouse? How awesome would red or yellow buttons look in a purely black and white outfit?

I might actually need to try a DIY... what do you think?

Finger Candy

H&M Ring (old)

I love this ring. And I think that you can get away wearing a jewellery piece like this in a formal work environment when dressed really classically. But anyway the good thing about rings is you can wear them to your office and as soon as you have got a meeting where you don't dare wearing such an obvious piece you just slip it into your pockets. But don't forget to put it back on for coffee breaks and after work parties. It's a great conversation starter!

In The Detail

 

Images by Vanillascented

I love this jacket. Another very simple work outfit where it is entirely in the details. The sewn in vest gives this blazer a special twist. Why not copy the idea and wear a white cotton vest with shiny buttons under a classic blazer and over a simple white top?

Show Me Your Feet

Every girl loves shoes, doesn't she? These shoes would look awesome with a black or grey classic trouser suit and a white blouse.
How far do you personally go when it comes to your shoe selection for your formal outfits? Would you risk wearing a shoe as extreme as this one?

Calvin Klein Pre-Fall 2012

Images by Vogue.de

Calvin Klein's pre-fall collection is perfect for working girls. The skirts have a perfect length ending just on the knee, the silhouettes are nicely tailored and the play with textures within the same muted tones are a great inspiration for our own combinations!

What do you think of it?

Nailing it

These are two of my favourite nail colours. But to wear them to work?
I sometimes see business women with red or dark nail polish. But I always feel that as a more junior staff member you have less credit to do so.

How do you feel about colours that are traditionally considered less office-friendly? Do you wear them even on normal workdays in a very formal corporate environment?

Inspiration #2

Please help me identify the original source to give proper credit

One of my favourite inspiration pics ever. Everything could not be more classic. Until you see her from the back. And her lipstick has the perfect colour. Work-classics with a twist done to perfection!

Crrravings

I have found that saving items I crave to a note taking program like Evernote helps me decide what I really love AND fits in my wardrobe and which items are just instant but momentary loves.

The same is true for sites like Fashiolista where I like to look at how desired items look together as a dream wardrobe. It lets me see how my style would look like if I had only the items I currently craved.

I feel that going back to these tools or sites a couple of days or sometimes even weeks later I can much better decide if I should really buy the item I loved so much at first sight. It helps me build a wardrobe that does not just get bigger and bigger but one that I love more and more. Ultimately, this saves me money AND makes me happier - not just for my "on duty" clothes, but also for the other ones :-)

Funnily enough, my best buys have always been the "do I really need this" items rather than the buys where I thought "one always needs one of this..."

Do you also have a strategy to avoid buying things you are never really going to wear?
I would love to know how you do it!

Inspiration #1

Caroline Issa - Please help me identify the original source to give proper credit as unfortunately I hadn't noted it!

 This image of Caroline Issa has wandered into my inspiration folder a while ago. Love how simple this outfit is - everything she wears could be found in any working girl's closet. But what really makes the outfit stand out are the shoes - from the repetition of the colour palette to the special design.

The proof what you can make out of very basic and classic items by adding a great accessory. Fantastic inspiration!

Love and Hate

I hate bad (work) outfits. Even "on duty" should it be not only possible but actually more important than ever to look your best, shouldn't it? Though admittedly it is not always simple to dress creatively in very traditional corporate environments. So my personal goal is to make most out of corporate dress codes.

On the other hand I am fascinated by minimalism. Even if I am (still?) far from living a minimalist lifestyle myself I love applying the concept to my closet. Just thinking how much you can make out of how few pieces if they fit well into your closet is fascinating to me. How many items of clothing do we really need to dress well and creatively? To still stand out? What can I get rid of without missing it?

Let's fill the blank board with plenty of ideas and inspiration!