June 5, 2017
These colors are classic:
They’ve Changed ALL of the Rules…
She worked from home for years… She had to go into the office once a quarter, just to prove that she was the same person that they thought they had originally hired!
But NOW, she’s got to go in once a week. Generally for meetings. And she’s determined that she’s going to assemble a small, tight, well edited work wardrobe that is both relaxed and sufficiently “show-offish” for those guys from Boston…
The sweaters are simple cotton, but the accessories are quite nice quality, and a bit bold, too!
sweater – Lands’ End; necklace – Halcyon Days; cardigan – Lands’ End; bag – Lodis; loafers – Patricia Green
She is absolutely to wear her favorite bright colors; if she has to be in the office, she’s going to be seen…
tranquil blue tee – Lands’ End; scarf – Orwell + Austen Cashmere; bright boreal blue gingham shirt – Lands’ End
And sometimes, a serious white shirt (with navy piping!) will be just right for a serious meeting. Since she knows that she’ll occasionally have a more relaxed agenda, she treats herself to a pretty tunic, too!
piped shirt – Lands’ End; tunic – Lands’ End
She’s picked up a few really EXCELLENT accessories over the years – these are going to be evident on those days when all of the men are sitting around comparing ties… (yes, this really happens!)
scarf – Christian Lacroix; bracelet – Hermes; small scarf – Hermes
As much as she loves her accent colors, she knows that a refreshed work wardrobe needs some real neutrals. This dress is simple enough, but some serious pearls won’t hurt…
pearl earrings – Mabel Chong; dress – Uniqlo; ring – Victoria Six
She really needs to “shore up” her navy things a bit, but nothing dramatic. Just some good basics that she can wear frequently, in a variety of ways!
dress – Ralph Lauren; earrings – Talbots; clutch – Catherine & Jean; skirt – L.L.Bean; pumps – Ukies; loafers – Vionic
A few things from her “work at home” wardrobe will be good for the office, although sometimes only on the more casual days…
classic navy cardigan – L.L.Bean; classic navy tank – L.L.Bean; classic navy pants – L.L.Bean; heritage stone pants – L.L.Bean; espadrilles – David Tate
When she looks at everything together, she feels pretty comfortable that these pieces will see her through until after Labor Day (into September)…
The accessories make all the difference!
Just to be sure, she arranges things in various outfits, ranging from very dressy (one evening outfit!) to relatively casual:
If they’re going to make her come to the office, she might as well look like she should be running the place!
love,
Janice
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Love this one! And it's given me some great ideas! I'll be returning to work part-time in the Fall and don't want to spend too much money on any new work outfits. I already have a number of pieces that would fit into this plan (along with red and bright blue/turquoise accent pieces) and this gives me ideas for what few pieces to add. Many of them will also go with my black neutrals to expand my options.
Love your stories. Love that read. Love red accessories on white. In fact, Janice, it's … Love, love, love!
I'm such a sucker for the good ol' red, white and blue. Lol, I'm currently wearing it, actually..
I think the beige dress could also be worn like a duster coat with the black dress and the beige pant and the navy pants and…. love versatility in a wardrobe.
You took the words right out of my mouth!
Vancouver Barbara
Love red, white and blue :)
I do not wear red, BUT, am in love with the navy dress! It's on sale for 30% off as well! Thanks, Janice, for giving us so many great ideas and I like the stories as well. Judith
This is one of my favorites too!
This is me, literally, right now. After years at home and no more office wear, Work decided they wanted to see my face again. A devotee of this site, I brought my favorite scarf on my shopping trip, and 4 colors later had a working wardrobe!