How To Pick Your First Suit

*original outfit post here*

I try to showcase a lot of wear-to-work outfits that are work appropriate, but go beyond just a basic suit. However, suits are a must have in your closet if you are a young woman working in the professional / corporate world. Even if you work in a laid back industry, there are times where a classic suit is just a necessity. 

Today I wanted to share some tips on how to select your first suit. Suit shopping can be a daunting task - especially for women - so these tips should help make the process easier! I'll also link up my favorite places to buy suits.

1. Know your Industry 

Do you work in a 'big business' accounting firm, a boutique law firm, a tech start-up? Knowing your industry is essential to determining the type of suit you need. For more 'corporate' industries you will want to to stick with a classic shape. The more relaxed, the more you can experiment with cuts/shapes. Personally, I live in 'skinny pant' suits. 

2. Decide on Color 

For a first suit, stick with the basics - navy or dark charcoal gray or most common. Traditionally the rule was to shy away from black as it is too harsh. Personally, I think that rule is outdated now and I see many young lawyers with black suits as their first/primary suit and it looks great. 

     3. Decide on Skirt vs. Pant            

If you are in a more strict environment, or are planning on going to numerous interviews in your first suit, skirt suits are still recommended as the most appropriate style for women. That said, it's 2016. If you feel more comfortable in a pant suit, go for it. I personally don't like skirt suits and did every law firm interview I had following law school in a pant suit. 

4. Try on Different "Fits"

Suits can be as diverse as jeans. Take a ton of suits into the change room to see how different fits sit on your body type. Longer vs. Shorter blazers will look different on different bodies, as will one, two or three button blazers. Try them all on to see what look suits you best before narrowing your search to suits in that particular fit.

 5. Where to Shop

Luckily, it is becoming easier to find stylish women's suits. My personal favorite brands/stores, by price point, are below.

Affordable ( >$200):

- Banana Republic

- Express

- Halogen (available at Nordstrom)

Mid-Range ($200-600):

- Ann Taylor

High End ($500+)

- Classiques (available at Nordstrom)

- Theory

- Boss (available at Saks)  

- Club Monaco

 

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How to Style a Sleeveless Blazer

Similar Sleeveless Blazer // T-Shirt // Pants // Heels // Similar Handbag // Necklace

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The hotter the weather, the harder it is to dress professionally for work. If you work in a business casual work environment the sleeveless blazer is the perfect item for you.

While I unfortunately can't wear sleeveless blazers to work; I can wear them on my rare 'in my office' days or on weekends. I have been wearing this long black one non-stop! I love the functionality of having pockets but not having the added bulk of a full blazer.

Whether you choose to dress up a sleeveless blazer for work or dress it down for an evening/weekend look, I think there is one important tip to rocking this item of clothing. Balancing your proportions. 

By that, I mean pay attention to the length of your sleeveless blazer. If you are wearing skinny pants, as I am here, you can opt for a longer length blazer. If your bottoms are fuller though- like a midi skirt - stick to a sleeveless blazer that hits at or above your hips. In the widget below I've rounded up my top picks for sleeveless blazers (at every price point). Enjoy!

linking up with: let it shine // OOTD // hello monday // shoe & tell // #howispring // style sessions // on trend tuesdays // trend spin // style swap // tuesday fashion party 

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Dress / Shirt

 

 Dress // Shirt // Similar Heels (1),(2) // Similar Bracelet // Similar Earrings (1),(2)

I fell in love with this dress the moment I saw it. A-Line is always a flattering fit and I love the mixed media - the dress has both faux leather as well as the heavier knit. I knew I wanted to wear this dress for work - but didn't want to cover up the leather back by having to wear a blazer. What to do then to make the sleeveless style work appropriate?? Wear a white button down underneath!

Are you looking forward to Valentine's Day? I have a couple fun Galentine's Day & Valentine's Day activities that I am definitely looking forward to you. Do you celebrate "Galentine's Day"? Whether I am single or in a relationship I love Galentine's Day. I am blessed to have great female friends and I think it's important to celebrate with them/ shower them with love as well!

You can check out my post from this time last year HERE to read more about why I love Galentine's Day and why being single on Valentine's day does not have to suck!

Also, in case you are in the Valentine's day mood, here is my outfit photo from last year. Hope you like it!

Similar: Shirt // Skirt (currently selling this actual skirt @LegalLeeBlondeCloset // Heels // Necklace // Lipstick (exact)
 

Linking up with: fabulous friday // casual friday // fab favorites // flashback fashion fridays // that friday blog hop // Friday favorites // link party with Osy // hello monday // #howifall // mix it mondays // sophisticated style // confident twosday // style swap // tuesday fashion party  // what i wore to work
// spotlight of the week (stripes) 

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Professional Patterns

Similar Blazer // Pants // Wedges // Similar Necklace, (2) // Handbag
photography by: jayjay photography

This plaid blazer is a few years old, and every fall I find myself reaching for it again. Incorporating prints and patterns into your work wardrobe is a great way to update your look and embrace the trends of the season. Below are my tips for how to wear patterns to work. Before I get to that though; I have some announcements for you:

1) Today is the last day to enter the giveaway to win a pair of Kendra Scott earrings and $105 gift card to Sephora! If you haven't entered yet, you can do so here.

2) Starting today every Monday I will be sharing a "Monday Must Read" on Facebook & Twitter. Be sure to follow along to catch some great articles aimed at all of you amazing women working hard to achieve your goals! The "Must Reads" will be articles I found interesting each week ranging from fashion, to business, to career advice.  

Tips for Wearing Patterns at Work:

1. Stick with one color scheme 

You'll notice with this outfit the plaid is in wine shades with hints of black. The rest of my outfit is therefore black.

2. Stick with one pattern at a time  

If you are wearing a patterned blazer, generally stick with a solid colored blouse. Print mixing is awesome; but rarely will it work for the office.

3. Pick a feature item 

Your patterned item should be the focus of your outfit. Don't let the rest of your outfit compete with it- that can look too "busy" for the corporate world. My personal favourite item for patterns, are blazers.
 

4. Experiment with pattern size 

Depending on the pattern, you may find that a smaller print or a larger print looks more professional. Once you’ve picked a pattern you want (say, polka dot); find a large print and a small print and try them on with the rest of your outfit – you’ll often find one feels more professional!  

Have a great Monday everyone. I'll be busy with back to back meetings today, but that will make a nice change from being in court all day!

Linking up with: shoe & tell // Let it Shine  // #howifall  // creative mondays  // hello monday //  a lovely little a la mode // sophisticated style  // mix it mondays // beauty by miss l // on trend tuesdays // garay treasures // style sessions // style swap // tuesday fashion party // trend spin linkup // the mummy chronicles // How I style It (Plaid) // throwback thursday // #wiwt // what i wore to work // casual friday 

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Transitioning from Summer to Fall - Color Combinations & Outfit Ideas

 I am SO excited to share today's post with you!! One of the questions I have been getting a lot via email lately is what to wear during "seasonal transitions". It's tough to transition your wardrobe from summer to fall; and coming up with outfits for September can be difficult. So, for today's post I am showing you my top 4 color combinations to transition your outfits from summer to fall!

Shirt // similar bags: here // here // here 

// Heels // Phone Case 

Burgundy & Blush is a great color combination to transition out of summer. Pair any blush item with burgundy and you've got a great outfit! For added fall touches, consider adding (like I've done here) leopard print and rose gold or bronze! (ps. I posted this pic to instagram last week- follow along if you aren't already!)

Some of my favourite burgundy & blush items available at the moment are:

 pants  // tunic // similar necklaces: here // here // here 

Olive is always a big colour for fall, but to make it a bit more fitted to this late summer weather try pairing it with pink! Here I've pictured one of my favourite outfits with olive & pale pink, but, olive also pairs well with rich dark pink- so give that a try as well.

Some of my favourite olive & pink items available at the moment are:

 similar dress // similar coat // similar purse

I have been wearing yellow a lot this summer (as you probably noticed in my posts here and here). It is one of my favorite colors during the summer, but, I also really like it transitioning into the fall paired with shades of grey or even navy. The above picture is from an older post (you can see the full post here) but it is an outfit I repeat season to season. The grey tones are a perfect compliment to sunny yellow. 

Some of my favourite yellow & grey items available at the moment are: 

  t-shirt // similar denim shirt // shorts // similar handbag

One of the easiest ways to keep wearing all your summer whites into September is to pair them with jewel tones. White denim with emerald, wine or navy looks stunning! I think a combination of multiple jewel tones (like in this outfit) really makes an outfit with white look like it was made for fall. 

Some of my favourite white & jewel tone items available at the moment are:

 

 

Linking up with:
casual friday
fab favorites
friday finds 
friday favorites 
favorite fashion friday 
fabulous friday 
hello monday 
how i summer 
color and grace

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