9to5 Chic

I had a moment yesterday in the mirror checking out how my body was changing, you know with 25 fast approaching, and I turned around and thought "oOot! I am indeed my mother's child."  She's got an effortlessly great physique and a few enviable assets in particular, I just didn't see it coming, but I digress. As I was examining, I noticed that my cute little black dress purchased from F21 a few months ago was legit falling apart, like on my body. o_O... I thought to myself "Did I bust my dress open??" But then decided, no, it's just was just poorly made. Keep any thoughts to the contrary to yourself.

Nonetheless, I again appreciated the time my personal-Mommy-stylist helped me to find a few work appropriate, grown up sized/fabrics and budget friendly pieces. So I thought I'd share a few of my finds, and a few tips for business casual work environments for the stylish gal.

LtoR - Dress: London Times | Top: Vince Camuto, Skirt: H&M (old) | Dress: Anne Klein | Sweater: Monteau, Dress: Vintage

1.) You can be trendy without looking inappropriate for work - I love the peplum trend and am elated that it's sticking around for another season. I think it does wonders creating a feminine shape, especially for us athletic builds. I normally don't like investing substantially in trendy pieces and try to find them at affordable places, but would typically leave me in need of about 5 more inches of fabric above the knee. Marshall's/TJ Maxx are great places to find on trend pieces in real women sizes at friendly prices. I ushered Autumn in with this rich blue dress for just $39.99

2.) Keep separates simple - If you can tell, the arms of the polka dot blouse are a tad sheer, and the overall shape is quite flowy. Thus, the top alone made enough of a statement, so I paired it with a plain black pencil skirt and clean leather pumps. I could have accessorized a bit more, but instead went with a fun red lip color. Just me and my cube anyway lol. I nabbed this super cute blouse for $29.99.

3.) Fit is key - Even though you might be trying to catch a man walking to and from, maybe even in the office, form fitting clothing is just not appropriate. Save the freakum dress, skirts, and pants for the club, on the real. You want to be noticed for your merit, not for being ill clad. As you can tell with both dresses, but particularly the navy one, I could possibly have gone a size smaller, as there's room in both the waist and hip areas. But it fits properly for work, and I could wear a sexier or higher heel to accentuate my legs, because nothing else was being highlighted. This Anne Klein shift dress was $49.99

4.) Cardigans are an office girl's best friend - I tend to take my sweaters off for pictures, but I am never in the office without a sweater. I know people have mixed feelings about exposing armpits in certain environments, but it's mostly just because I'm usually cold and it provides structure to any simple attire. I almost squealed in excitement when I found this Chanel-esque tweed looking but super soft stretchy cardigan for just $19.99. 

So those are just a few tips I thought to share, after seeing a few too many divas on my morning commute and wondering just where they thought they were going/what kind of office they worked in. 

Stay fly, but more importantly stay classy.

xox