Here is a beatuful example from Banana Republic:

For those of us who don’t have corporate jobs anymore, and can afford to wear tee shirts and jeans in the middle of the week…

The second great blog I follow is http://styleobserver.com. It’s completely different from Smagglestyle, but not less fabulous. Jean Vouté Pratt, the writer of this blog, shares her observations on style, which are all about not being a fashion victim and looking classy while keeping up with trends in a moderate way. It is more in sync with what my blog is all about, but she’s a bit less concerned with the budget .

Enjoy!

]]> http://www.lookermoms.com/?feed=rss2&p=57 http://www.lookermoms.com/?p=56 http://www.lookermoms.com/?p=56#comments Sun, 13 Jul 2008 11:36:23 +0000 LookerMom http://www.lookermoms.com/?p=56

In my opinion, most of our office clothes budget should be spent in tops. Tops are what people see and remember, and should be special, elegant and high quality.

You always need button shirts, at least 3. I suggest light colors, especially white and light gray or beige. Button shirts do not have to be classic and boring, check out this one from Gap European collection.

Cardigans are great office picks, plus they keep you warm when the air conditioner is working.

I love soft fabrics like satin and silk, but they’re hard to handle. Not recommended for daily use, keep one or two for special events. Instead, try this kind of top, made of cotton fabric.

Pants do not stand out as much as tops, so you can buy relatively low-priced pants from stores like Gap, Old Navy, etc… the most important thing here is that they sit well on your body. I have pants in all neutral colors, 5 in total: black, gray, black with gray stripes, brown and beige

Always accessorize. Don’t leave home without earrings, try new accessories, wear simple, clean makeup. Don’t every find yourself looking awful when you accidentally see yourself in a store mirror…

Scarves are a hot fashion trend this spring (and always, so not really a trend) and will upgrade any simple outfit. Another advantage is that it’s easy to be bold with scarves!!! Go crazy and try many different prints and colors to get some color on you, even when you’re wearing jeans and a T-shirt to shop for groceries.

Here are some wear-to-work outfits, with accessories and all…

Let’s start with how to plan your budget for your basic office wardrobe. We made a list of what we think is the absolute minimum for a daily wear-to-work, simple wardrobe. We wanted to list only items which we think are absolutely necessary, and of recurring use. Also easy to match, for those hectic mornings when you’re getting ready and making sure everyone else is ready too…

Our most heart-felt advice regarding office wardrobe is to keep it simple, and spice it up with accessories. It saves time, and encourages you to invest in high quality items that will be worn again and again, and will be always in fashion. Accessories bring color even to the dullest outfit, so you can still express your personality, with little time and effort.

This is what you will need as a basic wear to work wardrobe:

1. 2-3 button shirts, light colors
2. 2-3 nice tops, short or long sleeve. Avoid strong prints
3. 2-3 cardigans in black, grey and white
4. 5 pairs of trousers- black (2, try one with stripes), grey, brown, beige (not in winter, try light fabric)
5. 2 pairs of good office shoes – one brown, one black
6. 1 Jacket to match one or more pairs of trousers. (At least one suit, unless your job requires wearing a suit every day)
7. One nice coat, black
8. 1 skirt, knee length
9. Accessories (colorful scarves, earrings, bracelets, pins)

They have wonderful bralettes, if you do not need underwire.

I thought the prices were ok too, and there are lots of discounts these days.

Their own site isn’t too exciting, but check them out at Nordstrom.com

enjoy,