We just debuted our first Workchic style series video on Youtube this week!  Our first series  shows how you can incorporate vintage into your everyday work attire.  With the help of our friend, Malie, who happens to own The Vintage Shopping Guide- we demonstrated how you can take a vintage dress and transform into your own modern look.    Stay tuned for more of our WorkchicTV series that show how you can shop your own closet and create your own Workchic style!

These pictures are great examples of how you can take your personal style, vintage in this example, and incorporate it into your work wardrobe.

Learn how to create these looks and more by watching our Workchic Style Series Video.

Check out more Workchic Dresses, Jackets, and Handbags to get your look right.

To shop vintage near you, check out VintageShoppingGuide.com for store listings.  Plus read blog articles dedicated to vintage and find events in your area.

We met Krissie McMenamin, a NYC blogger with amazing Workchic style, through Twitter.  We were so impressed by the way she infuses her personal style into a conservative and corporate dress code that we had to share her looks with you.  For those of you that feel business casual is boring or unflattering, take a page from Krissie’s book and visit her site, What Would Krissie Wear? Not only does she create amazing looks she does it on a tight budget! We asked her to share some of her favorite outfits with us, tell us how she creates them, and then pick out a few pieces from Workchic.com so you can Steal her Style!

Isn’t she chic! We were happy to talk with Krissie during the summer months when you can really see her style stand out.  She called the first outfit Pretty in Pink and she sure is. Capped sleeve mock neck is conservative yet still summery. The white pencil skirt continues this seasonal feeling while the belt detail showcases her style without jeopardizing any professionalism.  In the second outfit she plays with greens. This is where we relearn the lesson it doesn’t have to match it just all has to go. There is no mistaking that these shades of greens play well together. Anchoring them in a neutral trouser helps the feminine blouse take the spotlight.  We asked her a few questions so you can understand how she gets inspired to create these looks.

1- Describe your business casual style and tell us what you feel makes it unique.
My business casual style involves layering colors and patterns, adding blasts of bright colors or unique jewelry. I try to vary the structure and cut of my outfit one day to the next, some days highlighting my waist with a belt, other days my legs with a slimming pair of pants or a just-above-the-knee skirt. The idea is to choose an outfit that features one part of the body at a time so that you look professional but also feminine. I say one of the biggest factors that makes my style so unique is that I do it for little money, which is especially relevant today.

2- You have a knack for putting together stylish outfits on a budget. If money was no object where would you shop?
I’m so used to looking for a bargain, I’m not sure I could stop! But if I had an unlimited budget, I’d try to support up-and-coming designers who have really interesting, funky, fun lines and the small boutique stores you can find all over New York City.

3- Most of us would prefer to wear our blue jeans to the office. Do you have any personal advice on how important it is to dress to impress?
As professional women, it’s especially important for us to dress well in the office. There have been several articles written on this topic lately (including one in the Wall Street Journal) and many people have argued that women should pay more attention to doing good work and less to what they’re wearing. But guess what? What you wear and how you look and present yourself are all about building your image and making a lasting impression on your peers, your boss, management etc. Of course you should wow them with your performance but it’s only going to help you and your career in the long run if you also wow them with how you present yourself on a daily basis.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! As women we have many more options on how to dress for work then men. This allows us to express ourselves. Krissie does this everyday and it only makes her stand out from her peers as she continues to produce examplory work.  Ready to challenge yourself and Steal her Style? Use these pieces to get started.

Krissie says: “There is lots to choose from on the Workchic site in terms of clothes, accessories, jewelry, etc. I stuck to the basics, and of course the more affordable basics.”

“The black Rampage Belted Jacket is such a staple for summer and I picked two skirts and several blouses to pair it with. The black pencil skirt is a must have because it’s so versatile and I love the gathering in the tan skirt – perfect for tucking and belting. Which brings me to my two belt selections. The gold is for a bit classier look and the woven a bit more casual but I think either could go with almost any combination of blouses. I added the gold textured bracelet to play off either belts and the two turquoise necklaces to brighten up one of the more black and white outfits or that grayish jacket. I like that the necklaces sort of match too, so you may be able to double up on them, as well as pair them with the woven scarf… perhaps worn as a belt?”

To see more of Krissie’s stylish looks be sure to visit her site, What Would Krissie Wear?

Links à la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup

Posted by jordana • June 25th, 2009 • Printer-friendly

Ice Cold Lemonade

Edited by Clutch 22

Compiling this week’s round up of posts hit closer to home for me. I think we can all relate to the times where stress builds up and blocks inspiration. Reading each of these individually was the exact refreshment I needed (hence “lemonade”), especially with my birthday coming up next week – total outfit planning mode.

So what’s in the mix? Alixrose and Decline Designs offer personal style inspirations, Fasshonaburu teaches us how to get our budget-shopping on at high-end boutique sales, hkShoeGeek talks harnesses and Fashion Consciou$ inspires by reviving the culottes trend (so cute on her).

Links à la Mode : June 25th

• 39th and Broadway: Ever wonder who really determines how your clothes fit? An interview with a technical designer
• alixrose: You have the perfect outfit, but whats the one thing that can keep it from becoming fabulous?
• A Typical Atypical: A deep dive into the reasoning behind shoe obsessions
• Awakened Aesthetic: Affordable ways to bring urban fashion into your decor without getting tacky
• Bobbins and Bombshells: Fashionable History – A look into 1920’s swimwear and bathing suits.
• Bonne Vie: When Bloggers Unite – The Hotel Max Edition
• Decline Designs: Defining Your Personal Style – Having “Go-To” Outfits
• Fasshonaburu: Digging through a high end sales to find purchase-worhty pieces, and tips on how to not go over budget
• Fashion Consciou$: Fashion Flashback – Return of the culottes
• Fashion Pulse Daily: The evolution of the gladiator to the “mandiator”
• Foxie: A little gown guide for your summer wedding
• Hong Kong Fashion Geek: Harnesses – A collection of favorites for every style and price range
• Idiosyncratic Style: A guide for casual wedding attire
• Independent Fashion Bloggers: You just don’t compare…
• Retro Chick : Mary Queen of Charity Shops – Now it’s all over, some final thoughts
• Shoe Daydreams: Are you on board with the latest trend – Over The Knee boots?
• Tatiana Supports the Arts: Indie Designer Spotlight – ALEX&RA, designed by Alexandra Cipparone
• The Bare Skinny: Not everything has to be black and white – inspiration for adding color to your wardrobe
• The Coveted: Shu Uemura’s inspired lashes
• Unfunded: Respect your elders – Rock the vintage!
• Work Chic: Chic hosiery options if you still have to wear them in the summer heat!

PLEASE READ IF YOU’D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE:

If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE. The HTML code for this week will be found in the Links a la Mode group (which you need to register first to access it).

~Jennine

Jennifer and I both know from experience the perils of shopping when you are blessed with being petite and curvy.  We both have spent countless hours shopping for the perfect pair of pants or jeans only to find one pair that actually fits well amongst the 60 pairs that we tried on. How do you solve this fashion dilemma?  Here are some of our suggestions for those that are curvy and petite!

Silhouettes: A-Line silhouettes are always best for a curvy frame.  Try to keep a skirt length at knee length or above to visually elongate your legs. Avoid full pleats.  Skirt pleats should start below your hip bone so they work with your curves.  The seams in your jacket sleeve should hit right at the end of your shoulder.  If they fall in your mid forearm then the jacket is too big for your frame.  The cut of your shirts or dresses should highlight your curves not hide them.  Wearing big and loose clothing when you are petite and curvy will only make you look shorter.

Fabrics: Cotton blends work better than Jersey on a curvy frame. Skirts with a lining also help smooth over curves.

Colors: Avoid colorblocks which tends to visually cut the body in half making you look shorter.  A dress or outfit in a single color visually creates an elongated frame.

Accessories:  Make sure your accessories are in proportion with your shape.  Large oversized handbags will just drown and overpower you!

We found some great petite options below:

We just received the following reader question below:

Hi I need suggestions for inexpensive wear to work belts. I work in a business casual office and I wear khakis a lot. I wear anything from a general chino to a dressier pant from Banana Republic. Also, can you provide comfortable shoe ideas too. The job requires lots of walking.

No problem!  We found some great belt options that can be worn with your khakis to your dressier pants.  All of the options below are under $50.

Braided O-Ring Hip Belt- $44.00
Harness buckle belt in Black-$38.00
Merona Trouser Buckle Belt-$12.99
Merona Inlay Buckle Belt-$9.99
Leather belt in Chalk-$39.99
Leather skinny belt in Cognac-$34.99

Now what about comfortable shoes?  Are there chic yet comfortable shoes out there?  We definitely suggest flats with a little of padding or cushion for when you are on your feet all day. The brands selected below (Ecco, Cole Haan Air Genie, Softspots and Born) are known for their comfort and adding some additional foam to the insole of their flats. They have styles that are appropriate for both the business casual and casual work days.

Cole Haan Air Genie Ballet (Gold Washed Linen)-$105.00
Softspots Womens Valen Ballerinas-$49.97
Born Daffodil Women’s Flat Shoes-$63.95
Walking On Water Wedges-$24.99
Ecco Lite Skimmer Women’s Flat Shoes-$119.95

Do you have a question for us?  Please feel free to email us at info@workchic.com!

Summer does not make wearing suits a whole lot of fun. Unfortunatly most days this is your required ensemble. Don’t worry cooler fall temps are right around the corner; but for now we need to get you into Workchic Summer suits. Lawyers, legal aids, and even judges are required to keep a business professional demeanor in and out of the courtroom.

When you think of wool, you usually think winter. Wool is a natural fiber and will breathe better then synthetics in hot temperatures. Plus it will keep you comfortable if you are in a room with heavy air conditioning.  Look for suits in light weight wool for the summer months.  This style from Charles Tyrwhitt has a traditional pinstripe on light grey. The pants are only lined to the knee for added breath-ability.  Soft Pink gives some subtle color to a grey suit. This style from Thomas Pink has three quarter sleeves so that it is still professional if you take off your jacket, yet cooler with it on.  We finished the look with an Anne Klein pointed toe pump and simple silver jewelery.

Light Grey Stripe Lightweight Wool Trouser
Light Grey Stripe Lightweight Wool Jacket
Pink Strada Plain Women's 3/4 Length Sleeve Shirt
Women’s shoes: AK Anne Klein Christa – Black leather
Sterling Silver Fancy Oval Links Necklace – 17
Kenneth Cole New York KC4497 (Women’s) – Stainless Steel/Natural

Another great fabric in the summer is cotton. Again this is a natural fiber. Most styles that you find will be blended to improve the structure and hand of the garment. The style we found at Banana Republic is Cotton/Rayon/Spandex.  We like the moonlight shade as opposed to white or khaki. Offsetting the light color with a deep plum blouse gives the suit dimension.  We kept the belt and shoes in neutral shades and picked the plum back up in a structured tapestry tote for holding important paperwork.

Women: Sleek flap-pocket blazer – Moonlight
Women: 718 Martin sleek straight pant – Moonlight
Women: Linen/cotton embroidered blouse – Black raspberry
Women’s Merona Trouser Buckle Belt – Tan
Bandolino Women’s Jaelle Detailed Sling
Women’s handbags: 7 For All Mankind Malabo Tote – Berry

If you have any casual days in the office, this probably actually means business casual. We still would not pull out blue jeans. Try a nice pencil skirt and ruffled blouse instead.  This skirt has a sophisticated herringbone pattern. To give the neutral outfit some personal style we added a satchel with woven salmon sides and multi colored clover bracelet.

Antonio Melani “Ramsey” Pencil Skirt
ABS by Allen Schwartz Ruffled Blouse

Charles By Charles David Women’s Pompadour Pump
Women’s handbags: 7 For All Mankind Leather Link Satchel – salmon/khaki
Liz Claiborne New York Wide Bangle Bracelet

Liz Claiborne New York Interlock Earrings

Working in a law firm and looking Workchic, no problem! You have all the tools you need to dress to impress this summer. Remember natural fibers will be more comfortable and keep you cool in heated situations.

We haven’t heard from Mallory in awhile since she has been busy at work.  She responded to one of our former posts on how to go from the office to drinks in style http://bit.ly/2XrxX

Summer is officially here and even though the weather hasn’t cooperated, everyone still wants to get out and enjoy the season.  Here in NYC even though it gets so hot, all of my coworkers just want to go out on Friday night and relax after a long work week. The guys tend to wear what they wore to work and it is so much easier for them!   I find all of the girls are bringing tote bags to work filled with jeans, make-up, and shoes that they find more suitable for a night out rather than wearing what they wore to work that day. Well I think there is a way to get around that.  Who wants to carry extra bags on the subway especially in this heat?  I would say the simplest idea is just wearing a dress to work with a cardigan or jacket and then all you need to do is take off the cardigan. Or you can wear a shirtdress- those are adorable and think they always look great no matter where you go! I just always try to keep in mind when I am out shopping- “How many different situations can I wear this in?”  If you find a really cute shirt that might be more night out appropriate rather than office appropriate, just put a cute cami under it to cover up.  I think there is a nice option to wearing jeans- you can always wear any type of capri pants.  I’m a huge fan of them and dress them up because they always look appropriate no matter where you are going.  It’s summertime so they can be bright!  I found some great options on Workchic.com!

Enjoy your summer!

Every season we try to give you a way to update your work wardrobe for under $100.  Summer is here so we found 5 pieces you can buy, one for every day of the week, to update your look now.

Start with a sleeveless blouse in a Rose Ikat Print. This one is available at Target, Merona Sleeveless Ruffle Top, $14.99. Pair it with black or navy trousers for the office.

We found this City Stretch Tiered Print Dress at New York & Company currently on sale for $30.05.  If the neckline is to low or revealing try layering a lavender cami underneath.

Wedges look perfect with summer dresses and these will look equally chic with denim for casual days in the office.  Pick up Diba Women’s Delight Wedge Sandal for $20 at Endless.com.

This second top utilizes another one of this season’s hot trends, color-blocking.  City Stretch Matte Jersey Colorblock Top is also available in a more traditional color combination of Tan and Coconut Brown. Pick it up at NY & Co for $17.97.

Dress up your basics and make them feel brand new with a statement necklace.  City Style Multi-Bead Illusion Necklace also comes in black, orange, and yellow for $16.95.

Our grand total for these 5 summer items is $99.96.  Remember many of these prices are based on current sales. So shop now to update your work wardrobe for under $100.

Last week we asked our twitter friends for requests about dressing for the office. This one made us laugh and we just knew we had to address it.

“Would love to see what you do with white pants. I look like a sailor every time!”

It’s funny, but so often we talk about the fabric or construction of white pants to make them work appropriate. What about the styling? Well we utilized the outfits section of our site to better answer this questions. Here you can see some looks depending on if you are dressing for a casual or businesss casual office. 

BUSINESS CASUAL OFFICE

These three business casual outfits will have you looking chic and not sailor for the office. Soft feminine blouses do the trick withe these styles. Plus playing with fun prints and strappy sandals helps too. Shop our outfits to reel in these looks for Summer: Printed Blouse – Grey Blazer – Blue Blouse

CASUAL OFFICE

Back in the middle of Spring we started getting excited about white pants and put these looks together for a casual office. Avoiding Navy, Red, and stripes is a great start to maintaining a non-sailor look. We like the idea of adding jackets to casual white pants to make the looks more professional. Soft feminine florals are always nice in the summer. Capture these looks yourself by shopping our outfits: Taupe Short Slv Jacket – Casual Pink Blouse – Max Studio Casual

We hope these looks will help you feel sophisticated and professional in your white pants. If you are really up for a challenge, try this white suit from Banana Republic.  Good Luck putting your looks together!

If you have questions about keep your look Workchic, send them to us: info@workchic.com. We love answering your questions!