If you have the luxury of a corner office, you should have the wardrobe to match. If you’re still striving for that big promotion, start dressing the part now! Today we are going to look at Spring jackets perfect for mixing and matching into business professional outfits. Since we know office environments can vary from classic and conservative to trendy and fashion conscience, we are going to look at a variety of jackets.

In a conservative office or industry, find subtle details that interest you in classic silhouettes. Here we feature a Stand Collar One Button Jacket in a classic charcoal hue. A light grey color is a more subtle for Spring.  This Two Button Jacket With Triangle Side Seams is updated with a double collar and slanted pockets.

Contemporary styles move away from classic silhouettes but fashion details remain tailored. This Zip Front Blazer plays on the safari jacket trend for Spring.  Linen Asymmetrical Wrap Jacket stays professional in mink brown.

Pattern and texture add another level to contemporary styles. Black & White Embroidered Matka Jacket plays on plaid and polka dot allowing you to mix patterns in one simple piece. Pair this with a solid blouse for the office.  Boucle is back for Spring in fresh colors like the warm ochre blended with soft yellow in this Baroness Tweed Jewel Neck Jacket from Jones New York.

While we are suggesting these jackets for business offices, they can easily be mixed and matched with skirts or chinos for both business casual and casual outfits. Try wearing a boucle jacket with dark wash denim and a subtle graphic tee to update your Casual Friday look. Happy Shopping!

We welcome Spring with open arms and love the neutral, lightweight suits that come along with it! We fell in love with this age appropriate short sleeve tweed suit from the Limited that has just a hint of shine.   Utilize these suit pieces with other business casual items in your wardrobe for multiple looks!

The Rounded Collar Jacket is complemented by a sash belt and pleated cap sleeves. Pair it with the matching Embellished Pencil Skirt that has beading around the waistline.  You can tuck in this Scoop Basic Tee so you can show off the detailing of the skirt.  It adds some instant fun to this work wardrobe!
Don’t forget the accessories. We are loving the saffron and spice color palette this Spring so why not add a chunky statement necklace with red, yellows, and oranges.  We love how this Rock Candy and Chain Necklace adds the right amount of color to a neutral suit. The Side Pocket Hobo Bag in a warm Cinnamon color really pulls this look together. 

What would you add to this suit?  We would love to hear your thoughts!  Just leave a comment below or email us at info@workchic.com!

Our How Do I Wear This series continues with the must have staple in your work wardrobe this season: The Dress!  We love how there are so many versatile dress options this Spring.  We show you how to take these trends and put your best foot forward wearing them! 

Abstract/Digital prints

Since these patterns stand out on their own it is best to balance them out with solid accessories and shoes.  The statement is being made in the print and you don’t want the rest of your outfit to fight with that print!

1.Switchback Sheath
2.Dillard’s Sensitive Skin Jet Link Bracelet
3.BCBGeneration “Betsey” Large Hobo Bag
 4.nude footwear Sunnie Day

Solids

Now is the time to play with prints or bold accessories when wearing a solid dress.  You can instantly transform a basic look into a glam work outfit in no time!

1.Ladies’ Luncheon Dress
2.Gianni Bini “Sofie” Large Satchel
3 nude footwear Vanity Fair
4.GS Lillian Floral Cuff Bracelet

Florals

Add some glam pieces like a ruffled satchel or some snakeskin pumps to this feminine print.

1.Freesia Fantasy Dress
2.Steve Madden “Rose Ruffle” Satchel

3.Kenneth Cole New York Amethyst Cluster Earrings
4.nude footwear Milan

Stay tuned for more on our How Do I Wear This series.  If you have an issue on how to wear something you may have seen online or at the store just leave a comment or send us an email at info@workchic.com!

This month’s book review is a special edition. Today we will share with you why we recommend How to Never Look Fat Again by Charla Krupp, our Q&A with Charla herself, and we are running a giveaway! So don’t miss a minute of this exciting review.

After receiving this book, we could not wait to dig in and learn what pieces of clothing are “high fat” and “low fat” for our unique body shapes. Yes, you heard that right! Charla broke down the different clothing elements into dietary categories. Clothing can make you look slimmer so why not apply the rules we use in dieting to dress thinner?

This is an amazing concept and made the process of whittling down the less flattering pieces in our work wardrobe almost pain free. Throughout the book she looked at different figure flaws and described the best ways to distract from our problem areas, play up our attributes, and even included tips to help us look at these areas we try to hide in a different way.

Let’s delve into our questions for Charla before we give away any of the insights she provided.

WC: First we’d like to say- we love this book! It’s incredibly easy to find solutions to our problem areas. Plus, we were laughing at the nicknames for our “Buddha Bellies” and the like, all the way through. We have never seen the fit of clothing discussed in this way before. Charla, what inspired you to classify pieces of clothing as ‘no fat’ and ‘high fat’?

Charla Krupp: As I say in the intro section, my husband is super skinny. So, I buy high fat and low fat foods…for everything from peanut butter to milk. So, why not look at clothes as food? As women, we know the caloric content of everything. It’s much easier to comprehend than body shapes.

WC: Most books that discuss fit focus on overall body shapes. You really broke down these barriers and addressed individual problem areas. Many of us feel we need to improve on more then one of these areas. Where would you suggest someone start?

Charla Krupp: Start at the place you are least happy with…do one chapter at a time. Don’t kill yourself…take it slow. Be good to yourself. You’re starting.

WC: What did you find was the biggest problem area for women?

Charla Krupp: It really depends on your age…women over 40 complain about arm flap and Buddha belly…most women have hips/thighs/butt issues no matter what their age.

WC: Our focus at Workchic.com is dressing for the office. When women are searching for business clothing, do you have any tips on styles that are ‘no fat’ or ‘high fat’ on just about everyone?

Charla Krupp: Wear a dress with a jacket or cropped cardigan over it….works all the time.

WC: We all want to be thinner; you are showing every woman how to achieve a more flattering silhouette with simple steps. More than that, you have included tips to help us live healthier lives and start correcting the problem areas. How were you able to pull together all this information into such a comprehensive guide book?

Charla Krupp: It took a village! And a couple years! It was a ton of work but I loved it. And, I knew much of this from my years on the Today show and a magazine editor for In Style and People Style Watch, etc.

WC: What was your favorite part of this book to research?

Charla Krupp: Big Bust!

WC: Charla, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. Can you give one last tip for our readers to think about when dressing for the office?

Charla Krupp: Don’t dress too sexy….keep your cleavage in check! Forget the micro mini skirts! Stay chic but professional at all times.

That was some great advice from Charla! By reading this book you will learn more than some quick tips to look fit and fabulous. You’ll also learn how to respect your body and work with what you have. If we’re always looking to lose that next 5 pounds we never take the time to celebrate our beauty. It’s all about balance and you can learn how to achieve that by exploring Charla Krupp’s book, How to Never Look Fat Again!

We encourage you to pick up your copy today. But- for a few lucky readers we are giving away 5 copies of this book! How can you win? Comment, Share, and tweet; here are our rules.

Option 1- Leave a comment on this blog post.
Option 2- Share this post with your facebook friends, and link back to our fan page, Workchic.com.
Option 3- Post this on twitter and include @Workchic in your tweet.

The more ways you spread the message the more chances to win. We will be selecting our winners March 31st.  Only residents of the U.S. or Canada are eligible to win. So start telling everyone you know How to Never Look Fat Again!

Here is a little more information on Charla Krupp.
Charla Krupp has done more than 100 style segments on The Today Show and she has appeared on Good Morning America, Oprah, The View, Dateline NBC, and has been a regular on The E! Channel and Home Shopping Network. She was beauty director of Glamour, editor of In Style, beauty editor for People’s Style Watch and executive editor of Shop Etc. Magazine. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, InStyle, Glamour, Shop Etc., People, Cosmopolitan, The Chicago Tribune, USA Today, and Time. Currently, Charla writes a monthly fashion column for More Magazine called Fashion For Grownups.

We are always on the lookout for a great pair of pants that fit well and have some detail. This Spring there are three pant silhouettes you can easily incorporate into your work wardrobe-Drawstring, Utilitarian, and Menswear inspired.  So how do you wear these and still look professional and chic?  We show you how below:

Drawstring

Generally this type of pant silhouette will be constructed in more of a casual fabrication such as cotton or linen. Stay away from jersey or fleece! Choose a slimmer fit that way you can pair with a blazer for an office appropriate look.

Haute Hippie Drapey Drawstring Pants
Madewell Cotton Garcon Blazer
Juicy Couture Drama Beaded Necklace
KORS Michael Kors Famous Cutout Platform Sandals

Utilitarian

The Utility pant is right on trend this season whether it is a cuffed or cargo pant.  These are perfect to wear on the weekend with a casual t-shirt but you can easily dress them up with a fitted blazer and a statement necklace for the office.

Juicy Couture Slim Cargo Pants
Rag & Bone Skinny Piped Blazer
DANNIJO Sydney Necklace
Loeffler Randall Esther Hidden Platform Pumps

Menswear Inspired

Generally when we speak of Menswear inspired we think of pleated and relaxed wide leg pants.  Balance that out with a fitted cardigan or blazer.  Add some feminine details with the use of accessories or a snakeskin platform heel. 

Alice + Olivia Eric Front Pleat Wide Leg Pant
Thayer Little Boy Blazer
Fiona Paxton Dott Necklace
Loeffler Randall Esther Hidden Platform Pumps

Stay tuned for more of our How Do I Wear This series!  Happy shopping from Workchic.com!

Did you ever go into a store and just love the item on the hanger but put it back because you just didn’t know how to wear it or what to wear it with? This Spring season there are various trends from soft blush tones to digital prints to utilitarian chic.  We are going to take the trends from one classification and show how you can incorporate them into your work wardrobe. This week we will focus on jackets and blazers.   The three types of jackets to have in your wardrobe are tuxedo, collarless, and the boyfriend jacket.

Tuxedo Jacket

Tuxedo Jackets aren’t just for special occasions or evening attire. This classic  jacket can be worn simply with a chiffon or silk blouse. Here is an example how you can update the jacket by simply pairing it with a metallic blouse, ruffle booties, and a braided chunky bracelet. It is an instant chic work outfit that goes from the office to dinner with clients.

Satin Lapel Tuxedo Jacket
Banana Republic heritage shimmer-print blouse
Snake Braid Bracelet
BCBGirls Dania Platform Pumps

Collarless Jacket

Collarless jackets are all the rage this season.  Whether it is trimmed in chain, beading or embellished detail, the jacket looks best when paired with a simple white shirt or camisole worn underneath.  Make an impact with accessories like this statement necklace shown below.

Nygard Collection Woman Boucle Jacket
Double Button Placket Shirt
Statement Knots Necklace
Elizabeth and James Lola

Boyfriend Jacket-

This jacket was certainly a hot item last Fall but it continues to prove itself as a main staple to have in your work wardrobe regardless of the season.  Add delicate earrings or laser cutout peep toe heels for a feminine touch.

Elastic Sleeve Fitted Jacket

Pleat Neckline Tee
Fringed Interlock Earring
Bandolino Pump

Stay tuned next week when we focus on Dresses for the Workchic How to Wear it with Style Series!

Do you have an item that you didn’t buy because you didn’t know how to wear it?  We would love to hear about it!  Just email info@workchic.com or leave a comment on this post. 

We know you love your knee high boots, but are tired of your pants riding up all winter. We have found the solution- Jean Straps! They are removable stirrups that will keep your jeans or pants neatly tucked into your boots.

Designed in San Francisco, Jean Straps clip-on removable stirrups minimize bunching and make pulling on your boots over your jeans a breeze. Eminently flexible, Jean Straps are easily swapped out from one pair of jeans to another with just a flick of a garter clip. Currently Jean Straps are available in brick red with a camel accent and are manufactured with high-quality elastic. Sold as a pair, they are available for purchase online for $9.99.

We asked Erin Tocalino, co-founder of Jean Straps, what inspired her and Tni Newhoff to create Jean Straps. Here’s what she had to say.

“My business partner and I had both just bought some fabulous new boots last year. While we were at a concert with our husbands, we started to discuss how much trouble we’d had getting the boots to play well with all of our jeans. Bunching knees, hard to pull on, riding up as the day went on — all the problems that can arise. We both remembered wearing stirrup pants back in the eighties, but figured there was a more flexible — and fashionable –solution. Basically, we wanted the convenience without having to revisit that chapter of our fashion history.”

After this revelation, development started almost immediately. Months of trial and error and many prototypes later, Jean Straps were born!

When we saw this product we were amazed by the simplicity and effectiveness. Great products are usually born out of necessity and these are no exception. We recommend every women add Jean Straps to her accessories drawer. End the bunchy knees and walk through the rest of winter with ease.

While these are recommended for your denim, we tried them with trousers and found they were just as effective. So don’t save Jean Straps for Casual Friday. Wear them all week with your favorite boots. 

Let’s recap the top reasons to buy:
   • Hold jeans down when putting on boots.
   • Keep jeans taut, minimizing bunching.
   • Attach to any pair of jeans.
   • Wear comfortably; no bulky metal clips.

Visit www.jeanstraps.com to pick up your new pair today!

We just launched our image consultant/personal shopper directory last month and connected with  a fabulous image consultant named Laurie Brucker of Laurie B Style, LLC. who is based in West Hollywood, CA.

                                              
Her Image Consulting business specializes in women (and men) who are experiencing a life change or a potential life change and need their wardrobe to follow suit. Laurie likes to call it, “Image Branding”. She lives for helping people find a style that is not only unique theirs, but also is right for their currently lifestyle/career, as well as helps them attain their ultimate life goals. Image is everything and Laurie teaches her clients a new way of thinking to help them take their style to the next level. Overall Laurie has worked with professionals, artists, actors, musicians and full bands to help them create their own image and style brand.

Now, while Laurie B Style LLC is almost a year old at this point, Laurie also comes from an extensive fashion design background. She worked in New York City as a designer for 7 years. Laurie considers herself truly an expert in my fashion field as she studied trends, styles, fit, and understand from a designers perspective, construction, quality, durability, and styling longevity. Eventually, she went back to school at the Fashion Institute of Technology and received a certification degree in Image Consulting before moving to Los Angeles to build Laurie B Style, LLC.

Want to know more? We certainly do! So here is a brief summary of our chat with Laurie!

WC: How do you think a person can express their individual style when dressing for the office?
LB:Individualism is key when it comes to office dressing. Especially when you are working a 9-5 and you are stuck in a cubicle or desk all day. Having an outfit that makes you feel like you, is an instant mood booster and will continue to make you feel good throughout the day. Even though we all have various types of day jobs, I believe that women in corporate offices struggle the most with finding a happy medium between their beautiful selves and the conservative structure they must maintain in the office setting. In this case, accessories become you best friends. They are the pieces that help you express who you are. Feminine? Wear a floral statement necklace and oversized flower cocktail ring with your suit. More edgy? Try some chunky earrings and a studded cuff. And, nothing whispers subconsciously to onlookers about who you are than your shoe choice. Ditch black and neutral colors and go for a color that screams, you! Red, pink, blue, yellow, silver or gold even, what ever color tickles your fashion fancy. A colorful and stylish shoe will instantly uplift that drab work uniform, give you bounce in your step and show your coworkers that you are more than just a suit.

WC:What do you find are the biggest wardrobe obstacles your clients have?
LB: I believe there are two obstacles I’ve seen as the toughest challenge for my clients.

1) Understanding your body and what garments fit your shape better. I find that most women are not aware of how certain garments and fabrics react to their body curves. We all have different body shapes so learning about the correct fit helps women discover the sexy body shape, they never new they had. And once they master that fashion ideal the result is a confidence with every step!

 2) Color awareness. All colors react to our skin and hair differently and most women have no idea how a specific colors can either make their skin glow, or even cast shadows creating the look of wrinkles. So finding the proper colors and color combinations for your wardrobe are essential to our day to day challenge of getting dressed. But, the great thing about knowing your best colors? You’ll always be able to put pieces in your wardrobe together easily because all the colors will relate, mix and match. But with any obstacle I like to leave my clients feeling like they have learned something. I cannot be there to get dressed with them everyday, so I teach them to have a better understanding of themselves so they can look in that scary closet and are able to put together looks that are flattering, appropriate and give them the confidence to tackle anything. That’s always my ultimate goal. Finding that hidden confidence within.

WC: How do you help clients find their style inspiration?
LB: For me inspiration comes from a wide range of things: nature, fashion, music etc. But for my clients I like to keep things simple. Apart of my first free consultation, I like to ask my clients to list me their 5 favorite celebrities that they look up to and then to tell me why. From there we discuss all these traits and key describing words. Then based on the client’s lifestyle and fashion needs we pull from those key words to help the client get better focus on the image they want people to perceived them as. This is always a fun discussion. We together discover the heart of their fashion and stylistic image needs. And with all this information I help them understand how each of these words and adjectives get reflected in their wardrobe. How can we show off that you are flirtatious but responsible, or understated but sensual. It’s almost like fashion psychology. We merge all these ideas and with the use of pattern, shape, fabric, color, silhouette and overall look, we together finding their style.

WC: Since you have lived on both coasts- how do you think East and West coast women differ on what they wear to work?
LB: Ah yes. East vs West. There is most definitely a difference in how New Yorkers dress and Los Angelenos dress. For New Yorkers, as everyone there is racing to get to the top as fast as they can, there are strong elements of structure, sophistication, sharp edges and angles, strong accessories, perfect platforms and dark dominating colors. These women look expensive, even if they are not. I worked in the Garment district for 7 years and let me tell you, those women are intimidating. Perhaps I was one of them, but I was always self-conscious of my style and watched everyone else was wearing. But what I discovered when I moved back to a more, laid back Los Angeles is that, I was way too overdressed for most occasions. My strong dressy structured look wasn’t cutting it. In Los Angeles, there is something a bit airy, vintage, bohemian and edgy even. from a stylistic stand point. With more emphasis on softer colors, denim, more comfortable fabrications, flowing dresses, and drapery with a splash of Hollywood sex appeal. In the work place fashion forward women have more fun mixing up their structured suit with their bohemian styling. It’s a more approachable look and I love that. For me, being that I have tasted the fashion flavors now of both coasts I have found my happy medium. It’s a mix of the casual and sophisticated. You can clearly see my New York influences and my LA influences but still find Harmony in the whole look. It’s all about harmony, balance, appropriateness and confidence. Carry these accessories with you and no matter where you live, every look will be smashing!

Find and Connect with Laurie at the following:

www.facebook.com/lauriebstyle

www.twitter.com./lauriebstyle
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/laurie-brucker/11/b63/804  
the Laurie B Style Files blog: www.thelauriebstylefiles.blogspot.comThanks Laurie for being our featured Image Consultant Extraordinare! Find more about Laurie and others in your area in our Workchic Image Consultant/Personal Shopper directory!

Our friends at Silk Road Spirit have generously donated this beautiful turquoise scarf for a contest on Workchic. To enter, leave a comment telling us how you would wear it to the office. One winner will be selected after February 17th.  To get your creative juices flowing, here are a few styling tips from the team at Silk Road Spirit.

1) Turn a plain square scarf in to a statement circle scarf by folding it and half and tying it around your neck. For a warmer look, twist the scarf in half around your neck. Silk Road’s cotton pom pom scarf does the trick when transitioning between seasons.

2) One of the hottest trends lately is a cowl neck scarf. Turn Silk Road’s open weave smocked scarf into a cowl neck by wrapping it around your neck and tucking the ends underneath in the back.

3) Take Silk Road’s deep pleats scarf from day to evening by wrapping it over your shoulders and tying it in the back. It’s the perfect look for a holiday party this winter. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

As you can see a picture is worth a thousand words. So after you leave a comment on this blog, send us a picture of your favorite outfit styled with a scarf. It can be of you, a friend, or even a celebrity. We have three ways for you to share; email it to info@workchic.com, post it on our Facebook page, or send us a twitpic through twitter. A picture is not necessary to enter but a comment is. Tell us what outfit you would coordinate this gorgeous turquoise scarf with.  Share your personal style by February 17th and enter to win! Winner will be randomly selected and announced by Friday the 19th. Good Luck!

We received an email from one of our readers having trouble finding blouses that fit correctly. Her story is not unfamiliar to us. Many women have trouble with blouses puckering at their chest or not sitting properly overall. We want to explore different types of woven blouses to answer Judy’s question:

“How do I find blouses that will fit properly?”

The first thing to remember is that woven blouses will fit differently than knit tops and sweaters. You may need to go up a size or even two if you have a larger chest. It’s very important that your shirt does not gape at any point along the buttons. If going up a size causes the overall fit to be loose, look for styles that either give a more defined look or allow for tailoring. These pieces will have princess seams, darts, or horizontal seaming near the waist. For more tips to identify when a blouse can be tailored check out our article from 9tailors.com: To Tailor or Not to Tailor. Here are two examples of blouses that will allow you to get the perfect fit.

Additionally, some companies place the buttons in more strategic locations. Examples include a double button at the breast line or buttons spaced closer together.

If you still don’t feel comfortable with these options, or are not finding the right fit for you, switch up the silhouette. Wrap blouses are more forgiving and can be adjusted to your unique body shape.

Here are some additional styles that move away from the traditional collared and buttoned look. You don’t have to worry about any buckling here!

Sometimes leaving an extra button undone near the neckline will help the collar lay nicer and avoid bust line issues. As an alternative to layering with the standard cami, try a demi-cami from Second Base. These will also be beautiful under the wrap styles we showed you previously.

We hope these general guidelines and alternatives help you feel more confident in woven blouses. If you have a question for the Workchic team, send an email to info@workchic.com. After all, we are here to answer your work style questions. For more Workchic tops and blouses, shop within our apparel department. Here you can sort products by size, price, and even office environment to find the perfect silhouette for your lifestyle.