A simple sheath dress is the perfect staple for any office. With a few accessories you can take a basic dress and give it a new style.

Hourglass-Business Office by Workchic featuring Jil Sander dresses

Here we took a pleated dress and added 3 different styles of shoes to update the look. It’s a perfect example of how shoes can change the look and feel of an outfit. For a business office we recommend adding a blazer and utilizing the high stakes heels from modcloth.com. We had some fun with a statement necklace in lavender hues that goes perfectly with the smoke print heels and peep toe style.

Pleated spot print dress, 1,000 GBP
K Karl Lagerfeld Wool-blend tailored blazer, $213
High heel pump with Smoke Print, 370 GBP
Ravel Chaussures Peeptoe Courts, 45 GBP
High Stakes Heels in Smoke-Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes, $38
Lanvin Strass crystal necklace, $2,730

Our friend Yvonne just loved the flattering neckline and empire waist on this dress, so she set out to find the perfect accessories. She played on a natural color palette featuring the neutral dress, gold jewelry, and black handbag.  Subtle hits of color were added in the animal and leaf print wrap along with burgundy trimmed pumps. You can pick up this dress and the chic accessories following the links below.

Spiegel V-Neck Sheath Dress in Linen
Hidden Painted Animal Ruana
Champagne Dish Necklace
Kenneth Cole New York Layered-Circle Ring
Kathy Van Zeeland Monte Carlo Belt Shopper

Both of these examples featured accessories that can mix and match back to your work wardrobe with ease. Have fun adding accessories and creating your own personal style.

So far this month you have cleaned out your closet, updated your basics, and dropped off select pieces at the tailor. Now you want to make your work wardrobe feel fresh but don’t want to spend a fortune. Don’t worry; we are here to help you with that too.  We recommend setting a seasonal budget and allocating between basics, tops, and accessories to maximize your impact.

Once you’ve taken the time to get your basic foundation pieces in place- have fun with accessories. A statement necklace makes a tee and cardigan feel fresh. This Double Stranded Bead Necklacefrom Charlotte Russe is only $6.99. The
Beaded Dangle Earrings are only $4 and will draw attention up to your face.  Never under estimate the power of a scarf to update your look. This Linen style from Silk Road Spirit is $27.95 and can be styled in many ways.  That’s less than $40 on three new looks.
 

Blouses are what make the biggest change to your work wardrobe. After all you spend most of your time seated at a desk.  Selecting one piece in a fun print will liven up your look mid week.  To learn which prints are right for your age and office, check out our post on trends at any age.  New York & Company Women’s Grey Floral Drop Shoulder Slouchy Sweater is available for $39.95.  Brustroke Blouse from Apt 9 is $21.99 and AB Studio Circle Yoryu Blouse in green chiffon is $24.99 at Kohl’s. 

Color makes a big impact, but so does style and texture. That’s why this Bow Detail Crew from The Limited caught our eye at $29.99 along with Laura Ashley CROSS PLEAT BIB BLOUSE.  Our final blouse selection is from Modcloth.com.  Love ‘Em and Leaf ‘Em Top top is $29.99.

If you’re on a tight budget and want the maximum impact, keep your bottoms basic.  Use your budget on high impact accessories and unique blouses.   The six styles we selected add up to less than $200. Select your favorites, add on some accessories, and maximize your basics.  Challenge yourself to create as many unique looks for the office as you can. Happy Shopping!

Over the last couple of months we have talked about updating your basics and building a solid foundation for your work wardrobe. With the holidays upon us, we are going to give you a break for a couple of weeks. First, we want to look back at the five key pieces we have updated and put together a few more chic outfits with fun accessories.

LBD too Red by Workchic featuring Banana Republic

We showed you the black wrap dress and rounded toe pumps previously. Add some color with a Second Base demi-cami in a vibrant scarlet that’s carried into the earrings. The crystal rings in this bracelet from Heart’s Desire will pull any color in the rainbow. Let it play red today and look brand new tomorrow against something blue. Together these pieces will update your classic LBD and make it seasonally fresh.

Basics Combine by Workchic featuring Banana Republic

Our second look contains a blouse, skirt, cardigan, and ballet flats we’ve shown you before. But did you ever think about putting them together? Don’t worry, we did it for you. Then warmed it up with a colorful scarf from Silk Road Spirit. Together or separate these pieces are classically feminine and chic.

Did you miss any of the fun. You can go back and check out our post on Cardigans, Skirts, Black Shoes, White Blouses, or Classic LBD’s at any time. After the holidays we will return with tailored blazers, black trousers, and more key items to round out your perfect, professional wardrobe. 

We use Polyvore to help us organize these looks to share with you. You can check out more of our Polyvore outfits and start creating some of your own by visiting Polyvore.com today!

Fall is just around the corner and one of our favorite ways to beat the chill is jackets and scarves.  Pick out blazer silhouettes that will add to your professional image. Plus scarves do double duty and give your outfit a little personal style.

This Shrunken Blazer in gray is ultra feminine with pleated pockets and pink stitch details. We have paired it with a pink paisley scarf from The Vintage Scarf. Finish the the look with matching grey trousers or a black A-line skirt.

We are in love with the soft structure of the Gretajacket from Fossil.  Soft fleece is warm and comforting while military styling gives it an updated feel. Pair it with denim and a Reptile Chain Scarf from Sabina Les.

Our third look is a Women: Cotton motorcycle jacket – Slick rock from Banana Republic.  Accessorizing with a Batik Beaded Fringe Scarf from Silk Road Spirit will add extra interest to this style. For business casual pair it with black trousers. On more casual days at the office this style will also look chic with denim.

We know it’s still warm out now- but these scarves are super light weight and perfect accessories! Wear them now to update basic blouses and tshirts. Then as the weather starts to shift, have stylish jackets ready so you don’t miss out on any Workchic style!

You may know them as Bag, Borrow, or Steal, but Avelle.com is one of the hottest places to find designer accessories and add them to your wardrobe for a week, a month, or longer.  We have partnered with Avelle to give you 25% off your first borrow!  Enter code WORKCHIC25 at checkout and receive 25% off!  Plus you now get Free Standard Shipping on all orders.  This includes the return at the end of your rental.  That’s not all- As a new paid member all new membership dollars get instantly credited to go toward a rental item. You can use the credit on their first rental item or save it for later.  Wow! That’s a lot of benefit to start borrowing luxurious handbags and accessories. Let’s start shopping!

Avelle started with handbags, so we’ll start there too.  Thin totes are one of the top trends for fall. They are chic and ideal for carrying paperwork to and from the office. For a traditional style we like kate spade ‘Kent’ Quintessa Tote; for a more unique twist try Alessandro Dell’acqua ‘Agnello/Gros’ Tote, or go bold and swap the colors in a Tory Burch ‘Nico’ Lux T East-West Tote.

You may only think of borrowing jewelry for a special event, but there is no reason not to rent a stylish necklace or watch to give your work wardrobe a little extra kick.  Ever dream of having your own CC logo around your neck? Wear this Chanel Signature Pearl & Stone Necklace over a simple blouse or sweater. Work with an office overseas or traveling to another time zone? Use Philip Stein Infinity dual time zone watch to keep track of the time here and there.  Try something different and experiment with a Kara Ross 2 Petal Flower Cocktail Ring.

Lately we have been inspiring some of our styles from vintage and Avelle has a nice selection of vintage handbags and jewelry for us to rent. For example this Limited Edition Louis Vuitton Vintage Monogram Pastel Clutch would easily slide into a tote and has it’s own sophisticated style.  Adding a Miriam Haskell Vintage Beaded Dome Bracelet gives any professional outfit a little sparkle. Our last find, Hermes Vintage Leather Origami Envelope Clutch, says polished professional.

What are you waiting for? Avelle.com is giving you so many great reasons to borrow now:
1- Free Standard Shipping each way
2- New membership fees can be credited toward your first purchase
3- Save 25% off your first rental with our code: WORKCHIC25

So what are you waiting for? Workchic sale ends August 31st. Go borrow some chic accessories to update your work wardrobe today!