Yes.  That’s the quick answer. Your entire image is important. Neglecting one of these aspects sends a message that you may neglect other things in your life as well. This does not mean you need to purchase designer brands, just that these items should be as polished as the rest of your outfit.

Sometimes shoes just need a new heel or quick cleaning to make the grade. You also have to consider the details of the shoe itself. Is it casual or professional?  With the abundance of fashion sneakers and ballet flats, the line can get wavy. Look for styles with a real sole. Avoid the rubber styling where it rounds over the toe or sides. These are usually too casual for a business casual office. Even heels can appear overly casual with decadent patterns or in the form of strappy sandals. We are big proponents of wearing shoes that are right for your lifestyle. Here are three different styles that all have professional appeal. Ballet Flats, heels, and wedges.

These ballet flats have a slight peep toe with sophisticated layers of brown suede and chocolate leather.  A sleek pointed toe wedge is versatile. The heel on these is under 2″ making them comfortable enough for everyday.  For added interest we went with a two tone pump in ivory and black as our last selection. Any of these styles will look polished and professional with your work wardrobe.

So you understand that you wear your shoes all day and they are important. But you stash your bag in your cubicle drawer and don’t understand who sees it. What about when you need to carry it into a meeting, attend lunch with your boss, or dash out to a networking event? These are three prime examples of when others will see it. Not to mention walking in and out of the office everyday. 

If your lifestyle makes it difficult to change your bag to coordinate with your outfit, we recommend selecting styles that are more versatile.  Of course black, brown, and red usually get all the attention here. But if you wear a lot of neutral shades olive may work great for you.  Here are a few bags we recommend for everyday and just about any work related occasion.

If you need to carry your laptop on a daily basis, this leather tote is chic and professional. Grey is another great neutral and currently a trending color. In a classic satchel with leather trim it has sophisticated appeal. For a smaller option we went with a two tone shoulder bag. Subtle color variations give the bag depth while the overall styling is quite simple.  These three styles were found at ebags.com.  Shop eBags Overstock Sale – Extra 15% Off our Best Winter Deals! Hurry, Ends 1/18

Like you really need an excuse to shop for shoes and handbags!  Take the time to evaluate how each style will fit into your work wardrobe and your lifestyle. Cosmetic bags making switching handbags easier if you prefer to have more unique styles. There are many different combinations that can make your look effortless and chic. Just remember, your handbags and shoes matter but they don’t have to match!

As always, your appearance is an entire package. In the winter this includes not only your handbag, but your winter coat, scarf, and gloves. Keep your professional image solid with fresh accessories and a tailored coat. Here are a couple Workchic looks we love for the season.

We started our winter shopping trip at Target where this grey plaid coat is only $59! It pairs perfectly with Merona accessories like this satchel and cashmere cable knit gloves. Continue pulling berry shades out of the plaid with a soft fringed scarf.  Even the boots, part of your look all day, tie into the jacket in a warm caramel color.  This will look Workchic over your business casual trousers or add a little color to your business suit.
Merona® Women’s Wool Topcoat – Gray Plaid
Mossimo® Black: Boa Scarf – Purple
Merona® Cashmere Cable Knit Gloves – Charcoal
Merona® Satchel – Red
Women’s Glaze by Adi High Heel Ankle Boots
 

Our second look is from Fossil, where we started with a pristine white peacoat and let the leather appliqued bucket bag take center-stage. Though the vintage crochet look hat and contrast t-strap pumps did help. If you can look this chic before you remove your coat, just think of the possibilities with the rest of your outfit!
Berkley Peacoat
Rida Hat
Fifty-Four Whitney Multi Bucket Handbag
Oval – Robin Sunglasses
Roxanne T-Strap Pump

Both of these winter styles will have you looking Workchic from the moment you step out your front door. Just think of the impression you’ll make if an impromptu meeting has already begun at your desk. Instead of looking disheveled, like maybe your running late, command a presence.  Show up flawless and ready to get down to business!

Shop Fossil.com now and get Free Standard Shipping Over $100. Happy Shopping!

Shopping at ModCloth.com is like hitting you favorite vintage boutique and finding everything is in your size.  They feature designers that use vintage to inspire their collections. Plus they offer a true vintage section for those that prefer the originals. We spent some time on their site selecting the most work appropriate items for you.

Since we love the chic simplicity of dresses, we started there with styles perfect for the season.  The second sleeveless dress would look chic under a brightly colored cardigan.

This time of year we are all looking for new and unique sweaters. Pair one of these vintage inspired styles with your trousers or denim at the office.

For a vintage touch, there is no better place to play then with shoes and handbags!

Keep shopping Modcloth.com to update your work wardrobe with unique vintage inspired pieces.

Personally I love fall colors and layering on sweaters and blouses for the dropping temperatures. But, after a week in the Caribbean, this year I’m not quite ready to give up on tropical colors and bursting florals.  So the search is on for the perfect cozy and bright work wardrobe compliments.

Old Navy has cozy sweaters in bright colors that will cheer you up and beat the chill.  These three styles run for $25 to $30.

To make these styles even more interesting we found scarves to compliment them.  They also create the layering effect we all love this time of year.

A bag is such an easy way to add a little summer fun to your outfit.  We found these styles at Piperlime.com

We’ve shown you How to Wear your Florals into Fall in previous posts. So don’t pack them away yet and keep having fun with color. It makes drab winter days so much more fun!

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!

Some of us consider a statement bag an investment; others of us prefer to look for a similar trendy piece; and still others prefer to borrow their “it” bag for the week or season. Whatever your plan of attack, we’ve got you covered.  Go from the office to the weekend with any one of these styles.

It’s Spring, and that means color. This season citrus yellow and orange hues have been making a bold impact.  We found these similar totes to satisfy your lust for Spring colors and justify any budget.  Borrow the Gustto ‘Parina’ Tote for as little as $16 a week (members anniversary price expires May 14th).  Splurge on this Andrew Marc hobo for $395, or pick up a casual canvas style for $16.99.

Next we found a few sophisticated satchels for your polished professional look.  Blue has been another top color this spring, and these shades will transition nicely between your black, charcoal, and navy suits while still looking perfect with your denim on the weekend.  Plus the pleats are feminine without being over the top.  You can borrow this Botkier Satchel for $30-45 a week, depending on your member status.  Currently on sale for $399.99, this 7 for all Mankind satchel is originally $575.  Our third option is a relative steal at $88, and we just love the pleated bow.

Our third look plays on embellishment in a work appropriate way. These styles have bold graphic designs that will highlight your style and personality.  Gucci ‘Hysteria’ Handbag is also part of the members anniversary special, cost range from $59-91 per week.  The second bag featured is from Lucky Brand and available for $269. Lastly steal this graphic printed Merona tote for $32.99.

For those of you who are not familiar with the idea of borrowing your handbags, it is the genius creation of Avelle.com, otherwise known as Bag, Borrow, or Steal.  You can sign up for an account and start borrowing your favorite handbags. Many of these prices are anniversary sales and specials, so we recommend shopping, or borrowing, right away!

Ends at midnight: 25% Off Full-Priced Handbags with Code ARMCANDY at shopbop.com

How do we know? Lots of great Twitter feedback about the skirt we posted for Apple figures last week. Check it out here. 

We decided to bring you more Ikat, western, and tribal finds that you can easily work into your office attire.  Let’s get started.

Tops like this, Ikat Voile Smocked Top, from Lucky Brand Jeans look great on casual days with jeans, but can also be dressed up with taupe khaki’s.  Try these from Gap,Women: Hip slung flare leg pants – terrain, and business casual will come easy.  We also love this tribal print tee from ModCloth.  Layer the, Bohemian Rhapso-Tee, under a Jade Pleated Crop Jacket, for less then $30, and finish the look with those basic black pants you love.  This last look should be kept to younger more creative offices, but will look stylish with you black pants too.

You can also incorporate the trend into  your accessories. Try a bag or belt with tribal pattern or simply add this scarf on chilly mornings.  Probably goes perfectly with your new spring trench.

Lucky Brand Jeans and Modcloth.com are two of our favorite destinations for unique pieces with this Ikat twist.  They may come across as casual but follow our suggestions to bring them into your work wardrobe. Part of embracing business casual is by finding more personalized items that still look professional. Remember, adding a blazer can do wonders!

Did it seem like the holidays and went this year?  You wound up with alot of great gifts but were even more excited about the gift cards and extra spending money you received.   Want to get a deal and save a few dollars? Well the Workchic.com team has been scouring the web to find out all of the post holiday sales that are going on.  Take a look what we found below:

Couture Candy.com-   They are also running a  free shipping and sales promotion until Jan 2009.  Click  on the link to get started.

BananaRepublic.com- We found two great promos at Banana Republic.  The first one is from 12/26-12/29 you can take an extra  20% off already reduced merchandise.  Again this is just for markdown or sale items ONLY.  Not regular price items.   Just enter the code Extra20 at checkout. Restrictions do apply.  Offer ends at 11:59pm EST on 12/29.  We also found another great promotion for regular or sale price items:Get 20% off when you spend $125 at Banana Republic. Just enter promo code: CELEBRATE

 Edressme.com-  It is now officially winter so it’s time to get that winter coat you have been talking about!  Edressme is running a designer coat sale through 1/12.09.  Check it out below.
Designer Coat Sale. Coats from Sonia Rykiel, Tibi and more are 30% off now through 1/12
Piperlime.com

Have you checked out the latest selection of handbags at Piperlime.com?  They have a great sale on their already reduced handbag selection that starts on 12/28 and ends 12/29 at 11:59 PM PST.  It is a one day sale so act fast. Click on the link below.

Just a few of the handbags featured in their sale:

• Marc by Marc Jacobs – Jelly Jacquard Lil Riz
  Reg Price: $328, Sale Price: $230, Sale+promo: $184
• Marc by Marc Jacobs – Jelly Jacquard Large Zip Around
  Reg Price: $198, Sale Price: $139, Sale+promo: $111
• Melie Bianco – Double Fringe Hobo
  Reg Price: $84, Sale Price: $59.99, Sale+promo: $47.99
• Francesco Biasia – Marie
  Reg Price: $398, Sale Price: $234.99, Sale+promo: $187.99

For two days only, 20% off already discounted handbags at Piperlime. Just enter the code WOW at checkout. Ends Dec 29.* Shop Now

New York and Company:

New York and Company are claiming this is their biggest sale of the year.  Sale run until 1-18-09.  They are also running a free shipping promotion for orders over $50.  This promotion ends on 12-31-08.

Gap.com-

Take an Extra 25% off all Gap Sale Merchandise December 26th through December 29. Simply enter “SALE” at checkout. Shop Now!

Brooks Brothers-

Their semi-annual sale starts today and ends 1/5/08.  Look for savings up to 50% 0ff.

Linea Pelle.com-

Wow we found four sales promotions running until 1/31/09.

Get $15 off any order over $100 at Linea Pelle! Use code CJLP15.

Get free shipping on your purchase of $100 or more at Linea Pelle!

Use code CJLP10 to take 10% off any order at Linea Pelle

Shop Linea Pelle’s Specials section for reduced prices on great handbags, belts and more 

Old Navy

 

Torrid.com

Kmart.com

We couldn’t resist these sales at Kmart.com.

Save an Extra 10% off Almost Everything All Day on 1/4 and 1/10 at Kmart.com
Receive only $1.99 shipping per item on Clearance Clothing 1/4-1/10
All Womens and Womens Plus Size Jeans on Sale 1/4-1/10

Stay tuned to Workchic.com for more sale listings and events.   Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping from Workchic.com!

Maybe you enjoy the thrill of waiting until the last possible moment to buy gifts.

Maybe you forgot someone on our list or have not been able to get away from work long enough to shop.

Maybe you have been snowed in on all of your shopping days.

Whatever your reason, we have Workchic solutions to your last minute gift giving dilemma.  All of these gifts will be scheduled to arrive by Christmas.  But hurry, you need to order today!  Endless.com has free overnight shipping 365 days a year.  Now is the time to take advantage.  Order by 5:15pm PST this afternoon to receive by Dec. 24th. 

So far this winter season there are few people that can’t use winter boots.  Barbo Women’s Gallia Boot have rubber soles and a slight platform.  Try this updated style from EMU Australia with tie strap and wool lining.  They come in many colors.  For the women that wants to keep her feet warm and dry but still wants a stream lined look, pick up these Rockport Boots.

Since Workchic.com does not advocate winter boots in the office; here are some chic flats that she can pack in her handbag to wear during the day.  The first pair in a dark brown giraffe print are under $50.  Additional colors are available at varying prices from Nine West.  A classic pointed toe makes this next styles perfect for business casual outfits.  The ruffle details at the toe make it stand out from the crowd.  If her office is casual or denim friendly try something with moccasin details like the mustard flat we recommended below.

Shoes may be a girl’s best friend, but she still can’t live without her handbag.  These styles are perfect for a women on the go.  This Kathy Van Zeeland Croc embossed shopper has sophisticated hardware detailing in a slouchy shape.  Tone down the hardware and up the impact with this Jessica Simpson Hobo in a gorgeous rusty apricot shade.  Can’t decide?  A wallet and a gift card can also go a long way.  We love this Lodis Veloce style in a deep ocean blue.

Did we mention that Endless.com also offers free returns.  So buy with ease or pick up a gift card.  Even the most difficult fashionista on your list will be happy to shop at Endless.com.

Happy Holidays!

You finished buying for your brother and grandma.  You even tipped your doorman. What about your boss? You guys catch up after the weekend, take lunch together and she even gave you an excellent review this year.  Are you just out of ideas?  We have some gift selections that will be perfect for her.

Handbags make a great gift.  You don’t need to know her size and you can put extra touches inside.  Start making your custom Gift Bag now.

Dreaming of Spring: Embroidered Nylon Handbag from Piperlime, $59.99.  Fill it with a floral print scarf from GAP, $29.50 and long gloves, on sale for $14.99.  Gap and Piperlime have one convenient check out so shopping is easy.  Place your order by Dec. 16th to ship with standard shipping and receive by Dec 24th.

Book Worm: Your boss will be all ready to go on her retreat with this weekender bag, on sale for $35.20 at Endless.com, filled with some of The New York Times best sellers of 2008.  The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks, he wrote The Notebook and many of our other favorite love stories.  The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck, because well it’s Christmas.  Since we cannot only read fiction, and she is an American Icon, Letter to my Daughter by Maya Angelou.  Be green and save green by buying used books from Amazon.com.

Gadget Girl: Start with a Tote Bag large enough to hold her laptop, found at Bagsbuy.com for $42.95, then cover up her gadgets with a little Workchic style.  This laptop case, $30.45, is chic and whimsical with black and white flowers.  Plus this tech pouch will fit her Blackberry, IPhone, or digital camera and keep it from being scratched up rambling around in this tote bag.  Save 20% at Bagsbuy.com and receive free shipping with code HOLIDAY20.

We know everyone has a different budget for their holiday gifts.  When planning your purchase, mix and match handbags, cut down on the extras, or pile them in depending on what works for you.  Most importantly, have fun shopping!