Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Threads: 3.15.11

Ever since I began my corporate job at Chick-fil-A as a graphic designer out of college, I have embraced the challenge of evolving my personal style from it's college freedom to a more corporate acceptable look. Easier said than done right? It's taken me a lot of time and quite a few sad days of boring slacks and half-hearted tops, but over time and with patience, I have been building a new wardrobe to fit my new working wife life. :) Expressing myself through a wardrobe and personal style has always been an important thing to me...not because I'm a clothing addict, but because I feel really comfortable with who I am and I like to feature that outwardly. (I'm sure a lot of you can also attest to that desire as well!) 


As I was evolving my style from college, I had a several goals in mind:  
1. Look more grown-up -- but still young and fun.
2. Evolve my style into something that could be translated from corporate life to daily events. I didn't want two or three completely different "styles" depending on if I was in the office or meeting up with friends for coffee and a shopping date. I wanted my wardrobe to work together. :)
3. I wanted to be comfortable. If it's comfortable, then I'm more likely to wear something more put together and cute rather than throwing the easiest and often drab thing together. 
4. I also wanted to take more time pre-planning my wardrobe. I've found that if I wait until the morning to decide my attire for the day, then I either waste too much time trying to put something together half awake or because of the chill from stepping out of the shower I'm tempted to grab that gigantic sweater hanging in the closet...
5. Last but not least! I wanted my new evolved style to be affordable. I'm not a big fan of spending tons and tons of money on clothing, however I do think investing in good pieces over time is smart. For now, living on a budget and trying to Dave Ramsey my student loans, I'd rather put in extra funds towards nesting and other needs than expensive clothing. 

I thought it would be great fun to mix all of the above together and present to you my new feature post Threads!...a couple times a month, I'll show how I've put together some outfits that are affordable, comfortable, and translatable from the office to everyday life. Enjoy, enjoy! 


Top-Bottom (pricing approximate)
* Warby Parker prescription glasses - $95
* Oatmeal Cardigan: Target - $20
* Falling Feathers Top: Forever 21 - $20
* Antiqued Clock Necklace: Vintage Store in Savannah, GA - $25
* Belt: Thrifted - $4.50
* Tights: Urban Outfitters - $10.00
* A-Line Herringbone Skirt: Forever 21 - $21.00
* Grey Oxfords: Forever 21 - $30.00

Thanks so much for sharing! Have any good tips on shopping for affordable and comfortable beauties? Feel free to comment! -- Be back later with my weekly Fancy Shmancy post. :)

10 comments:

  1. Super cute outfit! I can totally appreciate having to dress for the office and wanting to be cute and casual. It's hard sometimes!!

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  2. I so want to get better at preplanning, but I procrastinate and end up standing in the closet too long most days.
    Marie @ Lemondrop ViNtAge

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  3. I love this look! I can totally relate to what you're talking about. For a few years I would just dress in a bland business casual - I kind of hated it, and I especially hate slacks. Now it's nothing but dresses, skirts, leggings & cardigans for me. And I usually pull my outfit the night before so I can sleep an extra few mins the next day. :)

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  4. adorable! i love this new post idea. and i totally agree about pre-planning outfits....it makes morning-decisions SO much easier. thanks for sharing!

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  5. Hello! I'm in the Indie 3.0 class with you. I absolutely love this~ I was actually thinking about my 'style' last night as I was reading some blogs. I find myself in the situation all the time where I feel like I work in a 'corporate' environment I have to give up 'me' and how can I evolve my style so that it fits me and my circumstances! So LOVE this. Thanks for sharing and I love that you give options that won't break a budget!!

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  6. Love this idea! You look darling! This totally an outfit that I would wear either to class or on a date. Love your shoes!

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  7. What an awesome feature idea! I'm in my last year of design school and have always worried about that transition to the "real world" This will definitely be helpful! You're rad :]
    -Allison Kaye

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  8. Madi Thornton15.3.11

    love the new blog post category! :) ....and adorable outfit.

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  9. Anonymous16.3.11

    I can't wait to see what you put together so that I can copy you:)

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  10. What a lovely outfit! I especially like the top, I wish we had more forever21 stores in the UK, one has just opened in London but that's no good for me!

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