Business Professional

TGIF! Normally, Friday is a casual day at the office when people can wear jeans, boots or plain collard shirts. Although this is not my normal attire for work I am in the midst of working on a project that requires me to dress business professional. 

I am usually not a fan of wearing black and white together because it seems too uniform and unimaginative, but when it comes to a classic office look I do not think you can go wrong with that  duo! To make the look more trendy I accented the outfit with hints of gold! Notice the gold detailing on the shirt, bag and shoes!

What does business professional look like to you?

Have a great weekend!

The Perfect Black Leather Bag

As the season changes from fall to winter women everywhere will begin their pilgrimage in search for the perfect winter bag. Some ladies will want something trendy and bright to battle the impending icy cold weather while others want to mirror the darkness of winter by piling on more black... I chose the latter. 

Despite me sizable collection of purses, I have only one black bag. For some of you this may be unheard of, but its true. I have only recently become a fan of the color black and I am realizing that I need to incorporate more of this staple color into my whimsical wardrobe. Since this realization I have loaded up on black boots, heels, wedges, pants, dresses, but I still do not have the essential black bags (i.e. a clutch and structured bag). Thus my goal this winter is to catch the elusive black structured bag...

I have narrowed my search down to 3 great specimens; the first is the Sloane Satchel by Madewell for $298.

What I enjoy most about this bag is the shape, the ability to adjust the crossbody strap, the sturdy handles and the front pocket! 

The second bag that has caught my eye is the large Selma Satchel by Michael Kors ($358) because of its sleek edges and clean lines. Although, it is a bit pricey this minimalist composition is timeless and will last for years to come.

Last, but not least is the Rebecca Minkoff 'Amourous' Satchel ($325). This purse has tasteful gold detailing along with a perfect structured rectangular bodice and zipper detailing along the edges. It is a bit more trendy because of the zipper detailing, but still a great structure bag to sport on your arm this winter. 

In my opinion the most important common denominator among my bag contestants is that they are all 100% leather. After, coming back from my most recent trip to Italy and seeing the quality of good leather, its durability, texture and overall timelessness I am a convert. From now on my 'investment' bags have to be leather!

Which bag would you chose? Why? 

Semi- Formal

This weekend was my little cousin's sweet 16 birthday party; the theme was black and white semi-formal! I have to admit I am still weary of mixing black and white because it always makes me think of my days singing in the choral concerts in elementary school. Thus, I decided that I would wear either black or white.

 I found this amazing silk black dress at Madewell that was tailored, flirty and feminine. I wanted to wear something that was respectful of the dress code, while also incorporating hits of my favorite fall color so I added my everyday bordeaux clutch, cheetah print shoes and some great jewelry statement pieces including 2 rings and a necklace. 

I also took this weekend to experiment with a new lip color! I usually keep my make-up pretty simple for many reasons, but mainly its because I am always rushing and never have time to put on a full face of make-up. However, with the seasons changing I have been feeling a bit restless and looking for something new that will give my look some more edge, which is exactly what I hope this new lip color will do! If you are looking for a new color check out Black Cherry by Revlon! I never thought I could love a lip color as much as this one, but I was wrong! It goes on smoothly, lasts all night and comes off easily--perfection!

(Jacket: Zara, Dress/Necklace/Clutch: Madewell, Shoes: Rachel Roy) 

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Steal or Splurge

My daily routine begins with lying in bed after hitting snooze several times, checking my favorite blogs and eventually doing some online browsing. 

This morning was no different except for the fact that I found a wonderful pair of booties that seriously tempted me to stop browsing and start buying! I have been loving the Rag & Bone 'Harrow' bootie since the dawn of time, but the price point ($495) is a lttle out of my budget. So when I saw the 'Lonnie' bootie ($238) by Madewell in brown and equally adorable it got me thinking... Steal or splurge??

For those looking for black booties don't worry they come in black too! They have a stacked heel that's less than four inches and are made from buttery soft leather! 

So ladies and gents...(drum roll please) should I steal or splurge?

Varsity Stripes

Happy Monday! Recently, I started layering my necklaces with scarves and have really found that it is a great way to create depth in an otherwise simple outfit! 

I'm usually not a fan of varsity stripes, but in an effort to try something new I decided to mix a little menswear and sportswear today since they are so on trend right now!  Also the varsity stripes are a fun to pay homepage to Monday night football!!!

Denim, necklace, scarf, shirt: Madewell, Shoes: Aldo 

Have a great Monday!

Flannel & Faux Leather

I have to admit that I honestly have an obsession with this skirt! I have had it for a little under a year and yet I have yet to get bored with it! I am always finding new exciting ways to take it from day-time to night-time; dress it down or dress it up. I usually wear this skirt with a silk blouse and some booties, but today I decided to make my look a little more men's wear inspired by pairing it with some loafers, a denim vest and oversized flannel! 

Flannel: H&M (similar here), Shirt: Gap, Denim Vest: Madewell, Skirt: UO (similar here), Bracelet: JCrew (similar here), Shoes: DSW

What is your new obsession? How do you constantly re-invent a piece in your closet?

Down to a Science

Have you ever had one of those early mornings were you just don't know what to wear? You grab a top, necklace, pants, pair of shoes, a jacket and rush out the door? Well that frantic dressing in the dark seems to be happening to me more and more often, especially as the days get colder all I want to do is stay in bed longer and hit snooze on my alarm! 

As we head into the chilly fall weather I am finding that my sense of style and layering has really evolved. I may have even discovered the perfect balance of layering, want to know my strategy? Start with a solid base outfit such as a t-shirt, boots and pants (something basic, cute and comfortable). From there I add a few accessories (I usually keep the accessories pretty minimal) and then layer on a chambray, light-weight jacket and scarf (depending on how cold it is)! 

Denim, Scarf, Chambray& Necklace: Madewell, Jacket: Nordstrom (similar here), Bracelets: JCrew  (similar here), Boots: Aldo (similar here)

How do you layer? Have a great Friday!

Pumpkin Patchin'

There is nothing better than spending your Sunday with friends and family out in the crisp fall air picking pumpkins! I wanted to keep my pumpkin patch look simple, comfortable and durable.

My combat boots were necessary for lots of walking while exploring Butlers Orchard. Next, I chose a comfy slightly oversized sweatshirt along with a scarf and denim vest to keep me warm! My newest clutch was the perfect companion not only for the color (that I'm obsessed with) but also for its size (just enough space for the essentials: lip gloss, drivers license and credit card!)

After a long search I finally found my perfect pumpkin! Hope you had a wonderful Sunday too!

Sweater Weather

As the season begins to change and the weather morphs from hot to slightly chilly I rely on my innate layering skills to get me through the day! In an effort to celebrate the orange tones of fall (an eventually pumpkins) I decided to sport orange pants today!

I love the layered collar look! I matched a sleeveless chambray with a netted brown and cream sweater with a gold necklace! The necklace looks like leafs connecting (which totally supports the change in season and leafs falling)!

I have had these oxfords for over 5 years and I love who broken in they are! Perfect men's wear inspired piece.

 

How do you celebrate the coming fall weather? What's your favorite way to layer?

Shirt: Madewell

Sweater: Nordstrom 

Necklace: H&M

Pants: Blanknyc for Madewell

Shoes: Aldo 

Insta Updates

I apologize for the lack I updates these last few days! I have just been on a whirlwind transitioning from one job to another! I wanted to share some insta pics with you guys! 

Fall is just around the corner which means leafs falling, warm roasted tomatoe soup, boots and lots of layering! 

Follow me on insta! @mypursuitoffashion