Friday, September 27, 2013

Guest Post: My Top Tips for Dressing to Impress In Your New Career

Today we have a guest post from Victoria M, telling us about how to dress to impress on a new job. Since starting med school, this topic has definitely been on my mind for building a (fun) professional wardrobe!

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I’ve just started a job in a really busy office environment and I love it so far. As it’s my first job, I know that I must make an impact with the work that I do, but also how I present myself in the office. People are constantly watching how I behave and react to situations and other colleagues, and all of this information will be fed back to me during my appraisals every three months. I want a really positive report so I’ve been on my best behaviour and been really thoughtful with what I wear.

I would never advocate dressing provocatively at work as this is the wrong type of impression to leave people with; once you get a label at work it is hard to shake it off. Instead, I am a huge fan of dressing professionally yet in a feminine way. Here are my top tips if you’re just starting out too.

Buy matching sets

If you want a fail safe way to dress for the office, head to the work wear department of a shop and have a look at the matching sets. You should be able to find plenty of skirts and jackets, or trousers and jackets if you prefer. All you’ll need to do is put a smart top on underneath and then its most of your outfit sorted. However once you get a little more confident you might start noticing knee-length pencil dresses that would work well with your jacket, or a high waisted skirt that would look excellent with your favourite work shirt.

Remember the ironing

Speaking of shirts, I’d urge you to iron all of them before you wear them. I know that you can buy many “no-iron” shirts these days but they always look much crisper when you do. And it’d be typical if the one time you didn’t, your boss called you in for a meeting! I try and do all of my ironing on a Sunday when I’m watching TV, it makes the job a lot easier and more bearable.

Invest in some great shoes

Once you’ve got the bones of your outfit together, don’t ruin the effect by putting on a grubby pair of shoes. I’ve bought four pairs of beautiful heels solely for office use. One pair is a glossy black, another pair nude, then I also have dark grey and blue. By having a few different shades you’ll be able to match them better with the suit sets you’re wearing.

Hosiery is helpful

As it’s autumn now, I’d suggest buying some dependable hosiery to keep yourself warm. Stay away from cheap pairs that fall down or snag easily as you’ll forever be replacing them. Buy a thicker denier pantyhose and you won’t worry about getting a ladder when you pick something up off the floor in the office.

Accessorize to complete your look

Finally, don’t forget to pick up some sophisticated accessories to wear with your work outfits. My favourite picks include jewellery sets (pearls work well) and neck ties. You might also want to find some leather belts, handbags and some nicer VDU glasses. Job done!

This article is a sponsored post and was written by the sponsor; it has been reviewed by me. I received monetary compensation. 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

NYFW SS 2014: Wine Red Tulle + Leather Accents

Eshakti (borrowed from Elle) burgundy tulle midi skirt // Urban Outfitters faux leather panel top //
Kristin Perry gold rose cat eye sunglasses // Express T-strap nude captoe stilettos //
Melie Bianco camel satchel bag // Wet n Wild lipstick in Wine Room

Photography: Mangue Banzima (1), Pierre Doumenjou (2,3)

DAY 2 MBFW. Still coming off my New York high - daydreaming about textures, colours, fit. These two handsome gents are my friends Rashad (@thestyleguyy) and Amechi (@bowtiemeach), stylist and tie-craftsman, respectively. Aren't they dapper in their fit-like-a-glove suits? We hung out together on our first experience inside NYFW, checking out shows that came our way, exploring the sponsor booths, and meeting fellow fashion influencers. Even a couple of weeks after, we're still keeping in touch and looking forward to bumping into each other at future events. It felt flattering and unreal to be snapped by streetstyle photographers and I tried chatting with each person afterwards to get a glimpse of his/her life story. For example, Pierre moved from France to NYC recently and used the festivities outside Lincoln Center as a springboard to launch his blog.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Fall Neutrals + Matching Leopard Details | Wear to Work

cable knit sweater lace pencil skirt leopard accents outfit leopard print flats and skinny belt fall transition work outfit
Old Navy beige v-neck cable knit sweater // Forever 21 burgundy wine lace pencil skirt //
Target faux calfhair leopard print flats // H&M leopard print super skinny belt //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

Because I'm impatient and need to catch up on kidney knowledge before delving into editing NYFW eyecandy ... today's outfit, a go-to work ensemble that gets me through hot summer days and chilly air conditioned indoors without losing pints of sweat. Featuring neutrals and matchy-matchy leopard print belt and flats. I never thought leopard to be too wild for work, as long as it's toned down with solid colours or used for accenting. In other news I was at the airport at 3 AM and arrived in Columbus at 11, drove directly to homemade brunch & mimosas with my friends, caught up on sleep all afternoon, back to my med school life on Monday. Our a cappella group sang a surprise version of Little Talks for the first years and I even squeaked out a solo into the mic. I may feel slightly like Clark Kent today ;)

Friday, September 6, 2013

Dotted Dalmatian Pants + Sheer Top + Leather

sheer top and dotted pants outfit leather, sheer, spots layering leather and sheer dalmatian pants sheer elegance
Forever 21 woven detail sheer top // H&M spotted Dalmatian print pants //
Thrifted Ann Taylor stripy sandal wedges // Claire's black and white polka dot ball earrings (old) //
BCBG metallic silver foldover clutch // 

Photography: JJ

Usually on planes, I'm out cold before we clear the runway, but today I felt excited and productive in-flight. This was an outfit I wore when visiting JJ in Pitt (5/24/13). My Dalmatian "party pants" are still a lively favourite and get good wear for dancing and those weekdays that need a good pick-me-up. My quirky detail of the day was my black & white polka dot earrings to mirror the pants. Sheer is a cool look, but requires extra layers and steps to prevent the unclassy - in my case I always reach for a nude tank top to maximize the sheer effect. Finish off with strappy sandal wedges and a metallic clutch.

The past month has flown by in a giant blur of med school, research, getting swole at the gym, hanging out and catching meals with friends new and old, going "home-home" to Toledo and visiting Ann Arbor. Looking forward to a crazy weekend in NYC and updating you via Instagram and street style posts!

New York Fashion Week

A quick hello as I'm typing from the airport, about to embark on a whirlwind dream adventure of my life: NYFW! After entering a few contests, I decided, "eff it, we'll do it live" and got tickets to the Big Apple for the weekend, spending Friday and Saturday exploring and networking to pieces. I'm also lucky enough to party with Jenn Im x Threadsence x Sugar & Fluff at their Cosmic Kickback party and take a nice fat break from learning all the minutae about kidneys. Life is meant to be lived between mandatory attendances. Med school ain't stopping me from dreaming big ass dreams :)

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