A month of realistic, comfy business casual outfits: Week 4

Welcome to the end of me documenting every outfit I wore to work! I’ve had fun challenging myself this month. The basics of what I’ve learned: if the shoe isn’t flat, I’m not wearing it, if I feel exposed, I’m not wearing it, and if the outfit doesn’t have SOME “cool factor,” I’m not wearing it. It’s been interesting to observe my own choices in business casual clothes this month. Enough rambling. Here’s what I wore!

Monday

Oooh this outfit is the sweet spot for me. Is it neutral? Yes. Are the neutrals somehow interesting? In my opinion yes. Something about the white shoes and brown sweater. I stole this outfit from pinterest, which is my go-to method for learning to dress in a way that is less boring.

These pants are truly my most beloved pair (here’s my review if you’re interested) which begs the question: to buy more pairs or not? What color would you pick? I’m trying to stop myself from accumulating more black work pants this year.

• Sweater thrifted (similar)
• Pants
• Shoes thrifted (this year’s version)

Tuesday

I own two camisoles in fun prints and I never reach for EITHER of them. So, in the spirit of keep-or-donate, I challenged myself to style them both this week. I wore one to happy hour, and then I wore this one under a blazer. This is a no-duh good styling idea for wearing blazers when it’s warmer out, so I think the official verdict is keep the camisoles!

I was also inspired by this Cup of Jo article to challenge myself to wear clothes out at night that I *wouldn’t* wear to work. I tend to wear my daytime clothes at night, which means any “going out tops” I own hang in my closet doing nothing. I think this stems from being in a very casual college town for the last four years, so the mindset shift has been fun and challenging. It’s an anything-goes place, obviously, but I’ve also realized that no one cares if you look dressy in a restaurant. If I wanna dress up I’m gonna dress up! Or that’s my February plan, anyway.

• Blazer old (similar)
• Camisole thrifted (Here it is on Poshmark in a small, a similar medium and an xl )
• Jeans

But back to work outfits.

Wednesday

Sometimes, outfit photos provide outfit clarity: this t-shirt felt too clingy for work after I took the photo, so I threw Tuesday’s blazer over the top and called it good.

• Tee (it’s the “slim perfect” tee and damn I’m gonna collect them all on Poshmark)
• Skirt thrifted (Similar Poshmark finds in a 4, 8, 10, and 16)
• Boots
• Purse thrifted (exact)

I’ve been really appreciating my blazers lately. If the outfit doesn’t feel “done” putting a tailored blazer over the top usually solves all my issues (and also accounts for my office being a freezer). Of course, one bad habit I have is that I’m always looking for some “need” to fill in my closet, so, to no one’s surprise, I am now browsing for more blazers. Instead of making impulsive Poshmark offers I’m trying to chill out for the rest of month and just use the blazers I already own. Appreciating an item doesn’t mean needing more of the item (I guess).

Thursday

This! outfit! is! the! winner! I’ve been wanting to wear more colors recently (Spring advertising? Is this your fault?) and I challenged myself to put more of my jewel-toned items together, instead of treating them as separate statement pieces (see also: teal and caramel outfit).

• Dress
• Cardigan old (similar)
• Flats

This cardigan was one of my very first “deliberate” purchases after I created a capsule wardrobe in 2015. I wore it constantly for about a year and then stopped. But I kept it in storage, because I’m trying to hold onto things I once loved for longer to give them a second chance. I’m happy I did–maybe it’s the Mr. Rogers movie but cardigans are having a big comeback in my heart right now. I was pleasantly surprised that this purple and cranberry combo worked out and felt v cute all day.

Friday

Can you see me throwing in the towel on this one? Sometimes I just need to pull a Meghan Markle and call it a day. So that’s exactly what I did.

• Blouse
• Pants
• Flats
• Bag (similar and super fun!)

I have enjoyed this challenge to reflect on my work style. Want to see the rest of the series? Here’s week 1, week 2, and week 3.

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