Packing for a trip, no matter how small is my least favorite thing to do, especially when the seasons are transitioning. “Will it be hot in the day and cool at night? Will I need a jacked? Will it be too hot for jeans? Is a dress too cool for the evening?” These are the kind of questions that I think about when choosing what to pack.
I’m going on a “girl’s trip” with my daughters this weekend, so I’ve been selecting what I’ll need for our three days and two nights together. I’m sharing the outfits today in hopes that you’ll get some inspiration for these warm/cool days of the early fall!
Summertime is a great time to wear those cute graphic tee shirts. They’re cool, short sleeved, and cute! What could be bad about that? Absolutely nothing! But how about taking that tee shirt and bumping it up a notch to make it a little more fashionable?
I think most of us can get into an outfit lull. We wear the same things over and over, even with the same accessories and then we wonder why we look in the mirror and dislike our outfits. We’re bored with it!
I find it so helpful to jump on Pinterest and get some inspiration. I did just that this week!
Have you ever gotten dressed in an outfit that you thought would be “comfy and easy to wear” and then said something like this –
This doesn’t look right! This makes me look like a big blob!
I sure have! The problem is those enticing/comfy loose clothes need to be accompanied with another garment that is more fitted, rather than flowing. Let me show an example using our dress form I’ve named Grace.
The peplum top in the picture above is full and loose below the waist, and also the sleeves, so styling it with a pair of straight legged white jeans keeps it looking balanced. However, if i styled this top with loose pants the result is quite different.
When you receive a notice that the event you are attending is “Business casual,” do you panic because you have to idea what to wear? Are you ever worried that you’ll walk into an event under-dressed or over-dressed? I’ve been there, too!
In continuing our series of, Dressing with Grace, I thought it might be helpful to address this subject. Let’s just take a look at one outfit and see how simple it is to take it from casual to Business casual to dressy.
Business Casual means traditional business wear with a more relaxed style that’s still professional and appropriate for an office environment.
Pictured below is an example of a casual outfit. The flat, open-toed sandals and the denim jacket give it that comfy, casual vibe.
If we change the shoes and accessories, we can easily make this same dress, Business Casual.
The dress is sleeveless, but not open in the back or a deep neckline, both which would make it inappropriate. Closed-toed pumps and jewelry all bump it up to slightly more dressy, but still not an overly dressy outfit.
If a jacket was needed, you could add a sweater or something like this…
If a dressier look was needed, again, just changing out the accessories makes this dress totally acceptable.
Heels, a dressier purse and jewelry give the same dress a more dressy look.
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Pants are acceptable, too, in Business Casual. They would need to be a tailored fit in a fabric that is neat, like cotton or khaki pants. Dark wash jeans that do not have holes or tears can also be acceptable. It’s the accessories that would keep it classy and appropriate.
Shoes to avoid in business casual attire:
Open-toed shoes
Flip flops
Tennis shoes
Admittedly, I have a lot of clothes. However, I spend very little on them by shopping at consignment shops and even Goodwill. But you can have a small wardrobe and buy dresses or pants that can be dressed up or down, as I’ve shown with the outfit on this post. It’s so doable!
Another important point is that as a woman, I try to keep whatever I’m wearing looking feminine. I dress for my husband, who appreciates it when I look “nice.” That doesn’t mean dressing up every day, but just adding a little jewelry, colorful shoes, and a purse can add that softening touch to keep my outfit appropriate and womanlike. Being dressed for our husband and also according to the requested code is easy, and so is adding those gentle touches that help us look our best!
If you’re married, remember that your husband is visual. Refresh your Business Casual, but also your daily wear!
Do you struggle with knowing what to wear in the Business Casual mode?
RefreshHer 