Lawyer Look: Marimekko for Casual Office Wear

Marimekko is a Finnish brand that has been around for 60 + years. They have traditionally put out strong, colorful patterns on their dresses, skirts and tops.  You can also find those prints transferred onto items for the home, like their trays, glasware and tableware.

For today's 9 to 5 Style File, I'm wearing the Marimekko Suvetar Dress.  The fabric of the dress is lightweight due to a blend of cotton and silk; the length and fit makes it office appropriate.  I like this bold, floral pattern for a more laid back office look.

Suvetar Dress // Margo Pump c/o Mia Shoes // Another Marimmeko dress (similar to DVF) // H&M necklace // Theory Obi Belt // BCBG Blazer // Whale Pillows - West Elm (Similar) (Similar)(Similar)

The dress is pretty conservative on it's own - 3/4 length sleeves, etc.  It does not really need much to be ready for your 9 to 5, but the addition of a black blazer or obi belt can bring some variety to the dress and can help create a more slim silhouette.  These designs are meant to be loose fitting and have more of a boxy feel.

The addition of the obi is something you could consider for after work events.  The blazer just adds a more conservative feel the the piece, but because of the high neck, some may shy away from a jacket altogether. 

I hope that you're enjoying the workwear posts.

Have a safe holiday weekend.  

xx

Beauty File: Beauty Products That Make Life Easier For The Woman On The Go!

Good morning! One of the worst things about the 9 to 5 grind (which ends up being more like 7 to 7 some days) is trying to incorporate a beauty routine that gets you out the door quickly but doesn't leave you looking like you did your make up with your left hand, in the dark.

Call it vain, but the truth is -  appearance counts, even when you have the credentials to back up whatever it is you're bringing to the table.  Simply said: you don't want to make an appearance in court, or at a meeting, looking like you slept in your car.

Lucky for you, you read my blog, so today, you'll know what I know.  The list below is made up of products that are designed to help speed up your morning ritual and last through a long work day.  They're fast-acting and convenient for a busy lifestyle. 

1) Silicon Mix with Bambu.  A deeply moisturizing and conditioning hair mask, that works in less than 5 minutes.  For my Miami girls, this is a drug store find from Navarro.  Everyone else can buy it on Amazon.  Nothing that I've ever tried, be it high end or otherwise, has compared to this.  This leaves my hair super soft and shiny.  It penetrates quickly and rinses cleanly without leaving residue.  It helps detangle my long hair.

9 to 5 Workwear: Top Online Workwear Retailers

Did you know that a lot of your favorite contemporary brands have recently begun to offer workwear sections online?

Ann Taylor Tropical Wool One Button Jacket

I love this! Now us working women have a much wider range of fashionable options for the office.  I've listed my favorites below - broken down into categories.  Something to keep in mind when shopping online is the height of the individual modeling the clothes. For example, in some photos in this post, hemlines may appear short because most models are 5"10 - 5"11. If you're going to make an online purchase, always remember to check out the "size and fit" section of the item so that you can see how tall the model is.  Click the link below to see what brands made my list of the Top Online Workwear Retailers. 

Little Black Dress for The Office: 9 to 5 Style File, Work Wear

Hi! My 9 to 5 Style File continues today (FRIDAY, YAY!!) with the classic LBD (little black dress).
The LBD will forever be a closet staple for every woman.  There are countless ways to style one, but maybe the best part about them is that they do not involve much thought...so if you really don't have the time or energy to put an entire outfit together, you can definitely still achieve an office-chic look without thinking by just hopping into a LBD.

For this look, I threw on a leopard cardigan over a little black dress, and cinched the waist with a gold belt. You can tone it down for the office by eliminating the red lipstick and the super large, sparkly earrings. Keep them in your work bag and add them when the clock strikes 5 ;)

Finding the right little black dress is easy once you have narrowed down the style that you're going for. For the office I like a classic high neck, shift or a wrap dress.  You can narrow it down further by deciding if you want sleeveless or a slight sleeve.  I like this pencil dress from Nordstrom.  It is a good office length, has a high neck and a little cap sleeve and is ultra classic.

You can achieve my favorite lazy girl bun (which was toppling over in these shots...great) by waiting until Friday night to wash your hair.
Just kidding.
Not really.

9 to 5 File: Navy Separates

Hi guys! I'm debuting my 9 to 5 Style series today! This series of workwear posts will feature more conservative, and traditional office styles on Monday.  On Friday, the outfits will be more office casual and fashion forward.

This concept is not new, but I personally developed it because of my full time job as an attorney in Miami.  I have been practicing for a little over 9 years now, and believe me when I tell you, I have seen some pretty scary outfits that people try to pass off as office appropriate.

Scooped necklines exposing cleavage? Check.  Hemlines 10 inches above the knees? Check. Sleeveless, tight dresses paraded into the courtroom? Check. Skintight leggings paired with long, untucked tunics? Check.

You would not believe what some women wear to work! 

My hope for this style series is that working women who have to go to and from the office all week, have a chance to get a bit of fashion inspiration from the posts and still dress professionally.  In between, I will still continue to show weekend outfits.