Journey in style - OSSSS TEST

As a graduate student in philosophy, my days are filled with...
... reading, researching, reading, and more researching. I’ve completed all required coursework, and now am preparing for my comprehensive exams. I’m not just a student; I’m also an instructor (I currently teach an introductory ethics course), which involves lesson planning, grading, holding office hours, meeting with students, and teaching. Even though I don’t have a dress code, I gravitate towards pencil skirts, slacks, blouses, button-ups, sweaters, dresses, and blazers. On days I don’t teach, I gravitate towards something more casual, since most of my time researching and reading is spent sitting down.

For a big meeting with the boss, I’d definitely wear… something I feel comfortable and confident in! I don't have a boss per se, but if I know I have a meeting with the director of graduate studies or the chair of the department, I’ll opt for something simple and put-together.

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Casual Friday always has me reaching for my… jersey pencil skirt from Old Navy. It's so comfortable! And was only $8!  (I don't reach for jeans because I don't have a pair I'd feel comfortable teaching in, other than my skinny jeans, and I do what I can to keep myself from looking like my students.)

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After hiding out in the back of my closet, I recently pulled out and loved… my blue suede heels. I bought them on super clearance at J. Crew Factory, after months of searching for the perfect pair. They were a perfect way to welcome the beautiful spring weather! 

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I curate my corporate closet without breaking the bank by…  waiting for sales, using coupons, and using my student/teacher discount whenever possible! Also, I make a point of using Pinterest to keep me going back to my closet and finding new ways to wear what I already have.

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My best sophisticated style steal… either my grey blazer (that cost me $18!) or my Exact Stretch pants from The Limited. Or both. You can't beat a neutral color blazer at that price point, especially when it fits like a glove. I get so much wear out of my Exact Stretch pants, and they are so comfortable, too! 

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If I could share one piece of professional style advice with a new college graduate entering the workforce, I would tell them…

Don’t feel obligated to buy a closet full of what you think are “work clothes”. When I first started teaching, I bought a stack of button up shirts and dress slacks because that's what I thought college instructors should wear. They made me feel professional, until a student guessed I was a decade older than I was at the time. Ouch. I took it down a notch, ended up feeling more comfortable, and quickly learned how far a few good skirts and basic tops can take you. Ultimately, wear what makes you feel good and allows you to focus on your work.

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If You Only Had a Map to Navigate This Space... Wish Has Been Granted

In my tiny corner of the Internet (a.k.a. this blog) you'll find...
... I've spent nearly a decade since graduating from school navigating the all-too-complicated world of professional style on a young professional's less-than-limitless budget. Many of us no longer wear suits every day, and the business casual code for women can makes one's head spin between the wide assortment of what may or may not be acceptable in each workplace and the plethora of places from which to acquire said wardrobe. My novice journey, lacking any natural knack for style, certainly hasn't been without hiccups or on an endless budget. Through trial and error (lots of error admittedly), I have honed a healthy understanding of what works at work for a business casual code. After debating with myself for some time, I decided to make the leap and start sharing my simple approach to and lessons learned about professional style with the rest of the internet world.

I share my simple yet sophisticated outfits regularly as examples of how I execute my lessons learned (and lessons continued to be learned) about decoding professional dress code. During your hopefully frequent visits here, expect to see a regular dose of fashion forward "real-life" style for the office (with a few casual looks tossed in as well, because we all love Casual Friday and, of course, the weekends). Check out the Gallery for all the previous goodness that's been buzzing around here.

I'd love for you to easily receive updates on new ideas I'm sharing by following my blog via your favorite form of social media. I've added a host of links in the left sidebar so you choose which outlet suits your style best. 

I also have some additional resources for your perusing pleasure.

Corporate Chic on the Cheap 

A starter guide to building a professional wardrobe without breaking the bank.

Remix It Up Series 

Periodic compilations of outfits focusing on remixing one or just a few 

pieces to find new and interesting ways to style those pieces

Oh-So Sophisticated Style Spotlight

Volume of profiles through which readers (bloggers and non-bloggers) share 

a few of their secrets to curating the perfect real-life corporate closet. 

I'm always looking for new contributors, so connect with me if you'd like to be featured.

Sophisticated Style Link Up (live each Monday)

Weekly opportunity to see a wealth of professional style shared by 

so many others getting dressed for offices everyday just like mine 

and yours. No shortage of great style ideas and inspiration here.

Suit Your Style: Decoding Business Casual Dress Code

A recurring series about just what the heck "business casual" means for those new to the professional environment or those just interested in a refresher on how to interpret the complex, and widely vague, dress code that can quickly end in unprofessional style snafus. 

On the weekends, you'll find my Weekend Warrior Series. While I attend meetings, visit clients, crunch numbers in Excel, and do all other things "accounting-fabulous" (between musings about balancing life's work and style as a modern mom, of course) during the work week, I spend my weekends with my family striving to lead a healthier life through physical fitness, cleaner and healthier eating, and just plain old spending time together. I suspect you might play a similar hand of cards each weekend. I love sharing tidbits of all the things I do trying to maintain some sense semblance of balance in life, and I share about it in this weekend series.

So About My Arts & Crafts...

I test my DIY creative limits...
... occasionally, I incorporate simple do-it-yourself ("DIY") elements into my outfits. I dabble in basic jewelry construction, wander into the land of attempting DIY quick fixes on a piece that needs a little TLC, attack simple refashions, and even stumble through a sewing project when I'm getting really ambitious. I have no fancy training in any of these crafts, but the Internet hosts a tutorial for everything! 

Whether your creative DIY skills flourish or have never been tested, consider trying one of the many projects sprinkled throughout this little blog. In many cases, a piece that needs updating or a quick fix doesn't get much wear anyway and may end up heading into the donation bin or trash, so you've got nothing to lose!

You're Hungry? 

I learned to cook...
... watching The Food Network. Growing up, I played a lot of sports and evenings vanished quickly between the end of the school day, practices and games, eating dinner, and homework. We often ate dinner together as a family, but the meal was typically prepared by the time I arrived home. I rarely participated in the cooking process. In college and after graduation, relying solely on my own kitchen skills, I scoured The Food Network for hosts that created dishes I liked. 

I'm no Rachel Ray or Giada de Laurentiis, but a few basic skills allow me to prepare a pretty wide array of dishes. The first time I make something, I typically burn it. But live and learn, the next time it's usually better. 

The recipes I share here are not earth-shattering. Generally, I think they are pretty simple, but that's also why I like them. My recipes won't win me any Michelin stars, but I hope you find a few that strike your fancy and earn you stars at your own dinner table. 

Sounds Like I'm Not Exactly a Style Expert? 

I've been a style maven since...
... never.  In fact, my journey through fashion has been quite the opposite.  In elementary school, I thought matching meant items shared the same color (or tone), so I often sported monochromatic get ups, but not the cool kind, I promise. 

My style matured in high school to include tank tops and shorts in contrasting colors, boring jeans and baby T's often in pastel shades, and occasionally a skirt but only when my friends and I all called each other the night before (on our parents' land lines, because cell phones had not yet taken over our lives) and planned to all wear skirts together. 

And if I ever needed to wear a dress, there was a good chance my mom had to take me shopping for a $30 floral shift dress because whatever dress I bought the last time I had a special occasion no longer fit me.

I reached my fashion pinnacle in college sporting sweatshirts and sweatpants to class with my hair tied up in a ponytail like it was my full-time job. I frequented the gym, so my yoga pants and spandex tops did the rest of the heavy lifting. Dressing for a night of partying took no time at all - I had barely anything to choose from!

I attempted to pull my fashion self together when I joined the corporate world but that did not go so well. (Recall earlier I admitted no shortage of mistakes along the way.) I tried buying interesting things, ended up with a lot of random pieces that never worked together, and conceeded to my styleless self the day I showed up at work in an outfit that clashed so badly I'm pretty sure my co-workers were noticing. For a good while after that day, I committed to wearing only black with pops of color. 

Everything changed when I discovered fashion blogs. That's not to say I became a fashion maven - my posts are proof that's not the case. But I finally had a resource for basic concepts, ideas and inspiration. I became a student of The Stylish and, like I mentioned earlier, studied voraciously. (That means after spending the last 3 years studying style and passing every grade with flying colors, my style IQ has reached that of a third grader. I have some ground to make up...)

After some time of being an avid reader, I aspired to start my own blog and share my ideas and lessons learned. That brings us to the here and now.  I certainly won't be showing up in the chronicles of high fashion any time soon.  But I've come a long way.  And I hope you enjoy as I share with you my simple spin on sophisticated style.

Take a Deep Breathe

Sigh... 
... you made it. And you're still here!

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