Are you ready for the weekend? It's such a beautiful time of year and I'm excited that it's finally begun to cool down a smidgen here in Florida. Perfect for weekends outdoors! Today's Fashion Friday post is about showing you how to maximize your Monday to Friday wardrobe (whether you work from the office, work from home or are a stay-at-home mom who wants to look classy and a bit more dressed up during the week), using 10 key pieces.
Many women, while excited about shopping for the new season, feel excited but at the same time a bit panicked thinking they need to spend a fortune to look good. That is just not the case. Today's examples all come from one of my favorite stores, Banana Republic. I've loved them since I first graduated from college and began a career in corporate sales-it was a must in our office to be well put together and polished, but not necessary to wear a suit everyday thankfully. The pieces Banana Republic offers are always classic, timeless, on trend and elegant and will live in your closet for years to come not to mention their sizes are available in petite, regular and tall. Cheers to them for helping this tall gal find pants & jeans that are long enough!
I'm going to show you 10 pieces from their collection and how you can mix and match to create 12 great outfits for the workweek-that's over 2 weeks worth of outfits and the best part is that it will make getting dressed in the morning a breeze. Let's have some fun, shall we?
You can find these items above here (available in more colors also):
What makes these pieces work is you have just the right staple items and mix of solids and patterns. If you don't own a trench-buy one! They will never go out of style. A well-fitting skirt suit is a must, a fun heel to add interest for the season adds just the right amount of pop and a great fitting straight-leg jean in dark rinse provides a more dressy look. Add a colorful handbag to a more neutral palette for some wow factor.
If you're not a fan of mustard yellow, this royal blue belted ribbon print dress is a great substitute and you'll still achieve the same overall look in a color that's very of-the-moment but not so trendy that you won't want it in your closet a few years from now.
If you like the red tassel handbag shown in the neutral outfits, here's a close-up.
Here are the black leather booties shown in the outfits but not the perfect 10 board.
No outfit is complete without jewelry, here are some pieces I just adore.
You can find these jewelry pieces here (first two available in other great colors too):
I'm kind of obsessed with this stretch skinny belt right now-how about you?
So, there you have it, 10 core pieces to build a fall wardrobe on. Don't stop at 12 outfits, the combinations and options are endless. One of the best ways to change an existing dress or top that comes with a matching wrap fabric belt or actual belt is to swap it for something totally different. Who says you have to wear it the way you purchased it? This has been one of the single best things I've done to update my wardrobe-add a handful of new belts in different colors, patterns and widths.
Speaking of belts, you might remember this photo of me if you follow along on Facebook. I was playing around one Saturday morning as my hubby lovingly refers to as 'the fashion show' when I start brainstorming, pulling clothes out of my closet and trying new combinations. This black blouse came with a matching wrap belt in the same fabric to tie into a bow. I switched it up for a wide brown and black snakeskin double buckle belt with gold hardware for a new look.
Banana Republic has a sale going-Save 25% off your entire purchase (or 30% if you use your Banana Card, Gap Card or Old Navy Card). They are trying to raise $500,000 to help create jobs for the USA-isn't that great?! Hurry though, the sale is for just 2 days and ends 10/21/12. Use promo code : BRCREATE at checkout!
What's your favorite outfit or piece show here? Did you find this helpful in seeing your own existing wardrobe in a new way? Did you see some possibilities or creations you hadn't thought of before? I'd love to hear from you!
XO
*all images (except for the last one of me) and perfect 10 styled outfits via Banana Republic website
