One of my friends has a daughter who will be graduating college and entering the professional workforce soon. Her wardrobe consists of the basic co-ed attire: sweats, shorts, jeans and t-shirts. Her mom asked me to help her build a wardrobe and I thought this would be helpful for every woman. Admittedly the workplace has gotten more casual these days, and even major companies now allow jeans every day. But I'm a bit old school in that my professional persona has a lot to do with my attire. So having said that, here are the core pieces every professional woman should own.
-A black dress of a year round fabric weight (i.e. jersey knit) with sleeves, a modest neckline and hitting right at at below the knee. Wrap dresses are ideal and are flattering to most body types.
-A navy or black blazer
-Slacks in the following colors: tan, grey, and black. Watch the rise and make sure they come up high enough on the waist.
-A white blouse. Cotton is best.
-A black pencil skirt that hits right below the knee
-A pair of black leather mid heel pumps
-A string of pearls
-A white scoop or v neck cotton knit shirt
-A denim jacket (yes I know this deviates from what I said but this is my go-to wardrobe stable that can easily transition a dressy outfit to casual for casual Friday, after work, etc.)
-A bold gold necklace
-A silver necklace
-A pair of neutral leather flats
-A pair of nude pumps
-A lined trench coat (can transition from spring to fall by removing the lining)
-A red flower pin (a whimsical, feminine touch!). Try it on the black dress or one of the blazers!
-A thin cardigan (you can choose one that is a bold color!)
The beauty of these basic pieces is that:
A. Most can be purchased very inexpensively at places like Target, The Gap, Old Navy. I literally was walking through Target and saw just about every piece named above and all were under $40.
B. You can mix and match all to have several options: Navy blazer, white blouse, grey slacks, silver necklace, black pumps. Cardigan, pencil skirt, black pumps, pearls....the permutations and combinations are numerous!
This is a good basic template from which to start. Accessories like bright scarves, twin sets, and patterned blouses can easily build upon this list. These are classic pieces that will never go out of style.
Until next time!
-A black dress of a year round fabric weight (i.e. jersey knit) with sleeves, a modest neckline and hitting right at at below the knee. Wrap dresses are ideal and are flattering to most body types.
-A navy or black blazer
-Slacks in the following colors: tan, grey, and black. Watch the rise and make sure they come up high enough on the waist.
-A white blouse. Cotton is best.
-A black pencil skirt that hits right below the knee
-A pair of black leather mid heel pumps
-A string of pearls
-A white scoop or v neck cotton knit shirt
-A denim jacket (yes I know this deviates from what I said but this is my go-to wardrobe stable that can easily transition a dressy outfit to casual for casual Friday, after work, etc.)
-A bold gold necklace
-A silver necklace
-A pair of neutral leather flats
-A pair of nude pumps
-A lined trench coat (can transition from spring to fall by removing the lining)
-A red flower pin (a whimsical, feminine touch!). Try it on the black dress or one of the blazers!
-A thin cardigan (you can choose one that is a bold color!)
The beauty of these basic pieces is that:
A. Most can be purchased very inexpensively at places like Target, The Gap, Old Navy. I literally was walking through Target and saw just about every piece named above and all were under $40.
B. You can mix and match all to have several options: Navy blazer, white blouse, grey slacks, silver necklace, black pumps. Cardigan, pencil skirt, black pumps, pearls....the permutations and combinations are numerous!
This is a good basic template from which to start. Accessories like bright scarves, twin sets, and patterned blouses can easily build upon this list. These are classic pieces that will never go out of style.
Until next time!