Workwear, Revisited

The term business casual has long been synonymous with words such as “snooze fest” “mind numbing” and “creativity killer”. However, contrary to popular belief, business casual can in fact be fun if you take a step back and see it for what it really is: a challenge.

We all have a business casual dress or pencil skirt that we think is pretty cute as far as “client meeting” standards go. But office wear seems so one dimensional. Here’s the trick: layering

Start with your basic dress, but maybe wear a collared shirt underneath. Add a sweater. If it’s too bulky, tie one end in a knot and tuck it under (like I’ve done here.) Or swap the sweater for a blouse with a thin belt. You can try adding tights, boots, or even some cute knee socks. For a more casual look, add a hat. Top it with some statement jewelry (like mine below from Shamelessly Sparkly) and your work week just got a whole lot brighter!

Dress (worn as a skirt): Angelique’s Boutique in Wicker Park, Shoes: Zara (sold out, similar below), Sweater: Urban Outfitters (old), Black collared shirt: H&M (old), Necklace: c/o Shamelessly Sparkly, Bracelets: JCrew & c/o Shamelessly Sparkly, Hat: American Apparel