What Is Business Casual?

This post is written for my fellow jewelry ladies.  Please note: this is for our "work outfits."  Not every day.  :)

What is business casual anyway?  Let's start with what it is not.

It is not jeans:

No matter how cute, this outfit is still casual.  Fabulous, yes!  But casual.

It is not yoga pants:

Work out clothes are for working out.  If you want pants that feel like yoga pants, go for a ponte pant.  Kohl's has some on sale right now for about $20 that are even pull on!

It is not leggings as pants:

If you are going to wear leggings, you MUST wear a top / dress that covers your bootie and your crotch (sorry, I couldn't think of a nicer word).

It is not "casual":

Just because you're wearing dark jeans, that doesn't make your outfit business casual.  This out fit is ADORABLE, but still casual.

It is not club wear:

If you'd wear it to the club, don't wear it to your work.  Save outfits like this for date night or ladies night out.

It is not crop tops or sheer:

Please, keep your sheer to your sleeves or below the knee.

Now, let's talk about what "business casual" is by comparing it to "business professional."

Clothing:

In our "business casual" & fashionable business we are SO LUCKY to get to experiment with our wardrobes.  We get to play around with colors, styles, and of course our jewelry. 

In a business professional environment, we would have to stick to neutrals, suits, and boring basics.

Hair:

Professional hair is sleek tamed and conservative.  Business casual can be more free and stylized.  It is not however . . .

. . . casual.  Love this hair for the weekend though!!

Make-up:

For business professional the look is conservative, yet polished and professional.

Fortunately in our line of work we get to play around with our make up more.  It's still professional, but more fashionable and can be more trendy.  It is not however  . . .

. . . casual.  Love this fresh faced look, but it isn't work appropriate.  If you don't know your way around a make up counter, contact your local Mary Kay consultant.  There are bound to be, like, 50 in your area.  :)

Eyebrows:

A plucked eyebrow really polishes your face.  It makes your eyes brighter and less weighed down.  Even just removing the stray hairs that aren't in with the rest of the eyebrow shape makes a big difference.

HOWEVER, over plucking your eyebrows will make you look older.  "Natural" eyebrows have come back in style just for this reason.  So keep them trim, but not over done.

Shoes:

For business professional, one must stick to neutral, closed toed flats and pumps.

Fortunately we're in the "business casual" fashion world so we get more options.  Colors, styles, and heal height are all up for grabs.

But please, nothing casual.  NO boat shoes:

No matter how sparkly or if they have animal print (save it for a casual day).

No moccasins:

No matter how comfy.

    

No athletic shoes:

Whatever you wear for working out, should NOT be worn for to your parties.  I understand some ladies have health issues and need to wear sneakers.  That's an exception.  Just find the cutest ones you can and do your best.

No All Stars:

Again, adorable but save it for a casual day.

Ladies, I hope this was helpful.  It probably sounds like a list of do's and don'ts which is going to irk some of you.  It really isn't intended to be.  We have a lot of freedom to express our creativity through our work and in our wardrobes.  But we still need to look put together in a professional sense.  

Love you all!!

<3, Mandy

OOTD : 2 Days of Poly's Put to Life

Outfits of the days today ladies!!  Two different looks for two different holiday occasions.  The first is more comfy / casual for a cosy family gathering.  The second is all glommed up for a fashionable work party!!

Here is my OOTD from Sunday.  We had family pictures:

And the realization of that outfit:

Aren't my babies just the most adorable ever?

The sweater dress, leggings, and dress are SO comfy for chasing after the kids, crawling after the kids, and all the other "after the kids" things moms do.

Then on Tuesday, I attended my Premier Designs jewelry Christmas party:

And the realization of that outfit:

My Bling Mom is pretty adorable too!

Sometimes a mom just needs to feel sexy.  The short skirt is great for those times when you AREN'T doing the "after the kids" things.  The lace sleeves give more coverage, since we're showcasing our legs, while still looking sexy.  This dress is FAB-U-LOUS!!  I was so excited to finally find a dress that fit me in all the right places.

Where will the holidays take your wardrobe?  Be inspired and inspire others by sharing your photos and ideas!!

Happy Holidays, loves!!

<3, Mandy

How to Get Ready without Stressing Out

As a mom of two toddlers, I've experienced that it takes A LOT to get ready to go anywhere.  I have a hard enough time keeping myself on track, let alone two other people too.  So how is a mommy supposed to get places on time without falling into "schluppy mom"?   Here's what's worked for me!

I have a board on Pinterest with outfit inspirations.  These are outfits made up of ONLY clothes that I actually have (or the equivalent of the same).  For example if I don't have an orange cardigan, I know that I'll substitute pink for it.  My board is called Outfit Inspirations G2G (good to go).

Then when I'm in a rush in the morning, I just pick an outfit from my board, go to my closet to grab what I need, and BAM!!  No more schluppy mom.

Anyone else have ideas?  How do  you keep from getting overwhelmed in the morning and keep from running late?

'Til next time, loves!

<3, Mandy

Wardrobe Editing : How to Choose What to Keep

Hello Gorgeous!

I've been able to do some shopping over the weekend.  I desperately needed some cool-weather clothes.  And as usual when I get new clothes, it makes me want to edit my closet.

x# of items in = x# of items out

Ok, so I don't always follow that rule, but it does help to keep my closet from reaching critical capacity.  I have a blog series on organizing your closet and finding your style.  You can find that series here.  But if you need a quick and easy flow chart, my friend D introduced me to this one:

Pretty good, right?  Thank you Pinterest :D

'Til next time my sweets

<3, Mandy

Volley Ball & Ladies' Night

My friend J plays volley ball, so bestie T and I went to watch her game last night and then the three of us went out for drinks at Applebee's.  :)

<3, Mandy

Play Date

Today the kids and I are going on a playdate with an old friend of mine and her kids.  This outfit is cute and comfy.  Although it might not be warm enough.  Gonna have to bundle up in my coat today. It's chilly!!

<3, Mandy

OOTD : Fall Favorite

Hello Gorgeous!!

Here's the OOTD:

Navy cami, dove grey tunic, denim vest, burgundy jeans, brown boots.

Thanks for reading!!  <3, Mandy

Today's jewelry:

Left Shoe, Left Shoe, Left Shoe, Right

What color shoes to wear with your outfit.

Do you have trouble figuring what color shoes to wear with your outfit?  For some ladies this comes naturally.  For others, we need fashion rules.  Here are some tips.  Just remember once you understand the concepts, feel free to break the rules.  "They're more like guidelines anyway."

Match your hair or skin.

Let's say you've just got this blue dress.  How do you decide what shoes to wear?  Try matching it to either your skin or your hair.  Obviously, I've paired this dress with pumps, but the principles apply whatever style shoe you're wearing.

Match your main color.

A word of warning so we don't wander into Matchy-Matchy Land:  If you are going to choose this rout for your outfit be sure to either choose colors that are slightly off (like the orange top with the tomato red shoe above) or be sure the textures are different (like the textured lace top with the smooth patent pump).

Match your supporting color.

If matching your main color is too matchy-matchy for you, but you still wanna feel coordinated, maybe matching your supporting color is for you.  In the set above, the top's main color is pink, so we're going to choose the supporting cream color for our pump.

Match an accessory.

Again, we need to avoid matchy-matchy land, so if you're going to rock this look, maybe choose different shades of purple, or be sure to break up the monotony with other accessories.  Silver jewelry and a grey slouchy beanie would be great with this set.

Choose a contrasting color 

Choose a color that is opposite to the main color you are wearing.  This often gives you that "pop of color" because contrasting colors enhance each other.  Learn more about the color wheel here.

Choose a metallic or animal print.

When in doubt, rock your outfit with a metallic or animal print shoe.  Both can be dressed up or down depending on the type of shoe.  Metallics come in all colors, from silver to gold to copper to bronze and everything in between!  And of course leopard print is an annual favorite for most fashionistas, but for me snake print is where it's at.  It's subtle, it's sexy, and it goes with everything.  :)

Hope this has inspired you to try new combinations with your shoe wardrobe.  If you're like me your shoe closet has a lot of neutral colors.  Let's get out of that rut this fall, ladies!!  Post your photos below, or comment on the Facebook link!

<3, Mandy

Handbag Obsession

Hi ladies!!!

Last week when I was at the Rehoboth, my sisters, mom, and I went to the Tanger Outlets and visited the Wilsons Leather store.  OMG, SO many fabulous finds!!  It was there that I found a gorgeous pink "doctor bag" on sale, but I knew I didn't really NEED another purse, so I didn't get it.

*Sigh*  Then I became obsessed.  But what could I do?  It was too late.  We'd already left.

So when my sister and I went shopping yesterday, I searched every store for a doctor bag in the perfect pink color that also came with a long strap.  (Being a mom, I need to be able to throw my bag over my shoulder so I have room for carrying babies.)  And then I found this beauty at Charming Charlie.  On sale for $18!!

The photo doesn't do her justice; the color is not this red.  But she is perfection.

Anyway, all this purse shopping got me to wondering, what are the different styles of purses called?  And of course if I'm wondering it, probably some of you have too.  So I did my favorite kind of research.  FASHION research.  :D  

The three things we're going to cover today are terms for features, handles / straps, and finally kinds of handbags.

First here are a couple terms for features:

Target

Drawstring - pretty obvious, pull the string to close the bag.

Charming Charlie

Quilted - the stitching makes a quilted pattern on the bag.  Diamond shapes are most common, but other patterns show up every now and then too.

Charming Charlie

Patent - very, very shiny.  Very shiny.

Charming Charlie

Flap - the bag has a flap that folds over the top of the bag.

Now let's cover handles / straps:

Charming Charlie

Clutch - no handles, though most now come with detachable ones of various lengths.

Miche

Wristlet - small handle that is worn over the wrist.

Miche

Shoulder - handles are long enough to go over the shoulder.

Miche

Cross-Body - handle is long enough to wear over one shoulder and around the other hip.

Charming Charlie

Top Handle - a small handle on the top of the bag, just long enough to grab.

Over-the-Arm - Ok, so I don't know what this kind of handle is actually called.  I've searched and searched, so if any of you know, please leave a comment.  For now I'll call it the over-the-arm handle.  It's long enough to wear over your elbow, but not really long enough to wear comfortably over the shoulder.

Ok, now that we've got those terms, let's talk about different kinds of bags:

Miche

Backpack - worn on the back, two handles for over the shoulders and a top handle.

 Baguette - long length, short height, over-the-arm handle.  A "classic" style bag, but not very popular right now.

Barrel - cylindrical in shape, long length, short hight, circular body.

Charming Charlie

Bucket - flat round(ish) bottom, either open on top or has a draw string.

Miche

Canteen - round front, typically small in size.

Miche

Doctor - inspired by the old fashioned doctor's bags, roomy, rounded top, flat bottom, over-the-arm handles though many now come with a long shoulder or cross-body handle that attaches to the ends.

Thirty-One Gifts

Duffle - also known as a Weekender, this bag is large enough to carry your essentials for a weekend, so it's perfect for traveling on short trips.  Typically has shoulder and cross-body handles.

Thirty-one Gifts

Foldover - this bag can be carried two ways.  Either tall like a shopper (see below) or fold over the top for a shorter cross-body style.

Frame - has a metal frame top with a clasp, like an oversized coin purse.  This style is not very common right now.

Target

Hobo - slouchy style, either shoulder or cross-body.  Find these on your vacation!  They're a fabulous and practical souvenir.

Target

Messanger / Satchel - this bag is rectangular; think old fashioned school bag.  While messenger bags tend to have a long cross-body handle, the satchel typically has a top handle.  The terms "messenger" and "satchel" are often used interchangeably though.

Charming Charlie

Minaudière - a small bag with hard sides and a clasp closure.  Can be clutch, cross-body, or wristlet.

Reticule - a small decorative drawstring bag.  Not very common right now.

Charming Charlie

Saddle - inspired by old-fashioned saddle bags, typically straight across the top, round along the bottom, with a flap and not very big.

Shopper - often called a tote, this bag is a tall rectangle with one or two handles on the top.  It will typically be made of a light weight material which makes it perfect for shopping.

Charming Charlie

Tote - typically wider on the top than it is on the bottom with two top handles, though many now come with a cross-body handle as well.

Hope you found this fun and helpful!!  Do you have a favorite handbag?  Leave a picture in the comments of your go-to bag or your favorite style(s)!!  I'd love too see what you like and why!

<3, Mandy