So I have been seeing the peep-toe bootie every.where this season, usually styled with skirts or cropped pants. And I always think the same thing — “Cute! But definitely in that ‘I’m-so-hip-I-don’t-need-to-wear-flattering-clothes way.’” You know, like harem pants and those huuuge 80s-ish glasses that some kids wear. The peep-toe bootie trend also strikes me as completely inappropriate for the conservative office, at least when worn with skirts. (Pictured: Sam Edelman ‘Wakefield’ Wedge Bootie, available at Nordstrom for $199.95.)
But then I started wondering — is my gut reaction shared by others? After all, peep toes have come a long way, baby…
Readers, what are your thoughts? Which newish trends will you be trying at the office this year?
Tagged as:
fads,
peep-toe booties,
trends
Reader R wonders about belts…
Can you do a post on belts? Specifically belts to be worn through belt loops on pants (not the over the shirt/dress accessory type). I realized this morning that I have not bought a belt in years and I have always been awkward about wearing them. I rarely tuck my shirt into my pants, preferring sweater tops I can wear out, so I don’t usually wear a belt with my pants. Should I? Is there something to my husband’s theory that pants sit better when worn with a belt, even if it’s not seen? Or is that visible “belt bump” under a sweater worn out a no-no? What kind of belt will I get the most mileage out of? Is there an appropriate belt for jeans (for those of us lucky enough to be able to wear jeans to the office occasionally)?
I remember reading years ago that a 1″ belt was an absolute must-have for a well-dressed woman, so I dutifully went out and bought a 1″ belt in what I thought was a decent leather. I found that it primarily sat, unused, because in general I prefer to leave shirts untucked, so the belt just never got added to the outfit when I was getting dressed in the mornings. To me, that’s the dividing line — a belt should be worn if you’re tucking things in; otherwise it’s a matter of preference. (There are caveats here, such as if your pants are too big for you, or the waist of your pants is too big for you — but keep in mind that while a belt will solve some problems (e.g., gaping, pants falling down), that it will create a “bunching” look, and ultimately you either need tailoring or new pants. (Pictured: Lauren by Ralph Lauren Italian Croco Leather Belt, 1″W, available at Bloomingdale’s for $48.)
Incidentally, I grabbed one of my style books (Accessories (Chic Simple)
) while running out the door this morning to see what it had to say about belts — the authors noted that “[t]he most basic leather belt thrives on subtle surface interest, such as lizard and alligator skin. Reptile skins are prized for their durability.” (The chapter on belts didn’t actually answer the question or offer any other reasons for wearing belts, beyond making an outfit look more polished.)
So, readers — how often do you wear simple belts? Why do you do so (to make pants lay neatly? To “finish” a look)? Any favorite basic belts?
Tagged as:
Accessories,
basics,
Belts
Reader M has a question about patent leather shoes:
I always thought patent leather pumps were an office no-no, but I’ve seen quite a few pairs posted on your site. Under what circumstances are patent leather heels okay to wear in a fairly conservative workplace? Is it all about the style of the shoe? Is color a deal breaker? I think the pairs I own are pretty innocuous (nude, black, deep red, dark-dark purple croc), but I could be horribly, horribly wrong. My work wardrobe is very safe (for lack of a better word) and I’m not the kind of girl who wears lots of accessories, so I tend to rely on shoes to wake up an outfit. I want my pretty patents to come out and play during the week! Can they, pleeeease?!
Interesting question — my theory has always been that patent leather, in the abstract, is fine. After all, black patent leather shoes are part of the military dress uniform — how could they not be conservative enough? (Pictured: Pretty Woman
, available at Amazon.)
There are some caveats to this theory, however.
First — patent leather can be more susceptible to what I’ll call “eau de hooker.” If a particular shoe has suspect color and styling, then — combined with the shine of the patent — there may be a whiff of a “working girl” about the shoes. Avoid that at all costs. Five-inch lipstick red platform stilettos aren’t going to get you very far, for example; I would also avoid any patent-leather over-the-knee boots like the ones in Pretty Woman. (But honestly: I know the over-the-knee boots are trendy right now, and I have seen some outfits with them look almost preppy, but still: Proceed. With. Caution at the office, even on the weekends, whether patent leather or not.) That said, I think your collection of patent leather sounds perfect — including the dark wine and the dark purple.
Second — maintenance is key! Scuffs are far more noticeable on patent leather, as are nicks. Keep those puppies well buffed.
For example, these are some great patent shoes that I think would be fine, just fine, for the office (from L-R): Kate Spade – Kylie (Black Patent) – Footwear
(love the sweet bow; they come in black, camel, purple, and red for $298 at Zappos), Butter Women’s Shy Peep Toe Pump
(a bit daring with the peep toe; they come in black, camel, and a magenta for $145-$171 at Endless (were $265)), and Calvin Klein Carrie (Women’s) – Black Pearlized Patent Leather
(love the substantial heel; Shoebuy has them for $108 in black, an ivory “lychee”; Zappos also has ‘em in red
).
That’s my $.02 — readers, what are your thoughts?
Tagged as:
acceptable shoes,
patent leather,
pumps
Wow, it’s like reader J is reading my mind…
How about a story on re-purposing office supplies for fashion/lifestyle uses when you’re in a pinch? For example, using binder clips while commuting to fold up pants that were hemmed for high heels, using scotch tape instead of a band-aid to prevent blisters when shoes start to rub, notebook paper as blotting papers, etc.
Somehow this came up at a recent bridal shower I attended, and my friends and I had a great time trying to think of other uses for office supplies. Thanks to my friends N and G for helping me brainstorm! (Pictured: Coloured Paperclips, originally uploaded to Flickr by Dysanovic.) Here are our MacGyver-ish suggestions…
- Use a Fed Ex mailing label as a lint brush. Just peel off the backing, and start sticking it on your clothes.
- Use White Out to touch up your French manicure, if needed.
- Use a black Sharpie to hide shoe scuffs, or even small tears in leather — it’ll work until you get to the cobbler to get the problem fixed.
- In a pinch, use binder clips to hem your pants. It won’t be pretty, but it’s better than nothing on a rainy day.
- Use a pen or pencil to put your hair in a bun — it’s kinder to your hair than a rubberband. (We like avadakedavra16‘s video tutorial of how to do it — if you’ve found anything better, please let us know!)
- Use packing tape if your shirt is gaping and you don’t have Hollywood tape — just fold it double.
- Use a piece of folded-up paper if you have something stuck between your teeth and no floss — for some reason Post-It notes work really well.
- Use a paperclip to make your bra a racerback — handy in a pinch if you’re going from desk to dinner and your going-out outfit needs a racerback bra.
- As reader J suggests, use notepaper if you don’t have any blotting papers.
- As reader J suggests, use Scotch tape in place of a Band-aid if your shoes are starting to create blisters.
Bonus tip for men: Use paper clips in place of collar stays.
Readers,what are your favorite “in a pinch” uses for office supplies?
Tagged as:
gaping shirts,
in a pinch,
office supplies
Ever had the urge to indulge your inner Anna Wintour and act as the fashion police? Reader M has a question along these lines…
Can we do a story on the extent to which permanent hires (i.e. me) can give unsolicited fashion advice to interns? I have worked in private practice for a number of years and am now at a government agency. Many of our female interns are taking the casual dress code here to the next level – “jeans Friday” does not mean your favorite yard work jeans, a sleeveless plaid tank, and Old Navy flipflops (I’m wearing dark wash trouser jeans, a Calvin Klein polo with bloused sleeves, and Cole Haan suede/patent skimmers). Many of our interns, let’s face it, would rather be in private practice but are spending their summer with us due to the economy. It’s more painful because the male interns are appropriately dressed (although I know it’s easier to pick out golf attire than a female jeans Friday outfit). Can I / should I say anything in the way of career advice?
How do you tell someone their outfit isn’t working — or worse, that their entire style needs to be rethought? It’s a difficult question — and i think we’ve all been on both sides of the issue. This blog partly grew from my frustration over this — both a) realizing belatedly that I’d been wearing completely inappropriate things, and b) not feeling able to say anything when I saw other women making fashion gaffes and wearing the “are you kidding me?” kind of outfits I saw at various points in my career. With summer, the flood of interns from colleges, law schools, and grad schools makes the problem only more magnified. When should you tell someone that their outfit is totally inappropriate?
In this blog’s early days we tried to run a poll on it, and of the whopping 35 people who voted (hey, we were barely a month old!), 51% said they would only tell her if you were good friends, 37% said you’d tell her if it was something she wouldn’t realize, and 3% said you’d tell her only if she’d embarrass the company.
What are your thoughts on what to do when someone’s dressing totally inappropriately for the office, either in the moment or on a systematic basis? (And, for the sake of a focused discussion, let’s set aside those times when it’s something the person didn’t realize, perhaps, until too late — a shirt that gapes open, a skirt that needs a slip, an unfortunate skirt-tucked-into-underpants moment — because there, we think, a piece of friendly advice or two (double-sided tape! you can borrow the slip I keep in my office! psst, your skirt is tucked into your underpants!) is always going to be welcome. )
Tagged as:
fashion advice,
how to tell someone they're dressing inappropriately,
interns,
what not to wear
Reader and blogger Siouxsie Law wrote in with a suggestion for a poll about Shape-Up Shoes — as she wrote about the topic here, these things supposedly a) help you exercise muscles you wouldn’t normally, giving you a great lower body, and b) they help your posture by engaging your core. But… are they professional? Are they appropriate for the office? We haven’t had a poll in a while, so we thought this seemed like a perfect topic for one. (Pictured: MBT Women’s Nama Casual Patent Shoe
, on sale at Endless.com for $145 (were $265).)
We haven’t tried any of these shoes, so we’re going purely on looks. For our $.02, though, we would venture that they’re fine for commuting to and from the office — particularly with pants that might otherwise drag on the ground with lower flats. That said, though, we probably would raise an eyebrow if we saw someone wearing it around an office unless that person had some kind of foot ailment that required them to wear it.
Readers, tell us your thoughts:
For those of you who DO wear them — please comment! What brands are you wearing? Have you noticed a difference in your body by wearing them? From a brief survey of Zappos, in addition to MBT
, it seems like the following brands make similar shoes: Reebok Easytone
, Sketchers Shape Ups
, Avia iTone
, New Balance Rock & Tone, and Mephisto Sano Evasion
. (Are we missing any biggies? Please let us know.)
Tagged as:
easytone,
exercise shoes,
fitflops,
MBTs,
runtone,
sano,
shape ups,
stabilizing shoes,
toning shoes
