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How to Wear Ankle Length Pants to Work

05/06/2013 By 78 Comments

how not to wear cropped pants for workCan you wear slim ankle length pants with a blazer to look professional? Reader M asks a pertinent question:

Can you comment on how to wear slim ankle length pants with a blazer to create a professional look? I tried this last week and missed the mark because my shoes were too casual I think. Would love your input on this.

Oi.  OK.  We know I’m not 100% on board with this trend, generally thinking that cropped pants are too casual for very conservative offices.  That said, logic dictates that they’re here to stay, so we may as well talk about how to look as professional as you can in them.  So I just looked at a zillion pictures of cropped pants — some by themselves, some with matching blazers, and a very few with mismatched blazers, and I have a few notes.  But first, let’s look at the picture above, which I think shows some of the worst styling mistakes I’ve seen, and demonstrates both rules really well: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Basics, Business Casual, Fashion, Fashion Gaffes, Shoes, Style, Wear to Work

Statement Pieces and the Intern

04/16/2013 By 85 Comments

statement pieces for internsWhen can interns wear statement pieces like necklaces or shoes?  Reader C, a law student, wonders….

I am a current law student preparing for a summer internship. I’ve been reading through a lot of your old posts trying to get a gauge on appropriate office wear. My question is about shoes.

I’m wondering how far is too far with statement shoes. If I am wearing a more muted outfit, is it okay to have a more colorful pair of shoes? For instance, I was considering a pair of shoes like these from Loft.

Would those be considered too bold for an office?

Interesting question. We get into this time and time again, but I’m always curious to see what the readers have to say. For my own $.02: Those are not first day shoes. Those are not big meeting shoes, or networking shoes. But: they could be office shoes. As in, you’re having a low key day, you’re not seeing anyone important, and you just want to mix it up a little bit. To be honest, if you’re interning at a BigLaw firm, there probably are not going to be very many of those days. So this becomes an issue of budget: if you have the money to spend for shoes that you may way a few times during the summer, then knock yourself out.  (There are very limited sizes left at Loft, but they are crazy affordable with today’s 40% off sale — they were $79.50, then marked to $69.50, with the extra 40% off they come to $41.99.  Petra Multicolored Floral Print Pumps)

(Update: If you really like the floral look, these very similar Ivanka Trump pumps are on sale at Nordstrom for $99.)

Just to back up a little bit — why, you may be asking, should the intern not wear these shoes to meetings and networking events?  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Basics, Internships/Summer Jobs, Interviewing, Just Starting Out, Professionalism, Shoes, Style, Wear to Work

How to Look Professional in Flats — All the Time

03/28/2013 By 65 Comments

how to look professional in flatsHow can you make flats look good with conservative ensembles, without looking frumpy? Reader N is particularly curious because she has MS:

I’m sure you’ve encountered similar questions in the past, but…here goes: I am 31 and work in downtown Manhattan in a technology org for a big bank. Us females are a rarity in a mostly male-dominated environment. I simply must look good. ;) My biggest issue, specifically, is shoes. I have MS – thankfully without me telling you, you wouldn’t notice (until I throw on a pair of heels >2″….then I wobble around like I’m 3 sheets to the wind. Not cute.) I feel like my options are so limited! I can get away with reasonably flat-soled platforms, but otherwise I feel like I get either loafers or ballet flats. Which don’t always work with my conservative work attire. Any tips that won’t demolish my wallet? Thanks!

I think this is relevant for a lot of women (whether they have MS or not) — not everyone wants to or can kill themselves in 3″ heels all the time. We’ve talked about whether you can wear flats for a court appearance, and we’ve addressed other issues (such as how to buy shoes that you can wear socks with), but we haven’t talked about how to make conservative styles look good when you’re wearing flats around the clock.  It can even be a challenge to find classic heels under 2″! (That said, if you can happily live with a 2.5″ heel your options expand dramatically).  Personally, I still love a lot of the strappy, pointed-toe flats we rounded up for a Hunt last June. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Basics, Comfort, Shoes, Style

The Hunt: Finding The Right Shade of “Nude-For-You” Pumps

03/04/2013 By 75 Comments

beige-pumpsSure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

“Nude” pumps are a classic — they go with everything and they elongate the leg.  But, of course, finding the perfect shade of pink/beige/tan/brown can be difficult.  So, readers, how do you gauge online whether a shade will look “nude” against your legs?  (For example: I tend to be very pale, and I’ve always thought my legs have almost blueish undertones, so pinks and taupes actually work better than “tan” for me.) Just to get the discussion started I’ve rounded up a few nice pumps that I’m seeing right now. Have you bought any great nude-for-you pumps lately? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Basics, Recent Recommendations, Shoes, The Hunt, Under $150

The Hunt: Interview Pumps

02/19/2013 By 58 Comments

Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

It feels like we just talked about black interview pumps — the simple, closed-toe, walkable pump — but in fact it’s been a full year since I’ve done a round-up of basic black pumps (see here for our roundup of black pumps under $250, our 2010 roundup of black pumps under $100, and our original 2008 roundup of classic black pumps.  A lot of these pumps are true classics, and are still available — the Naturalizer Lennox, the Franco Sarto Cicero pump (on sale at Amazon as low as $32 depending on the color), the Cole Haan Air Talia pump, the Stuart Weitzman Platswoon and Blog pumps — and of course our recent discovery, the $20 Payless pump that a number of readers swear by, is still available.  Readers, what is your favorite, basic black pump?  What shoes do you wear for interviewing? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Basics, Interviewing, Job Hunting, Shoes, The Hunt

Coffee Break – Karmen Pump

01/07/2013 By 269 Comments

1So I was looking through our previous discussion and poll on the most comfortable heels, and found this little gem: a few readers noted that they LOVED the pumps at Payless, particularly those by Comfort Plus by Predictions. And sure enough, online, this thing has 82 glowing reviews. So, ladies, if you’re looking for a comfortable pump under $20, give it a try. The Karmen pump is available in white, black, black patent, red suede, “tan” patent, navy, brown croc, grey croc, and red — all colors just $19.99. (There’s also a brown boot from the same line, on sale from $49 to $20.) Karmen Pump

Readers, have you tried the Comfort Plus by Predictions line at Payless? Do you agree with the readers who loved it?
(L-all)

Filed Under: Coffee Break, Shoes, Under $150