Not a Blogger: A Corporate Fashun Blog

So back in March, we talked about the three ways we all styled the basic white t-shirt . At the end of the post, we gave some recommendations of shirts you could try. Since then, we have come across the best option out there. Disclaimer: it isn't short sleeved. But once you realize all the benefits, you will overlook that minor detail. Folks, meet the Halogen Reversible V-Neck Tee . How do we love thee? Let us count the ways: The price is a cool $39.99. Think that's too much to spend on a white t-shirt? It's really not. Keep reading and you will see why. It comes in white, black, and stripes (both black/white and light blue/white). Yes, we know we said we found the perfect plain white  t-shirt, but once you fall in love, you will want it in all the colors too. The thickness is legit. It's thick enough to where you don't have to layer a cami underneath, and thin enough to where it's comfortable to wear in warmer weather. (Note: as we already noted above, i...

As much as we like to think of ourselves as grown ups, we do "on occasion" (read: frequently) spill. And we write on ourselves. And we drop things. Which has lead us to learn a few tricks when it comes to removing stains from our clothes. Because if you're going to spend your entire budget on a killer dress you can't live without, you want to make sure that it lasts more than one wear. Am I right? Ink The fastest way to get ink out of a piece of clothing (hello, carrying a pen without a cap) is to use alcohol. Don't waste your Kirkland vodka (seriously, that stuff is legit)- instead, try hand sanitizer or hairspray. Seriously. Lay the item flat and add the alcohol-based product. Be careful, as it works so well that sometimes the ink can pull out of the fabric and spread to a wider area if you're not on top of it. If the stain is particularly troublesome (and the fabric isn't too delicate), use the tip of the sanitizer bottle/hairspray to rub the alc...

We haven't been to Nordstrom in a while (as a group), and we were jones-ing for some meatballs . Plus, last week marked the release of one of our favorite workout brands at select Nordstrom stores. So we decided to hit up Nordstrom last week.While there, we thought we would "quickly" peruse Nordstrom's "new" 1901 line and give it the ole' Working Girl Review. 1901 isn't really a new line, it has been around exclusively for men for a while. But Nordstrom has just debuted its first women's collection this spring. Katie 1 and Katie 2 made a bee-line for the stuff when we spotted some amazing skirts and dresses. In fact, we didn't even know we were dashing for the 1901 stuff until we got there. Quick down and dirty on our thoughts? First, a disclaimer. We didn't actually try anything on. We were in a flighty mood and wanted to shop quickly in order to get to the bar faster. Plus, Katie 1 was getting extremely hangry so time was of the es...

Did you know that the internet is more than just kitten videos? (Katie 2 would like to say that goat videos are vastly superior to cat/kitten videos.) I know- we're shocked. Other things we find shocking? How atrociously bad a lot of the "career advice" available online is. This is especially true when it comes to shoes. We think we've previously mentioned that work appropriate shoes were one of our biggest struggles when it came to dressing for our careers early on. There were many factors that contributed to this being such a struggle but one of the biggest was the fact that we're pedestrian commuters. Learning the difference between commuting shoes and office shoes proved harder than it seems. Also, because there is so much hostility surrounding work shoes on workwear blogs (looking at you, Corporette!) and commuting in what's comfortable and changing at the office it was especially hard to figure out what is truly inappropriate and what out of touch anony...

We've already talked to you about getting a waterproof coat for outdoor workouts .  And we've talked about trench coats . And while we stand by our love for the tench because of its versatility, we think that sometimes, you just need a raincoat.  Today we are showing you our favorite rain coats for spring, whether you're into the neutral utilitarian look, or something a bit more fun and exciting. As always, we like a wide variety of price points. Frugal (under $100) When talking rain coats, London Fog is a timeless classic. This coat is somewhat utilitarian looking, but completely classic in both khaki and navy.  We've already talked to you about Everlane . If you're looking for something to try from the retailer, go with the The City Anorak .  The price of this coat  from British retailer Marks & Spencer already falls in the "Frugal" category, but when you find it's really three coats (two that combine together to make a third), you...

We told you we would review Everlane, so we here we are reviewing Everlane! For those of you that aren't familiar (are you living under a rock ??), Everlane is the darling of oh so many bloggers and online articles. It came on the scene in 2011 with the philosophy of "Exceptional quality. Ethical factories. Radical transparency." Here's how they explain: Exceptional Quality: The clothes are designed to last, so they source only the finest materials. Ethical Factories: The company does a lot of researching before selecting factories. And even after choosing the factory, the company follows up with "compliance audit(s) to evaluate factors like fair wages, reasonable hours, and environment." Radical Transparency: Learn exactly how much it costs to produce what you're buying. For each item, the site breaks down the cost of materials, labor, transport, duties, and hardware to determine the "true cost" of the item. Then it compares the Ever...

We're back with another "Where We Really Shop". It's been a while since we let you in on our own shopping habits, so if you're new to the blog or don't remember, go back and check out Parts 1 and 2 of the series. This time around, we want let you in on our little secret about the lesser known side of a classic workwear brand for preppy and working women everywhere: Brooks Brothers. When looking for timeless, quality pieces, many people recommend the American brand, and we completely agree. But when we were young(er) working women, the prices were out of our league. Even now, we still think their prices can be a bit steep. Enter Red Fleece . Rolled out in 2013 and previously known as the University Collection, Red Fleece touts its youthful touch, modern fits, and friendly prices. But it isn't just for the under-25 crowd. The line offers trendier cuts, colors, and details while staying true to the tenants of the Brooks Brothers brand. In terms of pr...

It's been a while since we've gone back to the basics . Today we plan to get back into talking about the pieces that we come back to over and over again , that make up the foundation of a working girl's wardrobe. Elizabeth took some convincing, because she is of the opinion that our focus today (the basic white t-shirt) is not a work wear piece. That inspired us to make today's post a two-fer: a discussion of basic pieces and a new series (man, do we love a post series ) where we each wear the same piece in our own unique style. We hope this new series will give you a little insight into our different styles, as well as give you some styling tips at you might not ordinarily think of. We agree that a basic white T may not be appropriate for all offices all the time. But we also are here to make the argument that professional women should own at least a few basic white t-shirts anyway, because they are incredibly versatile, comfortable, and can actually be dressed up ...

We are longingly remembering the days when February meant spring break. When the monotony of every day life was interrupted by trips to far off places full of sunshine and tequila shots. Even if you didn't ever go anywhere spring breaky, that week off during the dreary days was a welcome distraction from the dull, grey every day.  Last year at this time, Katie 2 was doing some last minute shopping for a trip to Hawaii. She pulled Katie 1 along and the two of them passed the time looking for the perfect nude wedges/sundresses/sun hats. This year, there is no trip to warmer climates on the horizon for any of us (Katie 1 is taking a ski vacation), but we still like to break the monotony of winter blues by shopping for the must-have shoe for tropical vacations, the espadrille. We also think this post is a great Shoes Day Tuesday/Travel Tuesday crossover. Win win! Frugal (Under $100) There are a ton of cute options in the frugal price point. For starters, these come in...

We've talked about beating the post-holiday funk   and shown you some fun shoes to spice up your life. What we haven't talked about is that you can stick to your resolution to pay off some bills and still get some new pieces and make life a little more exciting. Everyone knows that there are some killer sales at the start of the year, but if you're like most people, in early January you just got some new stuff for the holidays and your bank account is a little smaller than you'd like. So we're here to let you know that now is the perfect time to get back in the shopping game and stock up on some pieces that are still on sale. Our best recommendation? Go back and check out our guide to winter coats . February is the best time to pick up a piece you've been lusting after. You can wear it for a little longer this season, or put it away and break it out next November!

We have a very special Shoes Day Tuesday for you today. Why? Because the Lunar New Year is this Friday, February 16th. Many moons ago (HAHAHAH, see what we did there?), Katie 2 had a friend who explained that it was tradition to wear new shoes on the Lunar New Year, as a way to avoid carrying the dirt from last year into the new year. We went online to try and find confirmation of this tradition and found none. But we decided to write about it anyway. Why? Because it's Shoes Day Tuesday. Because we love the idea of celebrating a holiday with new shoes. Because when we asked an Asian friend of ours if this was in fact a thing, she said "That sounds like an Asian thing to do, so I say 'yes'!" Because apparently it's bad luck to buy said new shoes too close to the actual holiday. (Don't ask us why, but apparently it's bad luck to do a lot of stuff too close to the Lunar New Year, such as clean your house or cut your hair.) So our post today is ...

Let's take a minute to discuss fast fashion, because it's everywhere. While we recognize there are some major ethical issues associated with the retailers (intellectual property rights, abusive labor practices, the environmental impact to name a few), we admit that we do fall in the fast fashion trap more than we'd like to admit. While our forays into fast fashion are usually for non-work clothing, occasionally those impulse buys do find their way into our work wardrobe which brings us to our newest series - Can you really shop at.... *insert fast fashion chain*.  Some general observations about incorporating fast fashion into your wardrobe? Try and mix high and low. Some of our favorite corporate style bloggers and Instagrammers are seriously amazing at pairing a $5 dress with a Chanel bag, costume jewelry, and Manolos. Our style icon the Duchess of Cambridge is quite adept at this too. Anyone can dress in head to toe designer clothing and look amazing. Mixing high an...

[We know the title of this post is a little misleading because just about ALL SHOES are fun, but go with it.] We are back today with Shoes Every Woman Needs recommendations. When we introduced the category in the initial post, we all pretty much agreed that a woman should have an animal print shoe in her arsenal. Katie 2 and Elizabeth also each showed a floral pair they already own. We are here today to give you all sorts of recommendations of fun shoes to kick up your fun factor! Frugal (less than $100) In the initial post of shoes every woman needs (and since) we have sang our praises for leopard print. We hope by now you have invested in some leopard print for your wardrobe, so we will take this opportunity to suggest some snake skin instead. Normally these would fall into the mid-line category, but lucky you! These Cole Haan Amelia Grand Pumps are on sale!  Katie 2 loves black and white so these glen plaid pumps may be hers in the near future   (Katie 1 a...

We would like to take this moment to acknowledge that we suck and missed a post on Tuesday- sorry! Rest assured the planned post was full of valuable information and was exceedingly witty. But just like all of you, it is taking us a bit of time to get back into the swing of things after the holiday season and vacations. We promise to do a better job sticking to our posting schedule in the future. (Katie 1 would like to take this opportunity to apologize for the lack of posting on Tuesday. She was supposed to write Tuesday's post but had the plague and was home in bed.) Today, we are back to our Back to Basics series with a discussion on Katie 2's favorite basic (OK, that's a lie because all basics are Katie 2's favorite basics) and the ultimate power piece: the jacket. You can go online and read endless articles about how the power suit is dead (or dying), but we want  to make the case for why the blazer is still a very relevant piece of your wardrobe for work an...

Confession: Katie 1 has a slight obsession w/ Black Watch Tartan. Why? First, because it’s a combination of her favorite colors.  Second, the Duchess of Cambridge.  Third, it has a pretty cool history which makes it even more fun to wear.  It’s fairly common knowledge that Black Watch tartan is named for the 43rd Royal Regiment, commonly known as the Black Watch.  Did you know that Black Watch tartan actually pre-dates the formation of the 43rd Royal Regiment?  In fact, one of the theories behind why the 43rd is called the Black Watch is because of the very dark appearance of their uniform tartan (which we now know as Black Watch tartan).  So how deep does Katie 1’s obsession go?  She could wear a different item of Black Watch tartan every day for more than a week obsessed.  Want proof? Here’s a list of all of the Black Watch items in her wardrobe. Blazer Work Dress Casual Dress Side Zip Ankle Pants Front Zip Ankle Pants Trousers Ski...

We're back with the second post in our series of basic pieces that working women should have in their wardrobes. If you missed our first, go back and check it out . The goal is to show you those items we come back to time and time again and show you a few ways to wear them so you 1) get some mileage out of the pieces and 2) you don't look (or feel) as though you're wearing the same thing every day. The capsule wardrobe. Be honest- how many times have you pinned it? (Katie 1 would like you to know she's has NEVER pinned it. She has no desire whatsoever to create a capsule wardrobe thankyouverymuch.) Whether it's for vacation or every day, we search for those elusive few pieces that we can mix-and-match in a million different ways to create an entire month's worth of outfits with just seven pieces! We here at Not a Corporate Fashun Blog have no mastered the capsule wardrobe. We, just like you, wake up in the morning with a closet packed full of stuff and ...