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'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...

You may have caught on by now that we’ve been constantly expanding on our Shoes Every Woman Needs guide by providing you with recommendations based upon type. So far, we’ve discussed (1) Neutral pumps ; (2) Black pumps ; and (3) Evening Shoes . With spring on the horizon, we're all sick of the black pumps + tights look that tends to be our uniform during the winter months so we thought now would be a good time to discuss another one of the more controversial additions to our original essential shoe list: red and metallic pumps. Because of their versatility, we believe that red and metallic shoes fall firmly within the neutral shoe category. Metallics can literally be paired with any color combination and red looks great with black, navy, charcoal, purple, leopard print, etc. In fact, Katie 1 finds red to be such a versatile shoe that she has multiple pairs of red shoes (3 pairs of pumps and 2 pairs of flats to be exact). Additionally, metallic shoes can also be dressed down f...

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 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...

It's time for another Back to Basics post. Since it's December, now seems like a good time to discuss essential winter coats. Why? Because it's effing cold outside. Also, because that super expensive winter coat you've been lusting after since October is about to go on major sale. Before we get to our categories/recommendations, let's first discuss some winter coat basics. First of all, unless you live in Florida or Arizona, you need a winter coat. Second: we're not all lucky enough to be a fashun blogger with a closet full of care-of winter gear, nor are we lucky enough to have the Duchess of Cambridge's coat closet. Therefore winter coats must be both classic in style, warm, and good quality. Third: because this is an item that you're going to wear for years, make sure to buy the best you can afford and stick with brands your know offer excellent quality for the price (you will see this in our recommendations). Fourth: don't expect to find any ne...

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 ...

If you live in a warmer climate, you may never understand the struggle of finding the right winter boots. Here in the Midwest, we need boots to wear when we have somewhere to go and won't be able to change our shoes and therefore need them to look presentable. We need a pair that will withstand a blizzard. And we need boots that we can wear after the blizzard when the snow is melting, the whole world is wet, and we are waiting for the next snow storm.  Those in more temperate zones may be able to get away with the basic bitch standard Hunter boot with a pair of wool liners. In fact, that was the #1 recommendation Katie 2 heard when she first moved to Chicago back in 2011. But for many reasons , that is just not a viable option, least of all being that her feet were frozen after just 10 minutes outside. Fear not! We are here to offer you plenty of options to fulfill all your winter booting needs.  Boots That You Can Pretend Aren't Sorel is the gold standard wh...