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 and for play. (There was a time when Katie 2 wore a jacket every day and it was not during her time in private practice.)
We will take a moment to acknowledge that not all real working women work in traditional office environments like we do. We know that some of you work in more casual or creative environments, and we hope that we offer advice today and always that you can take with you and adapt to your personal style and individual workplace.
So do you remember What Not to Wear on TLC, back before it was all about Kate+8 and the Duggars? They had some pretty good basic rules for dressing. One of them is that your outfit should have a "completer piece", or the one piece that pulls the look together. Most often the completer piece most of us choose is the cardigan, but we want to make the argument that you should reach for a blazer instead. A nice fitted blazer instantly makes an outfit look more polished. Don't believe us? Put on an outfit that you regularly wear, top it with a cardigan, and snap a mirror selfie. Now take off the cardigan, swap in a blazer (in the same color as the cardigan if you have it) and snap another picture. See what we mean? You will look more polished and even more shapely.
Since we're talking about shape, be sure your jacket fits you properly. We aren't going to give you a bunch of recommendations in this post because we feel that finding the right jacket is very personal. (For example Katie 2 really needs a 2 button jacket or a one-button with a higher stance.) When trying blazers on, make sure the shoulders fit and know that a good seamstress can work wonders if the right proportions are there.
We would like to admit that as much as we tout the glories of the blazer, Katie 1, Katie 2, and Elizabeth don't wear blazers all that often. I'm sure we each have our own reasons, but most often it comes down to comfort. Elizabeth very astutely pointed out that even when she opts for a jacket, she ends up taking it off when she sits at her desk. Then she gets cold and puts on a cardigan. When she steps out of her office, she forgets about the blazer and ends up going about the rest of the day in the cardigan and not the jacket sitting on the back of her chair. We've all been there. But ladies- be better than the cardigan!
So for those of you who are more casual by nature or work in a more casual work environment, Katie 2 is going to recommended 2 jackets: one black and one blue. Katie 1 is going to recommend a third, either a textured or printed blazer. You will be blown away at how many ways you can pair black and blue for work. For play, you can easily tone down the "corporate" feel of a jacket with jeans, sparkly tops, and evening accessories.
We will take a moment to acknowledge that not all real working women work in traditional office environments like we do. We know that some of you work in more casual or creative environments, and we hope that we offer advice today and always that you can take with you and adapt to your personal style and individual workplace.
So do you remember What Not to Wear on TLC, back before it was all about Kate+8 and the Duggars? They had some pretty good basic rules for dressing. One of them is that your outfit should have a "completer piece", or the one piece that pulls the look together. Most often the completer piece most of us choose is the cardigan, but we want to make the argument that you should reach for a blazer instead. A nice fitted blazer instantly makes an outfit look more polished. Don't believe us? Put on an outfit that you regularly wear, top it with a cardigan, and snap a mirror selfie. Now take off the cardigan, swap in a blazer (in the same color as the cardigan if you have it) and snap another picture. See what we mean? You will look more polished and even more shapely.
Since we're talking about shape, be sure your jacket fits you properly. We aren't going to give you a bunch of recommendations in this post because we feel that finding the right jacket is very personal. (For example Katie 2 really needs a 2 button jacket or a one-button with a higher stance.) When trying blazers on, make sure the shoulders fit and know that a good seamstress can work wonders if the right proportions are there.
We would like to admit that as much as we tout the glories of the blazer, Katie 1, Katie 2, and Elizabeth don't wear blazers all that often. I'm sure we each have our own reasons, but most often it comes down to comfort. Elizabeth very astutely pointed out that even when she opts for a jacket, she ends up taking it off when she sits at her desk. Then she gets cold and puts on a cardigan. When she steps out of her office, she forgets about the blazer and ends up going about the rest of the day in the cardigan and not the jacket sitting on the back of her chair. We've all been there. But ladies- be better than the cardigan!
So for those of you who are more casual by nature or work in a more casual work environment, Katie 2 is going to recommended 2 jackets: one black and one blue. Katie 1 is going to recommend a third, either a textured or printed blazer. You will be blown away at how many ways you can pair black and blue for work. For play, you can easily tone down the "corporate" feel of a jacket with jeans, sparkly tops, and evening accessories.
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