Red Shoes

  Top : Emily Farina (similar) / Jeans : Blank Denim / Blazer : old (similar) / Bag : old (similar) / Shoes : Forever 21 & Emily Farina (similar) / Sunglasses: Karen Walker

A few months ago I bought a pair of red heels from Forever 21 with the intention of turning them into a special pair of my own with ruffled silk rosettes. I had done a similar technique before and wanted to revisit for a new pair of shoes. While I knew what I was doing, I wanted to test the technique on a cheap pair of shoes rather than a pricey pair. After initially posting about the shoes here, I finally got around to actually wearing them!

Wear Later : Red Striped Button Down

 Shirt : Rails / Pants : Mango (similar) / Bag : Mango (similar) / Shoes : Christian Louboutin / Blazer (Loft)

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Last week I posted about this Rails shirt from South Moon Under and how I would style the piece for hot summer days. Stripes in summer are a perfect match, right? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love clothing items I can wear multiple times and multiple ways. This shirt is one of those transitional items that works well dressed down for a casual summer day and dressed up for grabbing some drinks.

Summer Workwear

Dressing for work in the summertime is tough. You need something that will be breezy in the sticky, hot air outside but will also keep you warm in the frigid temperatures inside the office. Every workday morning in NYC I hike to the subway (usually at a fairly fast clip, since I am a 'New Yorker' now) and arrive on the platform where I am met with stale, thick air. All that heat I generated speed-walking increases exponentially in the subway. Before I know it I'm sweating...in my nice work clothes. Then I get to work and the AC is so high it feels like wintertime. I need a jacket or sweater to keep warm at my desk! The struggle couldn't be more real.

In the summer I am on the hunt for work items that are easily layered and can transition from hot streets to cold meeting rooms. Sometimes though what I really need is not a new outfit but some fresh inspiration for how to wear the pieces I already own. I decided to combine those two needs into this post - some new pieces that you can add to your wardrobe and some new ideas for how to wear what you have. And most of all, outfits that will keep you warm and/or cool this summer for work.

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Culottes :  Culottes are big this summer and they make for a perfect work pant. If you love a good cropped trouser for work, consider this your summer fling. An ivory pair can work with just about everything in your wardrobe and a looks of-the-moment chic. I like how the striped tee in the above outfit adds a nautical vibe but these pants would also look great with a simple shell top and blazer.

I’m Loving Now : Ivory Blazer

image : see (anna) jane

Blazers are a classic item to have in your wardrobe. This clothing workhorse can be worn with cropped pants to the office, tossed over a feminine skirt and top for dinner and with casual jeans on the weekend. While I have quite a few black blazers hanging in my closet, I recently have been on the hunt to find a good light-colored blazer to wear this spring.