Preppy and Proud

If you've ever spent time in Nantucket, you may have heard of a local watering hole called the Chicken Box. What Ludlow saw there, as her first experience on this quaint island, is forever burned in her brain. Every single man in the bar, except maybe the large bouncer, must have received a text earlier in the day: 
'dudes: chicken box, 10pm, pink or blue shirts and khakis or seersuckers, no exceptions. cya there' 
Her jaw hung low as she looked around in awe at the homogeneous sausage party. How does one tell any of these guys apart? 


She did eventually find an appreciation for the preppy look and how to work the vibrant prints, and stripes that come with it. So while we'll probably never be huge Lily Pulitzer fans, the prep in us wants to work this look at the office. Drawing inspiration from Ludlow's most recent weekend trip to the island, here's how we like to rock the preppy look at work:

The classic seersucker jacket is styled with a popped collar and rolled sleeves to make it a bit more modern. (The piece is old, but similar can be found here (at Brooks Brothers).) The trousers we've showed you before - solid J.Crew pleated ankle length. Perfect for summer and stretchy for your off days. (Similar here)

We added gold accessories and shoes, but you could easily do a bright pink shoe for  an extra preppy take. 


So prep it up at the office on a Friday before you head out for "the Tuck" and you'll fit right in starting from the plane ride. We hear Rusted Root is playing at the Chicken Box at the end of July. 

You're As Cold As Ice...

...You're willing to sacrifice"..style? No way! 

Sure, when I first get in to the office on a hot summer day, the cool corporate air is a welcome relief. But by the time I've settled in to my desk and begun my day, which usually entails very low levels of physical activity, I am on my way to freezetown. Hello goosebumps. 

If you are a hotblooded chick that reaches a sheen easily, then read no further. I envy you (particularly in the dead of winter).

But, if you are like me (and you could conceivably find a chill in the desert), here are ways to manage around the cold office during hot summer days: 

Blazer: May be obvious but a good blazer can make a trash bag dress from Project Runway look structured. Keep a black or white cotton one at the office for warmth, and that client meeting you didn't know you would have. Then leave it behind before heading to dinner or drinks for the evening.

Loving this linen blazer from Loft. The modern cut with no lapel means it should work with everything and the pushed up sleeves is a nice effect.

 

Structured Cardigan: somewhere in between a basic cardigan and a blazer... The most versatile thing you can own (ok, one of).

Zara has a number of these to choose from and all are reasonably priced. This one is cozy and neutral enough to match with almost anything.

Scarf: Well, not the one your grandma knitted. Think a thin cashmere or cotton/silk mix.

Like this one from ASOS.

Of course, these aren't mutually exclusive so layer up if it feels right.

Big props to Foreigner circa 1977.

She's Shifty

......she's just my type! 

(a little sidebar tribute to the beastie boys, may Adam "MCA" Yauch rest in peace)

Something easily forgotten these days is that fashion is not only a product of creativity, but also of function and social change. Bet you didn't know (or probably ponder) that bermuda shorts came in to existence because of a shortage of clothing during World War II in Bermuda!

A historical and functional fashion reference for women is the shift dress. In 1920, women in the US earned the right to vote, equally to men. Women were empowered to break social norms and flappers started wearing shift dresses. They found them comfortable, easy to dance in and a rebellion against the cinched waists that had been in style in the previous decades. Shift dresses were also popular during the mod fashion era of the 60's - arguably another decade of social change.

We love what they represent!

The chic French brand Sandro has an amazing shift dress for this summer, complete with pockets and fun color (and their sale is going on now!). It's a classic piece, flattering for every shape and for any part of your life, including the office:

(The shoes are Louboutin Summer '11)

Plus it has a bow detail in the back that we went crazy for:

So celebrate the shift dress for the freedom it symbolizes - after all it was created so we could dance to the Beastie Boys if we wanted to!

Opportunities in Office Style

The Wall Street Journal's "Heard on the Runway" Work Wear series has been documenting office style around NYC. We've been tracking it with interest as firms from varying industries are profiled.

We wondered, how were these people chosen? Were they the best dressed in the whole office (aka "office hot")? Were they perhaps the best performing for the year to date? Or did everyone throw their business cards in to a fish bowl and 15 or so of them were picked? 

While many photos have been interesting and entertaining (like the very serious looking man with hot pink socks). We have to say that some of these were disappointing as examples of good office style and we just couldn't resist pointing out opportunities for improvement... So here goes.

Behold, Subject A:

• Sandals with a full on grey wool suit? They are totally out of context. Wear them with a floral sundress? Perfect. What about linen trousers? Lovely. But, not a classic grey suit.

Our suggestion: charcoal grey closed toe heels of any kind (like these)

• This brings us to another matter. Even in this shot, it's clear that inside the sandals are not just feet but feet inside white stockings. It makes us cringe on a number of levels. 1) Sandals are open and airy for your feet and feet alone 2) stockings inside sandals are so very grandma 3) WHITE stockings?!!

Our suggestion: If your office is too conservative to show your toes, just don't wear sandals. Even if it's not, wear charcoal grey closed toe heels with this (or at least please take the stockings off!).

• The cut of the jacket is a bit loose around the shoulders and waist. The most flattering jackets are where the arms are cut a bit higher in to the armpit. This makes arms look thinner, creating a smaller silhouette for the whole top half (like this one).

Our suggestion: This jacket could use some further tailoring, to make it a bit more fitted.

As a side note, the subject's pose is certainly interesting. They look as though they are warming up for ronde de jambes at the barre during ballet class.  Maybe they take classes in the evenings after a hard day's work? Ooh, that might explain the white stockings.