A confession from Ludlow to her budget:
Forgive me budget, for I have sinned. It has been 2 months since my last confession (pretty good, no?). I recently splurged on a pair of black Louboutins.. and while I was originally going for a basic pair of pumps for work, I couldn't help but acquire these.
Yes, I am a shoe whore. I collect them, admire them from afar and up close too. I never tire of them. But, I adhere to one rule: if I am going to splurge, they need to be the coolest, most unique version of themselves. It's true, one can argue that basics are where one can justify spending more given the higher probability of overall use per pair.
But I argue that you can find a basic shoe anywhere, and spending more should only be for the special items.
I love the cutout on the inside of the shoe,
I love that they are shiny but not patent leather and of course,
I love the flare of red that will peek out with my conservative black suits and dresses. After all, I can't not be me completely.
Fear not budget, as I will suffer for my sin. They are high in height and pointed in toe. I will carry them in their little red bag while walking in flats, and change in to them only when securely at my desk.
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.
Staying neutral when it comes to some situations is a staple of office life. A staple in any spring/summer wardrobe, be it for the office or outside, are pieces in neutral colors. And, per the definition of a staple, they never go out of style.
We were inspired by a pair of peach trousers from H&M. We especially love the zipper detail at the hem of the pant legs! Keep the look clean, fresh and feminine by pairing it with a peplum top. We finished it with neutral heels (or flats), stud earrings and some bangles.
Click here for details of each piece.
The blazer is a staple for any wardrobe. And, the right blazer can quite literally slim you down. With so many styles to choose from, you can find one that works, no matter what shape or size you are.
Lex keeps it structured at the office with a classic tailored version (a favorite: Theory). On the weekends, she throws a looser boyfriend blazer over a dress or skinny jeans.
Ludlow found this Joy Cioci blue silk blazer at one of her favorite boutiques, Jessie James, in the West Village. The color is really nice (for the spring blue trend), and if you look closely, the shoulders have a really nice stitching detail.
For the office, we matched it with brown wool pants from Tibi (on sale here) and a cream silk blouse (similar).
For the weekend, the same blazer dresses up a simple white tank and blue jeans (with a gold belt for some shine). Leopard flats would round out this look (Ludlow loves these: from Steve Madden).
