Happy Wednesday, friends! I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, spent with family and friends! Believe it or not, I ended up going from zero plans to spending every single day this weekend out and about with new friends and old! I’ll catch you up on everything soon, but today I wanted to share a casual-yet-professional look for the office. This look features a new favorite pair of high-waisted chambray pants I invested in earlier this spring and can’t wait to get loads and loads of wears out of all summer-long!
Over the past few months, I’ve been taking inventory of my wardrobe–which pieces work, which pieces don’t, and taking note of any gaps that might exist. The largest part of my closet tends to fall into two primary categories–casual and professional. For most of the year, I can get away wearing my casual clothes–think skinny jeans, flowy tanks, and colorful cardigans. Very similar in fact, to the outfits I wore in my Spring 10×10 Challenge. But then there’s always that time of year (usually summer) when I move out of state and go to work at a NASA center, where the dress code is a more professional. During this time, I employ use of colorful pencil skirts, structured button-ups, and basic cardigans (much like this look here).
As it turns out, many of the pieces I own are interchangeable between the two styles, especially when it comes to the tops and cardigans. You might even recognize this sweater I’m wearing (similar versions here and here) from casual looks I put together earlier this month (with jeans here–here–here, with a skirt here, with a dress here). But one gap I started to notice in my wardrobe was having bottoms that could work in both casual and business settings, and specifically ones which could create a middle-ground between the two. You know…those pieces that can dress up a casual look without looking too professional and dress down a professional look without being overly casual. The perfect in-between!
So when I found these high-waisted chambray pants on sale earlier this spring, I waited patiently for my size to be restocked and scooped them up! I had also seen Emily style a similar pair here, and loved how chic she made them feel. I’ve never really owned anything like these pants before, but the versatility with which she styled them made me believe I could do that too! For instance, I love this casual look with a leather jacket here, and even this more classic look with a crop top here.
Details that make these pants feel dressier? The high waist elongates the legs and accentuates the smallest part of your waist, much like a pencil skirt would! And the wide legs add a dressier vibe, while the chambray fabric keeps the piece feeling casual and easy-going. Speaking of chambray pieces I love, do you remember this chambray jumpsuit I wore all last summer? These pants remind me of that outfit so much, which may have been why I was so on-board with incorporating them into my wardrobe. I already knew they would fit seamlessly into and could be paired with the pieces I already owned.
Up top, I layered on a pretty blush lace bralette that just peeks out of the deep v-neck sweater. Similar to this look here! I paired simple gold accessories, like this gold necklace and crystal bracelet, to keep things easy but feeling polished. And an oversized blush pink clutch was the perfect accessory to take things right from work to dinner.
I love that I could wear this look both to school during the year if I wanted to dress things up for a special occasion, but also just as easily to NASA in the summers. It’s an updated take on the business casual aesthetic that I just can’t get enough of! And the white-pink-blue color palette keeps the look feeling fresh and spring-y too. It’s been my go-to color combination as of late!
What about you? Do you have any perfect pieces that bridge the gap between casual and professional? I’d love to know what they are and how you style them!
You might also like…Blush Floral Pants for Work and Summer Work Dress.
Photos by Noah Berg
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Get the Look…
Sweater: H&M (similar here, here, here, summer weight sweater) | Pants: Club Monaco (similar, shorts) | Bralette: Victoria Secret (similar here, here) | Shoes: Old Navy (similar) | Purse: Francesca’s (similar) | Necklace: J. Crew (similar here, here) | Bracelet: J. Crew Factory (similar here, here)
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