Stripes + Palm Prints

Hi, friends! I can’t thank you enough for the overwhelming amount of support for yesterday’s announcement! I tend to be a little hesitant when it comes to partnering up with brands (unless I unequivocally love them and would recommend them even without a sponsorship). And I think you all can tell this is one of those times! The great thing about keeping my blog a hobby is that I get to make it exactly what I want–sponsorships don’t define what you see on here. That being said, this blog has provided me with some pretty incredible opportunities in the short ~1.5 years I’ve had it. So you better believe that when a brand I genuinely love reaches out to me, I’m going to jump at the opportunity to work with them! And that is exactly what happened for the J.Crew event I’m hosting this Wednesday evening (full details below). By the way, will I see you there?! I’d love to save a cupcake for you if you are planning on stopping by!

Alright, so like I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite summer looks from J.Crew leading up to the event, just for funzies! And in keeping with full disclosure, these outfit posts are not sponsored! These are pieces I genuinely love and bought for myself this summer.

So without further ado, let’s get into today’s fun summertime work wear look that includes lots of stripes and palm prints (two trends you’ll be seeing a lot of this season!).

When it comes to summer work wear, you know I love my color (see looks here, here, and here). And just because I work in an engineering job doesn’t mean I don’t full advantage of the bright, colorful pieces I own.

For those that don’t know I’m a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering. That means during the year, my “office wear” is pretty casual (see my Spring 10×10 Challenge for examples). However, I typically work at a NASA center over the summer and dress things up a bit as a result. For the past ~6 years, I’ve been working in Houston, TX at NASA Johnson Space Center, but this year I’m excited to change things up and start work at NASA Langley as it relates directly to my research on asteroids. (BTW: If you’ve got any recommendations for the Virginia Beach area, help a sister out!)

At any rate, this type of outfit is something I would actually wear to work (perhaps minus the heels, because flats for LIFE!). I especially love infusing bright colors and bold patterns into my work wear (in a tasteful way, of course). If I’ve got to be in more professional silhouettes and fabrics, I’m going to still feel like myself in the process. Nothing wrong with that!

For years, my go-to destination for all things bright in the work wear department has been J. Crew (and J. Crew Factory). And I don’t foresee that changing anytime soon! They have high-quality pieces in the bright colors my heart desires, and they never go out of style. Anyone else out there hate the traditional black suit?! Yeah, I’m not a huge fan. And while it’s a smart idea to have one on hand for those extra special presentations and meetings, I definitely don’t wear it on a daily basis.

It’s all about the color for me! I have pencil skirts in just about every color of the rainbow (adding 1-2 new ones each year), and still own the very first pink coral skirt I ever purchased from J. Crew Factory. And you can bet it’s coming with me to Langley this summer! It’s holding up like a champ. (LOVE this similar pink tweed skirt.)

For this year’s newest addition to my working wear, I’ve added this gorgeous yellow skirt in a breathable cotton fabric that is perfect for the humid climates (i.e. coastal locations) I unintentionally seem to end up in for summer (looking at you Houston!). A lot of people I work with end up wearing pants to the office, but I just find skirts so much cooler (temperature-wise) and more feminine. And it doesn’t get much simpler than adding on a fun sleeveless top with a pencil skirt and cardigan. It truly is my summertime outfit formula.

Another new addition, this adorable striped palm print tank. When I first saw it, I knew it would be an “it” piece for summer because it’s got all the swoon worthy factors–bright bold blue stripes with an ah-mazing palm print sequin detailing. I mean, heart eyes for daysss!!!

But like I mentioned in the last post, before adding any new pieces to my wardrobe, they have to pass the test of 1) being wearable (and washable, not just pretty to wear for the blog once) and 2) being versatile enough to wear with a variety of current pieces in my closet to a variety of different activities (i.e. work and outside work). So I was a bit hesitant at first to add this pretty tank with sequin detailing.

But let me tell you, I LOVE the print and the fact that it is cotton means I can wear it dressed up to work, but also dressed down casually on the weekends. The next way I’m planning to style it? With these gorgeous white linen sailor pants. Oh my goodness are they pretty! And they too would be great for the office or on the weekend for a date night (or even just for errands!). I could also pair it with my favorite white denim skirt (last seen here and here).

As for washing this pretty tank top, my suggestion would be to wash inside a garment bag on cold and to air dry. (We talked about how paranoid I am about ruining my clothes. 😛 ) And for those wondering, the palm print sequins seem to be sewn on really well. I know in the past when I’ve tried tops with pretty embellishments I haven’t kept them because I feel like they would just fall apart after one wear. No top is worth that! But this tank is not one of those pieces. It’s of really nice quality and I’d recommend trying it for anyone who loves the print! (I’m wearing a size small here.)

At the office, I always add on a colorful cardigan for warmth (and also for keeping office-appropriate). Cardigans are a fantastic way to add a pop of color to an outfit too! In this case, I layered a pretty green cardigan over top to match the green sequin palm leaves. The blue-white-green theme has definitely been a favorite of mine recently too! Doesn’t it feel super fresh and summery?!

As for accessories, I kept things simple with a pretty enamel bracelet and a gold necklace. Oh, and my favorite coral pumps (last seen here and here). Because, why not?! I adore the chunkier heel of these (read: comfortable) and they also come in a classic black color for more formal settings (styled in this post).

And that’s my summer-inspired work wear! Lots of bright colors and bold prints to love! (Just how I like it!) And don’t forget to join me at the J.Crew New Arrivals event this Wednesday evening! You can find all the details below! Can’t wait to meet you all in person! I am seriously sooooo excited!

What about you? What’s your go-to work uniform in the summertime?

You might also like…Bright Summer Work Wear and Working Stripes.

Photos by Noah Berg

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Get the Look…

Top: J. Crew | Skirt: J. Crew (similar) | Cardigan: J. Crew Factory (similar) | Shoes: J. Crew Factory (almost identical) | Necklace: J. Crew | Bracelet: J. Crew (similar)