Hi, hi! And welcome to Day 3 of the Summer 10×10 Challenge. How are we doing?! Did you happen to join in with me this week for this wardrobe remix, or are you just following along on the journey? Let me know in the comments below! I’d love to know what you think so far!
Alright, so let’s get right into today’s look! It’s all about pairing pieces you know and love in new ways to create a whole new relaxed professional vibe. Let me explain…
Pencil skirts are my jam! They are the one piece I instantly gravitate towards when I’m picking out something to wear in a more professional setting. Something about the waist cinching my middle in and the longer cut lengthening my legs. I just feel so confident and powerful while wearing them!
As you might expect, since I love the smaller high-waist of a pencil skirt, I generally will tuck my tops into the top of the skirt. But not today! Because…why not?! The 10×10 Challenge is all about trying new things and getting out of your comfort zone. And that’s exactly what I did today!
I mean…not that leaving your top untucked is anything too earth-shattering. But it’s crazy to think how much of a difference something so seemingly minor can make in a look!
Just by simply leaving the sweater tank untucked and layering it over the pencil skirt, I achieved a whole new feel! One that looks effortless and chic yet still professional. Needless to say, I’m a fan!
And by adding a belt around my waist, I not only eliminate any weird bunching/bulkiness where the skirt meets the sweater, I also gain a dressier detail that keeps the look feeling classy for work. It gives me the smaller waist I love about pencil skirts, but feels much more relaxed and lived-in this way…like I’ve worn and mastered this look several times before (which I haven’t! 😉 ) I love it!
This nifty little belting technique is one I learned in my Spring 10×10 Challenge, whereby I belted a sweater over a dress and a sweater over a button-up. This trick comes in super handy at eliminating any bulk you might have by layering different pieces of clothing, which is especially the case when it comes to sweaters!
I love this belt in particular (it’s my all-time favorite belt) because it has holes along the entirety of the leather, meaning you can wear it higher around the small of your waist as I’ve done here or with jeans/shorts a little lower on your waist where it’s wider. For styling the extra little bit of belt at the end, I just tuck it into the belt to give a pretty ‘wave’ aesthetic. It may not be perfect, but I like it! (I styled this belt with a dress here last fall.)
I also added on other dressy details like this pretty pave crystal bracelet (that I wear all the time) and a studded leather clutch that brings out the gold in the buckle of my belt.
Sometimes you don’t need a lot of extra ‘things’ to make the details of an outfit really stand out. It’s all about finding a few simple, classic pieces and learning to style them so that they complement each other. And that was definitely the case for this look! Same easy pieces in new ways–layering elements of black and gold together to give high-contrast, and relaxed professional vibes.
What about you? Have you ever tried styling your top untucked with a skirt?
You might also like…How To Layer A Sweater With A Dress and The Last Time I Wore A Summer Sweater.
Photos by Noah Berg
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Get the Look…
Top: Madewell (similar here, here) | Skirt: J. Crew Factory (similar here, here) | Shoes: Madewell (also here, similar here, here) | Purse: Vera Bradley (similar) | Belt: J. Crew | Bracelet: J. Crew Factory (similar)
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