Loco Over Lou Lou

I love this shop in Dupont Circle. It's a hodgepodge of the cutest accessories to jazz up an otherwise dull wardrobe.

My top picks for work environments:

3 Strand Pearl Necklace—$25





Stone Confetti Bracelet—$28





Diamond Flower Brooch—$24

Lou Lou
1601 Connecticut Ave.
(between N Q St & N Hillyer Pl)
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 588-0027
Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 a.m.—8 p.m.
Sun 11 a.m.—6 p.m.

Cute Work Flats

I'm normally not a big fan of Payless, but they've been stepping their game up with their quality of shoes (the new Christian Siriano collection exemplifies this).

I personally like the flats below by Lela Rose. They're the perfect Spring flats, with fashion and functionality in mind:

On a side note: I can't wait to attend the following ...



(Event notice courtesy of @ondahanger.com)

Skirts for Curves

I find many A-line skirts for pear-shaped (small bust/larger hips and bottom) and hourglass-shaped women to either be 1) baggy 2) dowdy or 3) just not figure flattering. A-line skirts (most) make us look bigger, actually, and complement a woman with smaller hips and butt.

Pencil skirts are the way to go for our shapes (yes, I'm a pear girl). They fit in all the right places, but give you the coverage you need so you're not worried about showing too much thigh in the office.

Asos.com has some good ones, and I even ordered one from there myself.

ASOS Jersey Pencil Skirt—$30.44

*This is the one I ordered.





ASOS Jersey Insert Pencil Skirt—$50.73





ASOS Belted Ponti Pencil Skirt—$47.35





ASOS High Waist Panel Front Pencil Skirt—$30.44

The Perfect Work Bag

It's great, and I've had it for almost a year, thanks to my generous boyfriend.

My mobile upload from work:

It's a Coach that he scored from an outlet. The neat thing about it is that:

• It's the perfect color and goes with anything.


• It's leather (I hate plastic-y bags! Not to sound elitist.)


• It's very roomy and can hold the newspapers I get before I sit on the Metro train.


• It has two handles! One that's like a clutch, and an adjustable shoulder strap.

I've seen great bags this and last year at the Virginia (Leesburg) and Delaware (Rehobeth Beach) outlets.

Sexy + Comfortable = Perfect Daily Heels

I always wanted awesome, black day-to-night heels, them being platforms is a plus (which, I prefer platforms over skinny heels any day).

I needed something leather, sturdy, durable and work-friendly but at least a little edgy. I scored my hot work shoes yesterday. I took a couple of photos from my phone on my lunch break. Meet my new Franco Sartos:

Yes, my blue dress is nice, too :)





They're closed-toe shoes, so they are work safe.

These shoes also come in a really nice neutral color, like this. But they didn't have my size.

Shoes: Loehmanns; Wrap Dress: Laundry by Shelli Segal.

Friend Inspiration

So I met up with my friend this morning for breakfast, and in hopes of us finding pieces to re-create the work looks I blogged about yesterday.

No luck, but I did find some hot leather platforms that surprisingly work from day-to-night (will post pictures in tomorrow's post).

Anyway, I went through my friend's phone. I love this look that she wore for work, then class at Howard U. It's really cute:

She paired the dress with a white blazer and white open-toe sandals (her job is a bit liberal, I'll admit. But the blazer and dress look is appropriate for any job).





Another shot of the dress. And, it has pockets! I adore pockets :)

Blazer: unknown; Dress: Macys; Shoes: yard sale

Not Your Ordinary Suit

In DC, many of us women work for the government or high-profile private sector companies. So many dress like their options are limited. They can only go for the dowdy pantsuits that are two sizes too big. Or the ill-fitting below-the-knee skirt that's too conservative for its own good (yes, we need to be professional, but if you're still under 35 ...).

shopbop caught my attention today with its Off to Work feature.

My favorite outfit was the pairing of the Equipment Adelaide Washed Silk Blouse and McQ Alexander McQueen Stretch Cotton Sateen Pants. The high-waisted slim-fit pants with the flowy, silky shirt tucked in defines the waist, is sexy but looks tailored and refined for work. 14kt-gold earrings and a large-cuff bangle would pair nicely. And simple flats or round-toe kitten heels in a neutral color would complete the look, but be practical enough to walk Metro's escalators and DC's brick-laden sidewalks.

I'm off in search of a similar look to this at Friendship Heights' Loehmanns tomorrow. I'll post how my search goes.