What I Wore to Work {+ shopping tips}

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Do you ever buy a piece of clothing, and later think to yourself,

"I wish I would've bought two or four of these..."?

Because that piece becomes a go-to favorite, and you know you'll actually be sad when it is ruined, torn, stained, worn out, or otherwise out of commission? 

That happened to me with this blouse.

It is from the Brooks Bothers Factory Store. 

Machine washable.

No-iron.

Slimming darts in front and back.

Fun ruffles.

Need I go on?

It looks perfect under a blazer, a cardigan, a vest, on its own, with a suit, with jeans...you get the idea.

Here, I wore it under my favorite wrap dress. 

The dress is from Boden.  Request a catalogue or join their e-mail list, and the entire inventory is suddenly 10% off.  Boden also has great sales.  Currently, there is a promo...buy 3 items, and get the 4th one for $1.00, + free shipping.  Could work out very well if there are four items you'd like to order.*

 It is very comfortable.  The fabric is thick enough to hang nicely
{and not cling to parts you'd rather not emphasize},
but thin enough to not be stuffy and hot.
{I wear a half slip with this type of fabric.  I realize slips aren't popular, but I'm a big believer.}

A wrap dress is a good basic to have in your wardrobe because of its versatility.  As seen here, it makes a nice dressy ensemble, but is more comfortable than a proper suit.  

Clearly, my self-photography has a long way to go, but you get the idea...

For an evening look, you could pair it a lace cami or with no blouse at all.  The wrap design creates a classic, attractive, yet appropriate deep v-neckline.

A wrap dress is a good choice for travel because you can achieve many looks, taking it from day to night just by switching out a layer and changing your accessories.
And of course, your shoes. 

This one travels particularly well.  It folds up into the tiniest little ball, without any serious wrinkles.  I stuffed it into a carry-on during a recent vacation and pulled it out to don at a very chic restaurant.  I dressed it up, sans blouse, with nice jewelry and good heels.

I work in a conservative environment, so a ruffled collar is about as fashion forward as I can be, but

you could jazz this up with colored baubles.  Or, a patterned blouse. Or, graphic tights.  Or, fun heels.

How do you like to style a wrap dress?

*This post has been in the queue for a few weeks.  I had it drafted, and planned to edit it on an ordinary Tuesday night.  A Tuesday night that turned out to be not so ordinary.  If you're new here, see this post. Since then, I have been focused on another dress.  I'm not sure the mentioned promo is still available, however, a quick review of my e-mail revealed a voucher code good for $10 off summer, on top of 11% off, plus free shipping and returns.  The voucher code isn't listed because it can only be used once...so if you like Boden, join the email list, and you'll have your own deals delivered to your inbox.

For more on my work wardrobe goals, see here.