Work To Play
It’s 6:30 pm. You just jumped off a conference call and you’ve still got an inbox full of emails to sift through. Looks like you’ll have to head to your first date with Might-Be-Mr. Right in your non-embellished work outfit and hope that a quick swipe of Chapstick and running a brush through your hair will make you look presentable. Happened to you before? As working women with demanding full-time jobs, we are, it seems, in a perpetual struggle to balance our professional lives with our social lives. We’re New Yorkers to boot so being at the mercy of the MTA doesn’t usually afford us the luxury of a quick trip home to freshen up before going out for drinks with our girlfriends or attending a work-related event. Skip the additional stress by keeping a few of the following essential wardrobe pieces handy when you know you’ll need to make a seamless transition from business casual to after-work chic. Trust me: whether it’s happy hour with your favorite girls or a romantic dinner date for two after a hectic day of conference calls and client meetings, you’ll be dressed to impress.
1. Color makes your outfit pop. Swap the plain black cami you’re wearing with your boyfriend blazer and skinny jeans for a bright pink top embellished with a bow and you’ve just gone from serious to sassy. Looking for a more subtle way to add color? Shiny heels in a hot hue, like this red pair, add a little extra “oomph” to your outfit and make you stand out in a sea of black pumps.
2. We’re wild about animal prints! It seems that no matter the season, leopard spots and zebra stripes always make an appearance on the runway and in fashion magazines. To keep your look classy and avoid a major fashion faux-pas, keep your look simple: stick with one animal print at a time in a fun accessory like a pair of peep-toe heels, a sleek clutch or this fabulous beaded cuff bracelet.
3. Skip the Little Black Dress and opt for a skirt. Break out of your comfort zone and slip into a skirt for a change. The pencil skirt is a classic and for good reason— its clean lines allow it to be worn so many different ways to achieve a variety of looks. This office staple has been re-vamped for evening in materials like lace, satin and brocade. Disclaimer: slip into these semi-suggestive fabrics after hours only. Wool and cotton blends are best for work wear.
4. Accessorizing is an art. Nothing takes a day look into the night quite like a few bold, glitzy accessories. Place a beaded or feathered headband in your hair. Take your essentials out of your everyday tote and toss them into a medium-sized hobo bag made of a buttery leather in an unexpected shade. Trade those simple studs for an elaborate pair of chandelier earrings a la Edie Sedgwick. With so many on-trend, affordable options available these days, accessorizing has never been so easy or fun. Just remember this simple rule: they’re called accessories for a reason! Don’t let one over-the-top piece overpower your already fabulous outfit or take the focus away from your naturally sparkling personaility.
5. Makeover your make-up. For decades, red lipstick has been the go-to weapon for women attending a special event and till this day, you can never go wrong with adding color to your lips for a night out. The corals and magentas that have recently popped up on the runway provide a modern alternative to red. Color shy? Go for a nude gloss instead and add pizzazz by rimming your peepers with a smoky eyeliner and brushing a shimmering bronzer onto your cheekbones.