i think it's brave: corporate office outfit diary
week of april 28
Happy Sunday everyone! Another late one as this weekend was jam packed. I am sitting on my couch after spending pretty much the entire day painting one of the rooms in our house (see below). The other hours of the day, I planned and packed for my work trip which starts tomorrow afternoon. This required a lot of trying on, strategic shoe decisions and undergarment planning. Client meetings just make this process so much higher stakes in my mind. Anyways! This week I continued to prove my love for the J.Crew Delaney kickout pants, as well as my Hill House nap skirt.
Let’s see what we left the house in…
Monday 4/28
Sunday night game plan: I look at the weather from bed, and this week is going to be PRIME TIME. Honestly, getting dressed for warm weather is so much easier. Anyone else? I think the plan is red pants tomorrow, after all of the hype in the
chat this weekend.Monday morning: I wake up after multiple panic dreams of missing my train?! I am on time and the sun is shining, so I immediately calm. It’s still a bit brisk in the mornings, which is mirrored in the office, so I am OK to wear my J.Crew kick flares. I try a black t (a la the recent
newsletter) but it feels a bit casual and I don’t want to wear a blazer. Instead, I wear a white button up and zebra print flats, accessorizing with a red beaded necklace and some gold hoops.Tuesday 4/29
Monday night game plan: zeroo
Tuesday morning: spring is springing and my dresses have thawed! I try on a pink floral maxi but have trouble figuring out a shoe that works (it’s really best with a sandal) so I swap it out for this brown floral print number from Cleobella. I am between brown flats and green velvet slippers, but go with the brown on comfort alone. With a white cotton sweater, I don’t need a jacket this morning! SO EXCITING!
Wednesday 4/30
Tuesday night game plan: tonight drained me mentally. The 6th grade girls I coach were acting up and as a result, I want to crawl into bed and stare at the ceiling. But, before I do that, I stare at my closet. I start building from my trusty white cotton skirt and a very old Madewell knit vest, inspired by
and her sleeveless blazer. The knit matches my new olive sandals from Margaux, so I know this will all look good paired together in the morning.Wednesday morning: I put everything on and realize I would like a jacket. I think of
and her scrunched sleeves trick while I put on my husband’s old DKNY blazer. What a great hack - LFG Wednesday!Thursday 5/1
Wednesday night game plan: I shower and am too lazy to shave my legs, so I will be wearing pants tomorrow. Sorry if this is TMI, but it’s the realest.
Thursday morning: this morning I put on a pair of brown satin pants I bought last year. I have frequently reached for these and not worn them, and it hits me today that I bought these for the pregnancy I lost last year - and I absolutely hate them. I decide to get rid of both pairs and find a wonderful woman in the Midimalist chat to gift them to. It feels SO GOOD to know that they will be out of my sight and with a new owner. Instead, I pull my navy kick flares, an old fitted navy tee and some green velvet slippers. Adding my Hermes scarf hides the fact that I am indeed wearing a t-shirt, and I walk out the door in a very millennial vintage J.Crew jean jacket. BYE!
Friday 5/2
WFH day today! It was 80 degrees when I went out in the afternoon so I wore these new shorts I got from aerie last weekend for $7!!! They’re so comfortable, I’m obsessed with them. Seen paired with a white T from COS, cotton sweater from J.Crew, a red beaded necklace, Tory sneakers and my new baggggggg :)
Saturday 5/3 + Sunday 5/4
I did not put on real clothes this weekend. I coached my 6th grade girls lacrosse team in a tournament Saturday morning, and then played pickleball with friends that afternoon. Sunday, I spent the entire day painting the little room off of our bedroom. I did all of this in some variation of biker shorts, a sports bra and a t-shirt. Some weekends it be like that! So instead of a pic of my outfits, please accept before-and-after photos of my paint job instead:
Thoughts of the week
I had to have a conversation with 2 of the girls on my team this week about not being embarrassed when putting in effort at practice. I think sometimes, at that age, you just need someone to tell you that A) it’s okay to try and B) it’s not uncool to want to get better at something. We may be more aware of it now, but as adults, this is a good reminder for us too. We can’t be afraid of people who judge us for our effort in trying and learning something new! That’s a them problem!
Book Shelf
Still reading: Like Mother, Like Mother
Chef’s Corner
Made the watermelon salad in the recent
newsletter, unreal - even without the papaya which I could not find!
Wishlist Items?!
I got a few things from COS during the sale this weekend: this navy blue tank dress for work, this boat-neck tank top in green, and these white cotton trousers that I am hoping scratch my white pant itch! Will report back!
Loved Wednesday’s skirt look and your WFH look, especially! And I love that you coach a middle school girls lacrosse team, that is VERY impressive, and I love your reminder that effort is not embarrassing. Sometimes with all of our “effortless” style talk here, I get frustrated with how much effort I do put into my looks and that it should be *feel* easier, but this was a great reminder that I shouldn’t and it doesn’t have to! Effort is ok, nay, it’s great!
Have I told you recently how much I love these posts?! Probably not, but I LOVE THESE POSTS. My La Ligne Colby’s arrive this week (not me stalking the tracking) and I cannot wait to wear red pants like you.
Also, your note about trying hard hit me right in the gut. I started playing tennis last fall and I have to work REALLY hard at it. So often, in my life, I’m doing the things I already know how to do so it’s been humbling to learn something new. I have to remember that putting in effort is a worthy cause. Thank you for that pep talk too.