i think it's brave: corporate office outfit diary
week of may 5
COOD was on the road last week!!! There was no nightly outfit layout because I pre-planned every outfit on Sunday before I left. That meant I could spend each night in Chicago going to workout classes with my friend from college, watching the Knicks in a big white fluffy robe or going to bed early. Plus, being so close to the office/my meetings, I got to walk everywhere. It was, in 1 word, fabulous.
I didn’t push this newsletter out yesterday because it was Mother’s Day and I luckily got to spend the whole day with my mom, dad and one of my sisters. We played golf, spent a lot of time in the sun, and had lunch by the beach. By the time I got home, I honestly forgot about this - a sign of a great day IMHO. Shoutout to all of the moms, moms-to-be, hopeful moms and those missing your moms. Sending you all of the love that you need <3
Let’s see what we left the house in…
Monday 5/5
What I wore: Today I went into the office before heading to the airport. For a travel day, I wanted to be comfortable but also put together. I also wanted to wear my blazer, so it didn’t wrinkle in my carry-on. With all of this in mind, I picked a COS white tshirt, Agolde dark wash denim, a camel blazer and Aeyde slingbacks for the office. For the travel portion, I wore a pair of adidas sneakers I bought on StockX in 2018. They are a great example of buying something you love despite the opinions of others, because everyone told me not to buy them and they still spark joy 8 years later.
Tuesday 5/6
What I wore: I knew today would be the warmest of my 3 days in Chicago, so I picked the outfit with my black sleeveless vest (similar). I forget which Substack stylist talks about texture when wearing all black (probably all of them) but I kept this in mind when I packed a pair of Zara pants that have a bit of shine and movement to them. I once again wear my Aeyde slingbacks, because we cannot pack that many shoes in a carry on. Jewelry planning is a good tip for these types of trips, because it is high impact with small surface area. Today’s earrings were big silver bulbs from J.Crew.
Wednesday 5/7
What I wore: You saw this outfit last week, but I liked it so much that I packed it again! It also helps that it works with my Aeyde shoes, once again. The skirt packs really well too, which was a nice surprise when I hung it up and it had no wrinkles.
Thursday 5/8
What I wore: Today starts with client visits and ends in a flight. It was also cooler, which allowed some extra layers. I wore J.Crew kickflares, my new Gap Big Shirt, a Max Mara blazer, thrifted Prada kitten heels and a big blue necklace from Sezane. This outfit was my favorite of the 3 days. I will be wearing this outfit when I present in front of the entire firm next Monday, that’s how much I liked it.
Friday 5/9
What I wore: WFH! There is no photo evidence but I worked in a white button up from Gap, yellow Abercrombie sweater and aerie striped shorts. Comfy girl but with a cute color combination :)
Saturday 5/10 + Sunday 5/11
What I wore: on Saturday I went to a new yoga studio and then did a bunch of errands. Today was my black Big Shirt’s big day out. I wore it over my classic girlfriend collective set, adidas sneakers, Warby sunnies and my TB bag. Truly, reader, this bag has been out of the house more than any other item I own since I received it. It is getting slouchier with time, and I just cannot say how happy I am with it.
Sunday, I wore an OV exercise dress with a Peter Millard polo over it for golf (my sister wore this tank top version with a scallop collar and it was SO cute). I later changed into a gingham maxi from Solid & Striped and black strappy sandals for lunch. You’ll see the black big shirt as an overshirt, which I anticipate being a theme this spring/summer.
Thoughts of the week
Not having Wi-Fi on the flight is a phenomenal surprise. I finished my book that I have been slogging through, and I listened to 2 episodes of Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast straight through with no interruptions. The one with Quinta Brunson made me get back into watching Abbott Elementary, which makes me giggle so much.
Book Shelf
Just finished: Like Mother, Like Mother; None of This is True
Next up: Sunrise on the Reaping (new Hunger Games prequel, kinda psyched)
Chef’s Corner
- referenced a orange/garlic/herby marinated chicken in her newsletter, and because I cannot pay for any more subscriptions, I riffed on the title and the combo was delish. Her actual recipe, I assume is likely much better.
Wishlist Items?!
My entire COS order from last week went back. Reviews as follows: navy blue tank dress was ENORMOUS, so sad because the material is lovely; boat-neck tank top was too big and thus unflattering, white cotton trousers inseam was way too short for me at 5’9” (if you are under 5’7” try these, they’re adorable for shorter people).
You can tell that my Gap Big Shirts arrived (shoutout
and for the reviews) and I do not know how I lived without them. I just LOVE when you get an online purchase that hits immediately.
Also bought the big gap shirts and already wore the white 3x :).
Your substack is one of the few I look forward to every week! I just love it. Btw The adidas sneaker link goes to the gap button up, which is a bummer because I was dying to see what sneakers people told you not to buy!