GUEST POST with Dot in the City | Work Attire Edition

I am thrilled to be joining you today! When Melissa suggested I guest blog, it took me a bit to decide what to share with you. I started thinking about everyday challenges we all have. It's not really a challenge, but some days getting dressed can be a challenge, mostly because I want to look ready for work, yet show some personal style.
I've been thinking a lot about my wardrobe lately. Partially, because I can't wear a good portion of it now that I'm 16 weeks pregnant. I've also been thinking about what I want my pregnancy wardrobe to consist of as I build it. It takes me back to about eight years ago when I transitioned from student to professional. Honestly, I didn't give a lot of thought to the kinds of clothes I was buying when I was in college and grad school. I also lived in a part of the country that was pretty casual. If I wore jeans to my part-time job every day in Colorado no seemed to notice.

Fast forward through graduation and I found myself on the east coast with a full-time job where I was not allowed to wear jeans. That's right for the first three years of my professional career I was forbidden to wear jeans. It was brutal, but I survived. Now, that I find myself in a somewhat similar situation, I am giving careful considering to each piece I buy, even if I only plan to wear it for the next six-ish months.

A woman's wardrobe can be complicated, but it doesn't have to be. Sure, I love the many options we have especially compared to men, but a great foundation should be laid before we get too crazy with the latest fashion trend. I don't think color blocked dresses are going to be quite as hip in 2015...but I could be wrong.

My wardrobe basics usually consist of brown pants, solid cardigans, solid dresses, a handful of blouses, a suit jacket and comfortable yet cute shoes. I try to buy pieces that can be mixed with others to create more versatile looks. I put together a few inspiration boards. The first is more classic look in black and white and the second includes navy and grey as the base.

bnw work-ready by bbgoad featuring h&m

J.Crew j crew / J.Crew j crew / Boden peter pan shirt / H&M , $40 / Sheer white blouse / Boden fitted blazer / LOFT elastic waist skirt / Mango highwaisted pants, $48 / Me Too ballet high heels / Børn flat

navy work-ready by bbgoad featuring flat shoes

Boden peter pan collar dress / Boden jersey dress / Boden / H&M chiffon blouse, $24 / Old Navy / Boden / Boden printed pants / Boden long pants / Børn flat shoes / Clarks ballet shoes

Finally, here are a few tips for building a basic work-ready wardrobe:

>> Choose a color pallet and try to stick with it. If you look better in brown than black, you may want to buy more brown/khaki items as your base. You should still own some black, but if you're more comfortable in a different hue, it's okay to veer from that (I own mostly browns and have only been wearing black more recently).

>> Spend more money on timeless/classic items because you'll want them to last longer. Spend less money on the seasonal trend since you won't be wearing it long.

>> Accessories are really the key to dressing up or down an outfit. Be aware of what it means to be overdressed in your workplace and try to avoid it. You don't want to stand out too much.

>> Trying to figure out where to start in your quest to build a work-ready wardrobe? Consider what you'd wear to an interview. How can that look be transformed to a day in the office (i.e. exchange the jacket for a cardigan)?

If you enjoyed these tips, I hope you'll stop by my blog, dot in the city, where I share life. To be honest, I'm not actually a fashion blogger, but I do love to write about everyday situations and solutions. You can catch me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram too!

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Thank you so much Beth for the great tips and for stopping by the blog today! Her guest post couldn't come more at a perfect time since I have fairly recently had to transition from college girl closet of comfy yoga pants and hoodies to the world of pencil skirts, flats and no jeans (well, except on Casual Friday!). I hope you all got inspired to work on your professional attire... I sure did. I need to find more comfy, classic pieces that won't wrinkle when I sit at my desk for 8+ hours! It is about time some fashion posts come back to the blog :)