Ruthanna from England

WHAT TO WEAR TO WORK: RED SUIT AND BRONZE PUMPS

Suit: Classiques Entier, similar red suits in Tweed, 

as a pantsuit, and with a cowl neckline

Shoes and Clutch: Clarks (clutch only available on the UK site)

It's been raining all weekend in London, so we had to snap pictures with an umbrella for the first time! Gives it a touch of the classic London look :-) For today's outfit, I picked my favorite suit from Nordstrom's Classiques Entier line. Unfortunately it is no longer in stock, but a red skirt suit is perfect for the holidays and winter in general. I've paired it with bronze/gold pumps from Clarks and a matching clutch - a touch of festive sparkle around the holidays is generally OK, even in very conservative offices!

WHAT TO WEAR TO WORK: CRANBERRY AND BROWN

Skirt: J. Crew, similar here | Blazer: Ann Taylor, similar here

Shoes: Corso Como, similar here | Purse: Vintage Skins, similar here

It is now COLD in London, and it appears fall is officially over. We are now heading into winter, with warm sweaters, thick tights and LOTS of black. I decided to shoot one more autumn outfit to officially say goodbye to the season, and threw together my favorite autumn combination of browns, cranberry and LOTS of texture. Goodbye fall, and now hello to winter!!

WHAT TO WEAR TO WORK: BLACK TURTLENECK AND GREY PENCIL SKIRT

Skirt: Love and Be Loved | Turtleneck: Lord & Taylor Cashmere

Belt: Style & Co. | Necklace: Nordstrom, similar here

Pumps: Stuart Weitzman 'Power', similar 'Nouveau'

The first outfit of the year should always be something chic and classic!! Here I've paired this gorgeous, custom-made grey pencil skirt with a classic black turtleneck and pumps. A wide red belt adds a pop of color, and some silver beads add a little sparkle. This year, my resolution is to be as fashionable as possible!!!

WHAT TO WEAR TO WORK: GREY PANELLED JACKET WITH BLACK AND WHITE FLORAL SKIRT

Skirt: Prabal Gurung for Target, similar black and white floral print here

Jacket: H&M, similar unique jacket here or standard grey blazer here

Cami: Ann Taylor, similar here

Pumps: Manolo Blahnik | Clutch: Kate Spade, similar color here

I fell in love with the panelling on this jacket the minute I tried it on and knew I had to take it home! It's incredibly versatile and the perfect shade of grey to for a British summer. Might not be the first color you think of for summer, but it's cold up here - it only got up to 75 degrees this week, and I only stopped wearing my winter coat to work at the beginning of June! The rest of the oufit is a mix of softer, floral-inspired pieces that still look appropriate in a city where brown is a "light, summery" color.

WHAT TO WEAR TO WORK: CRANBERRY SKIRT AND HERMES SCARF

Skirt: J. Crew, similar here | Sweater: Lord & Taylor

Scarf: Hermes

Pumps: Corso Como, similar here

It hasn't gotten very cold in London yet - we are still hovering around 50-60 degrees. But, the city gets dark now by 4:30pm, so winter has definitely arrived! Even brown seems a bit out of place in a city that gets dark so early, so I am moving my black clothing back into my closet. But, I didn't want to start wearing head-to-toe black yet, so I paired my black cardigan with my cranberry pencil skirt and added an Hermes scarf for a bit of color. Snakeskin pumps are the perfect touch to finish off the outfit!

WHAT TO WEAR TO WORK: WHITE SKIRT, GREY BLAZER AND BURGUNDY PUMPS

Skirt: Banana Republic, similar here | Jacket: Nordstrom, similar here

 Cami: Ann Taylor, similar here

Pumps: Clarks UK, similar here | Clutch: Clarks UK, similar here

This stunning doorway is a short walk from my apartment and I thought it made the perfect backdrop for this classic outfit. Here's proving that wearing white can extend far (almost three weeks!) past Labor Day!

LADIES WHO LUNCH...AT THEIR DESKS

I know the term "ladies who lunch" is sometimes used derogatorily, but I've always thought it sounded quite elegant. It brings to mind pictures of women in beautiful clothes delicately nibbling on cucumber sandwiches and lobster salad. Unfortunately, my daily lunch is much less elegant - microwaved food made over the weekend and frozen, eaten while catching up on the news at my desk. But, while I may not be able to eat like a "lady who lunches," I can certainly dress like one :-) My outfit today is based off of what I imagine those ladies would wear - a classic pencil skirt combined with a bright sweater, accessorized with a long strand of pearls, my class ring and matching pearl earrings. At least I can dress like I live a life of leisure!!

Skirt: Ann Taylor from several years ago, similar here for US and here for UK
Sweater: Gap from several years ago, similar here for US and here or here for UK
Pearls: similar for US here and UK here
Class Ring: wear your own, or similar here for US and here for UK
Belt: similar here for US and here for UK
Purse: Longchamp Le Pliage medium tote, US and UK 

Original post----http://www.polishedpinstripes.com

Emma from U.K

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Pencil skirt and golden purse

 Here’s a work look for the dog days of summer; Choose a bright sleeveless blouse like this Paisley top by J.Crew  and a neutral skirt with a length just above the knee; the ruffle on this brown plaid one adds a playful touch; less  structured and serious.

It’s better to wear sheer pantyhose; the intense hue of these weighs the summer look down, but I only have colored tights without runs.

Wear closed toed pumps in a warm neutral (T-strap oxford heels by Ann Taylor) Oxfords are a hot trend this season as the menswear look takes off for fall.

Just a few accessories; only 2 of my stacked ring set from target; and only choose one with a pop of color like these plastic bangles.

Polka dotted pencil skirt

 Sometimes its the simple things in life….like a plain tee to downplay the power of a polka dotted pencil. I love the muted palette with soft brown and pearly-white.

Skirt by DKNY and beaded tee by AT LOFT, pumps by Nine west

Art Deco-rated

 This teal silk blouse by the Limited with inverted lace triangles , mini-pleats and delicate beading always reminded me of the top of the Chrysler building, maybe because its so shiny too. I bought it at the Village thrift a couple years ago

For a work look I paired it with a polkadot cardigan from J.Crew and AT LOFT trousers with teal and tan houndstooth print.

You can’t be afraid to mix prints, but these colors are small patterns are conservative enough to be glossed over, yet still catch the eye

Accessories: brown crocodile peeptoe pumps by Nine West, gold lace covered chain evening clutch by Banana Republic and tigerseye cross earrings

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

 While the weather doesn’t feel like a tropical paradise….there’s no reason our accessories can’t help us dream of one. In colonial Williamsburg, pineapples were a symbol of hospitality and friendship, So I love this necklace from H&M ($5.95) representing my 2 homes; Hawai’i and Virginia, plus pineapples are just fun!

 Crew neck cotton sweater by Ann Taylor layered over a hounds tooth button down oxford in the same color palette says office casual, while the gold houndstooth pleated skirt (both by Banana Republic) dresses it up for a non-Friday fancy ensemble and gives a simultaneous 70′s retro vibe,

The front-facing pleats were sitting strangely, so I turned the skirt 3/4 and they straightened out. I opted for these low-heeled loafers from Nine-west because my T-straps cut the length of my legs and my feet have suffered enough in tight  boots this week.

Peacock

 Since I’m wearing the stunning  emerald and amethyst  tie neck silk halter with peacock feather print from Banana Republic

 There’s no lilac in the blouse, but I love this lighter shade of purple for the belt to monochromatically compliment it and make it pop against the grey skirt. J.Crew skinny leather belt $2.90 from Village Thrift. Silk tie halter blouse $12.97 on clearance at BR.

 I layered over this Kelly Green cotton knit tunic From the BR Factory outlet  and tucked both into my favorite ultra  high-waisted pencil; with dark thin vertical stripes H&M skirt   to elongate the body.

This envelope shoulder bag/ convertible clutch with art-deco detailing provides structure and visual interest and sits at just the right height on the body to not overwhelm the top half or bulk up the bottom.

French

 I’m having a love-hate relationship with today’s ensemble. I love this pink striped A-line with black waist bow detail from Ann Taylor

However, the accessory I want to draw your attention to is this vintage white popcorn handbag. My sister collected a few of them and I hadn’t thought much of them until today, for a retro vibe!

Plaid skirt

I ended up dressing more like a school girl myself in this Ann Taylor plaid Kilt and T-strap Mary Janes. (Burgandy bow tee and brown cardi were also  from Ann Taylor—although believe it or not none of these pieces were bought at the same time)

The skirt was a little too big, it wouldve been more flattering for the waist line to be higher and nipped in a bit, but since it still cut above the knee, it was passable

 If I had swapped those tights for bobby socks and worn my hair in pigtails….then it might’ve gone too far

Christmas morning

I’ve always had to wait on my family to wake-up before I can open presents…..so while most people spend Christmas morning in P.J.’s, I have time to fix my hair and put on something cozy but chic: brown leggings,black cashmere turtleneck and taupe cashmere wrap sweater looks luxe with my faux- fur trim booties.

Stewardess Barbie

 I may have gone too far with today’s ensemble, but in fashion a little avant-guarde goes a long way. I was either inspired by yesterday’s airport trip or  excited for the new PanAM show to come on, but either way I ended up slightly stewardess a la 1960′s fabulous!

Skirt: Gray silk gathered tulip skirt by Ann Taylor 
 tights: from BR $1.97

hirt: glammed up this plain cotton tee with silkskirt and glitter pumps. This knit navy shirt by Merona from Target was given to me by the same friend who gave me the red gap dress, the flower and beaded details give it extra pizazz

 Scarf: vintage silk scarf, belonged to my grandma. The pattern has pale pink and purple parasolls which is why I chose the pink shoes as an accent color, plus Navy and fuschia look great together!

Shoes: Betsey Johnson pink glitter peeptoe pumps paid about $30 at Secondi consignment shop in Dupont circle, originally about $168

all outfit on http://emmalinesensembles.wordpress.com

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