If you’ve read this blog for a little while, you might remember that the first several years of my career was spent in a corporate office where the men wore suits, so of course the the woman were expected to adhere to a dress code.  It challenged me to incorporate my personal style into my weekday outfits and choose pieces that I could wear different ways after the workday.

That’s when I fell in love with Banana Republic. I could find versatile pieces that worked for the office and the weekend.  This dress is an essential, and perfect for this time of year! It looks beautiful on its own or can be paired with a blazer or sweater for an extra layer. I think this would be such a great outfit for an office holiday party (or your guy’s if you’re attending his office holiday party), but then you can take the sweater off and add a fur stole or wrap for an amped up weekend holiday gathering.  The best part about a classic black slip dress – it can be worn so many different ways, all year long.

And then of course, this pom sweater would be so cute with jeans too – I love mixing and matching!

photos by Vincent Elejorde

sweater, also love this one | dress, also love this one and this one | earrings | similar pumps here and love these | love this clutch

Do you have an office holiday party you’re trying to put something together for? Or would you guys like to see more “work-appropriate” looks on CBL? I’d love to hear! Thanks so much for reading – XO –

Brought to you by Banana Republic

Sponsored by Lulus

I mean… a lace LBD is always a good idea if you ask me.  And the sleeves on this Lulus number make it even more fun! Fun fact – we snapped these photos on what might have been the windiest day I’ve ever experienced.  Once we were done, Christian emailed me a state-wide weather warning about “extreme wind conditions,” and I couldn’t stop laughing!  I don’t even want to tell you how many photos we snapped to get a few without my hair in its own personal tornado. #Memories.

But let’s talk about this dress. You can’t go wrong with black lace, and I think the bell sleeves on this dress add so much interest and flirtiness. I wish it was a top so I could wear it ALL the time! When wearing something short like this, I like a high necklace so I don’t show off too much skin.  I don’t normally wear short dresses, but this dress made me want to give it a shot and thanks to Vincent’s hilarious commentary, I think we totally made the windstorm work!

You can see more holiday-perfect dresses here, and where do I begin? Can I have one of each? I also think this lace LBD would look equally beautiful with OTK boots and a fur scarf or shawl, but I wanted to pair it with a classic strappy heels for a cocktail look.  I also think a draped leather jacket or black sleeveless vest (like this one) would look so great!

photos by Vincent Elejorde

dress, earrings, heels c/o Lulu’s – loooooove this dress and this dress | bag | sunglasses

Do you guys have any formal holiday parties this month? That includes NYE! New Years always sneaks up after Christmas and I’m left thinking… “what am I going to wear!” If you need a cute dress, Lulus has been one of my go-to spots for years.

Lastly, I’ve been placed in a poll for “Favorite OC Blogger” by Locale Magazine. I’d really appreciate it if you would vote for me! You can vote once day (although I certainly don’t expect anyone to do that). Thanks so much for reading! XO –

Tulle is an old friend of mine – I had a tulle skirt on my wedding gown, and I made sure to include a tulle midi skirt in the CBL for Morning Lavender collection.  So when it comes to getting fancy for a black tie holiday event, a red or green tulle skirt = game over!

Morning Lavender is always the source of my most Carrie Bradshaw-eque outfits, and they have the best selection of twirly skirts around.  I love this burgundy maxi, and the ivory one is so gorgeous (especially if your a bride-to-be looking for party outfits).  I think this would be such a great holiday party look, and what I love most is that you can still mix and match them differently throughout the year.  How chic would this lace top be with a black pencil skirt?

photos by Jason Huang

lace crop top, black version here and love this one | cami | skirt, also love this one | heels, similar look for less here | similar clutch here and here | albion ring | x ring | lipstick in F-Bomb | earrings

Lastly, I’ve been placed in a poll for “Favorite OC Blogger” by Locale Magazine. I’d really appreciate it if you would vote for me! You can vote once day (although I certainly don’t expect anyone to do that). Thanks so much for reading! XO –