Work to play.

Doesn't time fly when you're having fun? 

I can't believe that I've been in my new job for nearly two months- it feels as though I've always been there- especially now I've officially gotten into the swing of things by spending the night dancing and drinking with my new colleagues!

But...even though I was excited to get to know my new colleagues outside of the office arena, I did have a momentary panic involving glad rags. How do you do the whole work-to-play outfit switch-over when everyone is going out straight from work? Do I take clothes in? Do I dress up for work and just spruce myself up with a bit more make-up? What do I do with my clothes and shoes if I change them in work?

In the end I decided on the alternative...The AAA - Accessorise All Areas. 

This is how I ended up solving my dilemma...

Work.

I've had this simple light weight New Look dress for a little while now, but the weather has either been too cold to venture out in it or it has been too plain to make a statement. For work I chose to wear the dress with a pair of velvet studded Topshop slippers (not the new canvas ones) and the obligatory H&M work cardigan...

Play.

So, to change my look without bogging myself down with unnecessary clutter on the night out, I changed my flats to a pair of velvet Carvela heels, added a pair of Thomas Sabo earrings and swapped my cardigan (that I left on the back of my office chair) with a warmer leopard print coat from my favourite retailer- Zara. Oh, and a bit of Tom Ford lippy in Crimson Noir was added just to make sure that I was definitely dressed for a night out!

So what do you think? How do you go from work-to-play?

Also...thank you to everyone who entered my Vivienne Westwood giveaway.  I haven't forgetten about you...I will choose the winner this week :)

For darker days.

There are always going to be days in work where getting through the day is tough. As long as I am smart and tidy, I can pretty much wear what I like to meet clients, so I decided to buy one item that is always going to make me smile.

Yes, I know I champion Zara way too much, but I really do love their shirts for work! I promise that I will post about other brands in the future, but they have so many nice items in store that I can't walk away from...including this little gem...

I originally spoke about the skirt above in my First Impressions post.  I love the skirt so much that I will probably wear it a lot to meetings and away days and can always change the belt when it's starting to look a little same old-same old. 

The watch is by Nixon, and I always borrow it from my boyfriend when I'm having an accessory crisis day! He bought this one from Harvey Nichols, but I'm pretty sure that you can get them on Net-a-Porter too. 

And finally, the shoes. These cute brogues are from Deena & Ozzy at Urban Outfitters.  They are so comfy to wear and look good on days where heels are a no-go! 

Let me know if you think this shirt is a little loud...I'll save it for the weekends! 

Office green.

Before I start going all serious and start blogging about employment, I need to get two work outfit posts out of the way!

As I stated in my last post, I can't shop online (unless it's exclusive) but I can definitely shop till I drop! I won't come home unless I have EVERYTHING I need, so I thought I'd share some new buys with you.  Feel free to comment and let me know if I have made some bad choices...I still have the tags!

 

I love jewel colours! This winter was pretty amazing for emerald and ruby tones, so I'm happy that these colours are still trickling through spring wear for those of us who can't quite let go and do pastel! 

Above is a classic fitted lace shirt from Zara which I found for an amazing £25. I will have to wear a vest underneath for work, but if I wore this to a restaurant I would wear it as Zara intended! 

The skirt was also £25, but from Topshop. I always find that pencil skirts are flattering, even though I am only 5ft tall as they nip in my waist and make me look more hour-glass than dumpy! 

An outfit is not complete without accessories... M&S are fab for work shoes, and these leopard print kitten heels were only £30, but could pass for KG easily because they are so comfortable. I am also lost without a watch. I'm known for my sporadic time-keeping, so wearing a watch that is ten minutes fast usually does the trick. For outfits that are fitted and 'lady-like', I prefer to wear a chunky man watch like the Casio above. I bought it around two years ago, but I still get people asking me where I got it from, even though it's just a battered old hispter watch!

Finally, I don't tend to wear a lot of make-up in work, but I do like to carry a lippy around with me in case I need to spruce myself up for a midday meeting.  Tom Ford do super lipsticks from £36 in colours that are sophisticated, rather than on-trend. The one below is called Casablanca and suits my pale complexion. You can get the full make-up range from House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols. One day when I'm brave enough, I may do a tutorial...

New start, new bag...right?

So I'm starting my new job next week, so that must mean that shopping is mandatory! I need a few bits and bobs to update my summer work wardrobe, but nothing is as challenging as picking a bag to go with it...oh, and it must be practical too!

I don't shop online and when I do, it's only to browse posh sites to add to my mental 'if I won the lottery' wish list. I prefer to spend a day shopping, 9-5, and buy everything I need rather than lust over something online only to find that the real-life version is flimsy and made in China.

So at approximately 9:34- only half an hour into my shopping pursuit, I find the One. Oh Yes, it's practical, it's big, it's leather and fits perfectly into my jewel-colour bag fantasy!

Behold! The perfect work bag...

Fabulous!

This green monster is from Zara and will become the love of my life for a while (until I find the next beaut for my wardrobe!)

It has a front and inside pocket, (for storing many receipts and wrappers) sturdy straps, side zips for extra room and is well made- No odd bits of cotton or unfinished panels.

And it's cheap too...just £69. Bargain!

First impressions.

I'm always looking for new challenges, so when I spotted a job opportunity online last week I decided to go for it!  I haven't been to an interview in two and a half years (despite coaching others on how to get their place in the hot seat) so I was delighted to hear that my application had been selected from over fifty other applicants.

Making an impression is key to positive results- whether you get the job or not. I once attended an interview where I completely fluffed up all my answers, but my rapport and overall impression resulted in the interviewer calling me back to express that he would like me to apply for the company again when they re-advertise later in the year.

Based on my experiences and those of others, I know how important it is to prepare, prepare and prepare some more before hand, but how can you control your first impression?

In work I tend to dress down (trousers, Breton tops and flats), but dressing for an interview is different and can often make interviewees feel out of their comfort zone and add to the stress of the day. It can be hard to fake feeling at ease, so don't fake it! Don't wear the awkward suit or the sky high power heels if it compromises your confidence, just wear the smart version of your everyday self.

So here is my head-to-toe outfit battle plan for next week...

The shirt.

I've opted to wear a loose silk shirt that doesn't cling or show sweat patches (we all get them!). I have a few fantastic Zara shirts and usually wear them with skinny jeans and sunglasses, but this navy collar-tipped shirt is perfect for looking smart too. It looks expensive, even though I only paid £39, and wearing it makes me feel 'grown up'- you know, those clothes that make you stand straight and feel alert.

The skirt.

Deciding between trousers or skirts for interviews can be tricky.  I usually feel more comfortable in trousers, but wearing a well fitted skirt (with bottom-hugging M&S tights) will never fail to make me feel more confident. Most of my skirts are either leather or short, but a quick spend of £30 at Topshop sorted this out. I chose this knee-length black skirt with fake-croc belt and slit at the back for avoiding that pencil skirt penguin walk. The last thing I want to do is make an unwanted memorable impression by waddling into the interview room!

The shoes.

I went for simple.black.heels.  I wear flats everyday, so wearing the below Dorothy Perkins heels will make me feel a little more put-together and will help me to get my 'interview head' on.  It has also been super sunny this week, so I'll make sure to take some sunnies with me so I don't look all squinty by the time I've driven to my interview. The ones below are by Whistles.

The smile.

My plan is to keep on smiling! I want the interview panel to like me, so no matter what happens on the day, at least I'll feel great! I'm sure that way, way back in time my psychology tutor told me that smiling releases endorphins and that the receiver usually reciprocates, so I'll give it a go :)