Office Staples to "Must Have" Items - CHADWICKS Here I Come!

Yesterday’s CHADWICKS facebook post on office wardrobe staples left me asking what are my “must have” items? Or do I have any of the office staples on my “must have” list? So last night I went home and opened my wonderful walk-in closet, boy was I amazed at what I found! Yes, I have all of the office staples but beyond that I found my closet to be somewhat boring. I need color, I need diversity in my items and most of all I need to make my office and weekend attire blend seamlessly! What did I do next you ask? I opened up the latest CHADWICKS catalog and circled all the items that will help me achieve my goals! Turned out to be a big list but they did become my “must haves” items...I need to order them! I know you’re waiting for it so below is a breakdown of my Fall 2010 “must haves”.

1. Easy Knit Drape-Front Ruffle Cardigan
2. Flyaway Sweater
3. The Layered-Look Henley
4. Pleated Tee
5. Ruched Leather Blazer
6. Dressy Denim Trapunto Jeans
7. 3-Piece Point Knit Ensemble
8. Knit Ruffle Wrap Dress
9. Scrunch Scarf
10. Tall Leather Wedge Boots

Legging Longevity

Leggings are all the rage and we know it can be scary to try something this bold. Lets be honest it’s a fashion statement that really puts your fashion sense on display! Personally I’m a fan of pairing the leggings with shirt dress and finishing the look with a large loose fitting belt. If you want to wear them to the office and it’s within your dress code try pairing them with a cute skirt or dress you typically wear on the weekend. My only stipulation on this is that all assets must be appropriately covered before the leggings are added! Keep in mind that outside the workplace leggings are great under many things including empire waist dresses, tunics, over-sized boyfriend shorts/button downs even skirts.

Follow my quick tips and I’m sure you’ll be trying the leggings in no time!

Do:

1. Make sure the fabric breathable to help keep you cool.
2. Try a legging in basic black, its slimming and easy to pair with almost any outfit!
3. The leggings should end a few inches above the ankle, think Capri or clam digger length.

Share your thoughts and post below. Do you have any tips and tricks for making leggings work for you?

Trends to Love this Season

Although it was so beautiful this weekend in Massachusetts I spent most of my time indoors at the mall. Do you ever get an urge to spend a generous portion of your pay check on re-vamping your wardrobe? I had that feeling this weekend and I acted on it without an ounce of guilt which is greatly needed from time to time. Some trends I saw in every store I went into were; tunic length shirts, ruffles and rosettes, and denim galore!

Tunic length shirts are great to wear with leggings or skinny jeans. A couple of my favorite tunics from Chadwicks are the Linen Blend Tie-Front Tunic and the Pintuck Tunic. Wear these tunics belted to add an extra touch of style or unbelted for a more casual comfy look.

Ruffles and rosettes are also big trends for the spring and summer this season. The Ruffle Wrap Shaper Dress is a slimming dress that provides just the right amount of style with a ruffled neckline that carries on throughout the length of the dress. The Rosette-Trim Pointelle Sweater is a babydoll style sweater with a rosette detail on the neck line. Rosettes turn a plain sweater or knit top into a dressier top for work or even for a night out!

Finally, denim is a big trend that has expanded beyond denim bottoms and into denim shirts, jackets and dresses. Our Oversize Denim Shirt is a great basic item to have. Tunic length, it looks great with a pair of black leggings and flats.

I have tried to incorporate all of these trends into my wardrobe this season. Fortunately it is has been easy to do so because many of these items are versatile and can also be worn dressed up or down. The ruffles and rosettes add a touch of detail that turns basic into unique while tunics and denim styles are comfortable and casual for relaxing summer weekends and nights. What trend do you like best this season?

Spring and Summer Trends

Spring and summer trends for 2010 have started popping up everywhere. The most dominant trend that I’ve seen while out shopping this past weekend is the nautical trend. From stripes to polka dots, and even floral prints, these red, white, and blues are being showcased in many retailers’ windows and displayed in the front of their stores. I personally love the nautical trend because it reminds me of the beach and vacationing. Here are a couple of my favorite nautical items from the new Chadwicks catalog. The Pleated Shift Dress 39.99 (left) Nautical Knit Dress 39.99 (right) To get these looks and to check out even more nautical looks click here! What spring/summer trends have you been seeing out there?