The Week of Dressing Casually

 

Thanksgiving week! If you don’t have to travel for work or file a big brief before (or immediately after) Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving week is a great week at the office.

 
 
Every day is Casual Friday because . . . there’s no one there to see.
 
To see things like this:
You said you wanted to see casual outfits, didn't you?
You said you wanted to see casual outfits, didn’t you?

blouse
Capable of surprising and occasionally even shocking; my friends can tell you so
 
 
At this point you may think you know all my tricks, but I still have a few things up my sleeve for 2016.
 
This outfit does, however, bear a few hallmarks that you’ve seen before: tone-on-tone; short sweater over longer blouse; a collared blouse; assertive shoes.
 
This blouse is so sweet, with slightly puffed sleeves and a very small Peter Pan collar. The fabric — black cotton gauze — keeps it from looking schoolgirl.

closer
Friends, tell them how surprising I am!
Black blouses are very useful. I recommend fluid or soft fabrics like silk and cotton gauze.

Tiniest collar ever
Tiniest collar ever

 
 
I am wearing a cashmere shell as a sweater vest, but you could create this same silhouette with a cropped top instead. Remember: we’ve talked about this before.
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I look tall in this photo, don’t I?

 
Although I have a pair of penny loafers that I like very much, I saw these on sale and thought it would be prudent to buy them to hedge against certain foreseeable future events, like the demise of my current penny loafers. Picture a bomb shelter filled with black flats and penny loafers.
Ta do
It’s like an insurance policy

 
 
This is my husband’s favorite picture of the day, so I am including it as his request. xo
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Blouse: Vanessa Bruno; Sweater: JCrew Collection Cashmere Shell Top; Jeans: JCrew Matchstick Japanese Selvedge, which you tell me are not skinnies after all; Shoes: Coach Indie Loafer; Bag: Coach Legacy Duffle; Watch: Ritmo Mundo

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5 thoughts on “The Week of Dressing Casually”

  1. I can attest to the fact that The Directrice is both very surprising and VERY tall. Love the photo with the red truck. Husband is correct.

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  2. Love the casual outfit! I’m won over on wearing a blouse under a shell sweater after seeing how professionally you pull it off. Fun but not frivolous. The shoes are wonderful — such a great word, assertive — so of course you couldn’t pass them up. Totally bomb-shelter worthy. And your husband picked the winning photo.

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  3. Love the look of the top. Could you show us a photo of the blouse alone, please, so we can understand the effect better? Black on black blurs into one in a photo.

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