what to wear to the office: the remote gal

Good morning, lovely friends! Hope your weekend was fantastic. Ours, though great in its own rite, did not go the way we planned. That Cavalier Meet-Up? We were the only people who showed up. I think the group has 600 members? We were the only ones. We had a good chuckle, let Charlie run around the dog park, then hopped back on the subway and headed home. Charlie enjoyed the air conditioned subway car:

If you're a regular around these parts, a few weeks ago we talked about work uniforms for those of who don't have traditional 9-5's. Let's continue that series with an ode to ladies like me: ladies who work from home. Don't think for a second that I wake up, shower and get dressed before I walk the 6 feet from my bed to my desk. I don't. For my entire life I've spent my time at home in jammies or the like, and I don't plan on changing that - for the most part. So I want to keep this outfit realistic but also challenge myself a bit; there's no reason I can't be uber comfortable while working at home, and there's also no reason I can't feel my best or close to it. With that in mind, here's what I'm dreaming up:

You have to have sweats, right? But let them be stylish. Pair them with a baller silk shirt that can easily be worn out of the house if you have an appointment. Stylish, comfy slip-ons for aforementioned appointment or for dog-walking, bodega-going, etc, and a structured vest that takes the whole outfit from work-at-home to WERK ALL NIGHT (it's Monday, okay? Just accept the cheese and move on). Any self-respecting woman on the go has a great watch, and now you're ready to work.

Enjoy, friends.

xoxo,

time to invest

The Nordstrom sale is happening. Well, early access if you have a Nordstrom card. Which you should / should not have. It is a useful tool when wielded correctly, but can be mighty dangerous. Beware. Let's talk about investments. A sale like this? Is the exact perfect time to invest in pieces that you've had your eye on for a while, but whose price tag makes you go:

You don't need clothes. You don't need to shop. Let's get those obvious statements out of the way. You don't need but you will do, so let's do it correctly. These are the pieces that are Allie approved for your consumption during this Nordstrom sale.

A great cardigan.

Something to take you from work to off days, and will transition beautifully from Summer to fall and then Winter to Spring. It can be a lightweight blazer or structured sweatshirt, too. Just let it be comfy and versatile.

A sexy yet functional rain coat.

This year, I've been kicking myself for not having a great shell with all this rain we've been having. It's not hard to do a raincoat really wrong (they can be boring or too sporty), so I love seeing this option at such a great price. Something to hand down to my niece or baller nephew one day.

Chambray all day.

You can never have too many denim shirts, in every shade. I wonder when I'll kick myself for saying that, but for now, scoop 'em up.

A silk shirt.

No one does structured silk shirts like Equipment. White is the most versatile but I just love the mossy color of this one.

Skinnies for shawtys.

I own these in black (seen here) and I think they may be eclipsing my Rag & Bone jeans for MVP. So good, not too long if you're short like me.

Best booties.

Do yourself a favor. Really.

Questions? Please, please have questions. Invest wisely, friends. Until tomorrow!

xoxo,

a style manifesto.

Good morning! We've talked before about how our closets tell us so much about our style, even more than we can probably put into words if asked. This tickles me, but it's also troubling considering the fact that we very likely have no idea what's really in our closets, meaning maybe we don't know our own style selves.

I like to think my style is a little edgy, a little masculine, comfy and pretty basic. I think that might be because, after years and years of pretending to fit into different trends, I'm starting to accept my style for what it is, and my shopping habits reflect that. Repeat: years and years.

Friends, I feel sad when I hear my clients tell me that an item in their closet stays because they feel like they should own it. That is the silliest logic! Just because something looks right on others doesn't mean it deserves a place in our closet. I love the way Taylor Swift looks in coordinates, but that's just not me, so I'm not going to go there.

Find your style and own it. While trying new styles and pieces is wonderful, it's what you're wearing on your back every day that visually defines you to the world at large. If you take a step back and decide you don't like what you're working with, then you can start to make that slow change.

In 2011, I decided that I wanted to put more effort into what I wore. I theorized that it would make me feel better, and I was absolutely right. A slow change started to happen; I spent more time accessorizing, I became thoughtful about pieces I bought, I tried everything and determined (of my own accord) what looked best.

Looking through my closet now, there's a much clearer sense of my style than ever before, and it all started 4 years ago when I decided to just be maself.

Does any of this make sense? I took half of an Ambien at 3am because I couldn't sleep, so who knows what planet I'm on right now. Till tomorrow!

xoxo,

photo by Ashley Caroline.

pants-off

Friends, last night I had a nightmare that I was the ONLY ONE on the dance floor at our wedding. And the DJ was playing these amazing songs and everyone just disappeared! These wedding nightmares are no. joke. Has it been beastly hot where you are? Because it is beastly hot here. And I'll tell you something: I'm not ready for shorts. I'm just not ready! I know next week is July but I've been steady wearing pants practically everyday. If you've peeped my Insta, you know that when I say "pants" I mean "black skinny jeans." This has been my staple for the past 5 years. However, something in me has changed. Maybe it's the weather, or maybe it's some fundamental need for me to step up my sartorial game - either way, I've been clockin' fresh pants left and right. Whereas last summer was the summer of the Harem pants, I am officially declaring this summer the summer of the drop crotch chino. See below:

 NLST

Theory

NLST

Joseph

I was lovingly gifted these by my sister, and no pair of pants that I own makes me feel as good as they do. And real talk? It's the drop crotch! Somehow, it makes my thighs look thinner, which is a big confidence booster for me.

I'd pair the chinos with some heels, a white blouse and some red lips. But really, they're just as versatile as jeans!

There are some great sales happening right now (Shopbop and NAP to name a few)...would you try some drop crotch chinos?

PS- don't forget our 2nd VIRTUAL THINK TANK is happening tonight!! Log onto FB for more...

xoxo,

get the look: kendall jenner

As I've mentioned before, my style sensibility and inspiration typically comes from outside myself. For as long as I've had eyes, I've been hyper observant. Not that I don't like to put my own spin on things by using my noggin, but I'm definitely a visual learner in every sense of the word.

This outfit spoke to me the other day. Sure, Kendall Jenner looks great in everything, but it takes the right hardware to make jeans and a t-shirt look sexy. And I don't mean her body, I mean the quality of the clothes on her back. The outfit is simple, but finding the right fit for your body is like finding the right key for a lock - once you find it, you're in.

Luckily, a deep V-neck works great for most folks. If you have tiny boobs, it shows off your décolletage, if you have big boobs, self explanatory. Wearing a great tee the right way is about showing off the right assets, and leaving the others behind. For me, I'm self conscious about my tummy, so I make sure it's nice and long and loose at the bottom and has a fun scoop neck or v-neck on top. If you're good with your stomach, wear a cropped tee or tuck it in like Kendall is doing here. You feel me?

// tee // jeans // belt // boots // aviators // bag //

<insert thumbs up emoji here>

xoxo,

images via Daily Mail.