Go-To POW: Manic Black & White Monday

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Outfit Mission Statement: Rock your black pants in a long, lean, chic, and cropped black & white outfit

Manic Monday outfits are easy career clothes to throw on for manic Mondays. This Monday we focus on creating a chic work outfit. The POW (Piece of the Week) is the cabi Spring 2016 Go-To Trouser. This pants are work-ready. Thrown them on with a nice blouse, sweater, and/or jacket and you are good to go! But, you can do much more with them for a chic, professional look. Black pants are the perfect bottoms for nearly any top. But, it can be especially fun to make them the base of a black & white outfit. With the right pieces, like a linen blazer and dressy tee shirt, you can be chic, contrasting, casual, and comfortable! The shirt is the same cropped top you saw in Michelle POW: The Cropped & Contrasted Thursday.  Check out the post for tips on choosing a cropped top for you. Yes, you can wear the right cropped top to work—see!

 

Tips:

  • Roll your jacket sleeves for a more modern look
  • Consider a linen jacket for a nice summer-weight fabric and a more casual career style (since it wrinkles so easily, it may not work in a very formal office)
  • No need to wait for Labor Day to wear white, especially a fun white jacket
  • Make sure your jacket works buttoned and unbuttoned so you can change up the look during the day
  • With a black and white outfit consider keeping your accessories light and mild to not conflict or distract (or go bold to add even more pop) 
  • Don’t rule out cropped tops for work—just be careful with your selection: go for a longer length and make sure your stomach is covered
  • With the right cropped clothing you can still create a long lean look:
    • Make a dark color your base (pants and top), with the contrasting color for the jacket
    • Wear heels in the same color as your pants
    • Don’t go too short on the cropped pants or shirt

 

Outfit Breakdown:

For this photo shoot, I am wearing the sample cabi Spring 2016 Go-To Trouser, which is a size too big. My own pair did not arrive in time. Keep in mind these should be a bit tighter and smoother if they fit correctly.