Plume POW: Working It Classic & Modern Coco Wednesday

Outfit Mission Statement: Create a career outfit with the same put-together professionalism as a suit with a few modern interpretations of classic pieces

Working it Wednesday outfits are professional career clothes, often a step or two above Manic Monday outfits. The POW (Piece of the Week) is the cabi Spring 2016 Plume Top. Nothing looks more professionally stylish than the clean, elegant lines of Chanel suit. You can mimic this look much less expensively by wearing this bright sweater cardigan with lines and details reminiscent of classic Chanel. Add the always classic pencil skirt and a lovely blouse and you have a clean, classic, and professional look. You can add modern touches through things like the bright trendy color of the sweater and the contrast of the bright yellowish sweater and navy ponte pencil skirt. Even Coco would love the ease of this look! Remember, nothing says a professional career outfit needs to be boring or a plain suit.

Tips:

• Pair a sweater with classic, elegant lines & details with a pencil skirt for a look just as professional as a suit
• But, break up the more traditional single-color suit look by wearing the sweater and skirt in contrasting colors
• If going for a classic feel, add those pearls, but modernize the look by choosing and elegant yet on-trend statement pearl necklace
• If you look has a touch of an earlier time, like the 60s, play that up with a modern version of a hairstyle of that time (such as the French twist with a bit of volume) and maybe some cool sunnies
• Neutral shoes allow your other pieces to take the spotlight
• If you don't already have one, once again let me tell you, get a ponte pencil skirt and other ponte career clothes!
• Button that sweater up for a dressier, more suit-like look, or leave it open for a more casual look (or vary it as the daygoes on based on body temperature and needed professionalism)

 

Outfit Breakdown:

• Blouse: Plume Top from cabi Spring 2016
• Sweater: Loren Sweater from cabi Spring 2016
• Skirt: Lido Skirt from cabi Spring 2016
• Necklace: This is the Fall 2014 cabi Contessa Necklace and no longer available. Consider instead these Stella & Dot options:
  • Starlet Pearl Necklace: This striking necklace will bring all the fancy to your outfit!
  • France Pearl Statement Necklace: This beauty looks both modern and classic
• Earrings: These are cabi Fall 2014 Vintage Stud earrings and no longer available. But, consider these Stella & Dot options: 
  • Vintage Crystal Studs: These are about the same size and I tend to wear these interchangeably
  • Maddie Pearl Earrings: Perfect with the Starlet Pearl necklace, these elegant earrings will fancy up your outfit 
  • Déjà vu Studs: With a pearl on one side and a spike on the other, you can go classy or edgy
• Shoes: These are beige suede pumps from Target last year. Here are some available options:
• o   Lainee Pumps at Target
• o   Glamorous by Aerosoles
• o   Doppler Radar by Aerosoles
• Sunglasses: Rectangle Sunglasses – Brown at Target

POW 6: The Summer-Styled Blouse

Everyone woman needs pretty, light blouse—something she can wear alone or with a jacket or cardigan. Something that can be dressed up, down, or worn to work. Something feminine without going overboard. Something flattering without revealing too much. Something sleeveless (that covers the bra straps) or something shorter-sleeved that works for spring and summer. Hopefully you have one or more of these types of blouses in your closet. This is another wardrobe essential—like the black trousers of the last POW. If you have one or more of these, then take this next POW as inspiration for styling that blouse.

Outfit:  Plume Top from cabi Spring 2016. Knight Skinny Jean from cabi Fall 2015. Olive Jacket from cabi Spring 2015. Metal Statement Neck with Cabs from Target. Orange Quartz bracelet by Solid Treasures. Shoes Older, not sure of brand.

If not, or if you need another, consider adding this lovely blouse to your wardrobe—the Plume Top. This is a pretty and casual cap-sleeved blouse that can easily be dressed up. The Plume has an easy tee-shirt style but with lovely, feminine features. The v-neck creates a longer, flattering look. The soft feathers are in magenta & pinks, purples, blues, greens, gold, and more. With all these colors, this blouse can go with so much, and it looks good on many different people. Plus, this is machine washable (on gentle) and machine dryable!

Outfit:  Plume Top, Lido Skirt, and Loren Sweater from cabi Spring 2016. Contessa Necklace and Vintage Studs from cabi Fall 2014. Suede Target shoes from a previous season and current season sunglasses from target.

Some other current season blouses that can be styled similarly are the Blossom Top, Gelato Top, Luisa Tank, and the Positano Top. cabi often carries blouses like this each season. A few that are similar (or could be styled sim similarly) from the Fall 2015 collections are the Reign Blouse, Evermore Blouse (very similar in shape and style), the Love Blouse (checkout the Love POW for even more styling options for this style of blouse!), the Flaunt Wrap, the Stained Glass Blouse, and the Flutter-Sleeve Blouse. I welcome other suggestions, from cabi or elsewhere! I’ll add any I get to this post with credit.

Do join us for the sixth POW and discover seven ways, from the playground, to the special occasion, to the boardroom, to style the wardrobe essential pretty short-sleeved or sleeves blouse!

If you want to buy, please contact me in the comments or via email or my stylist (Joni Allen via email or phone: 770 502-5243 [call or text]) and we can get you set up.  It is possible any order you make will be included in a show total for me. If that is the case, for each $250 spent in my show, I get one half priced item. So, I’d be quite grateful of any orders! I promise to blog about what I buy!