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VFiles t-shirt, Forever 21 skirt, J.Crew tights, Aldo shoes
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Forever 21 necklace, old initial ring, Forever 21 stud and large stone ring
When I went to interview to work for a stylist, it was the ultimate outfit making challenge for me. After all, if I couldn't dress myself to their standards, why would they trust me to be able to dress someone else in the future? But I still needed to look cool and not overly professional. My mind went straight to this outfit. I love this t-shirt because it dresses down and up equally well. I love the slight irony of a shirt that says "New York City" when I live here, but it wears really well and is really comfy. I love to dress it up, and it's easy with its neutral coloring. I paired it with this brocade-ish skirt with black opaque tights and really tall wedges for a little casual on the top and fancy on the bottom. The statement jewelry balances the look so you can forget that this could be a wear around the house t-shirt in this particular outfit.
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Image via: APortablePackage.blogspot.com
Even though I have approximately 0 holiday parties to attend this month, I like the idea of getting dressed up for weeks of fancy events. I usually don't associate tea length dresses with the holiday season, but this dress makes me reconsider. Green is certainly a holiday color, but this dress is being worn in the warmth so it's more versatile than just three weeks in December. The blogger behind A Portable Package interestingly paired the green with a black leather belt and blue bag with nude shoes. This could seem like quite a lot, but it works. Solid leathers with the all over sparkle don't fight with the look, and they're simple silhouettes and accessories so the dress remains the star of the outfit. It's definitely different, it definitely turns heads and it's definitely good to keep in mind for future consideration.
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Image via: WhoWhatWear.com
Plaid is having a much deserved moment right now, and with pattern mixing having a similar moment, the possibilities for wearing the winter pattern are almost endless. This girl takes an almost head to toe approach with coordinating the colors and size of the plaid just so, and finishing off the look with solid black accents. It's dark with some color, perfect for winter, and definitely warrants a second look. Next time you think a pattern mix is too close that it clashes, think of this girl and reconsider.
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Image vie: GalMeetsGlam.com
Holiday season is all about dressing up for this party and that dinner and family time, etc. etc. etc. But dressing up doesn't mean readjusting the band of your tights all night and awkward sequin chafing. Julia of Gal Meets Glam dresses up these pajama inspired pants well, and really works a monochrome look successfully. Most people go to greens, reds, blacks and metallics for the holidays, but navy is a great winter color to consider, especially when you break it up with some shine, like she does with the sequin clutch. The blues don't exactly match, but it's fine because with the pattern of the pants breaking it up, it doesn't clash. The shirt is flowy but not baggy, so it looks good tucked in to the also loose but not baggy pants. Heeled sandals offer some formality and femininity to the look. Between LBDs at holiday parties and sequined getups on NYE, consider some PJ inspiration on a more low key night out or family gathering. 
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Image via: ClickToSeeMore.blogspot.com
Happy December! It's that time of year that we consider it winter, commercial holiday season is in full force, but, though it's cold enough, it's not quite actual winter yet. There's something to embracing the feel of the holiday season, but holding back a little bit and savoring the last of fall. The holiday season may be over by January 1, and we still have to endure about three more months of winter weather after the excitement is over. This girl has mastered that not much talked about fall-to-winter transitional time pretty perfectly. The loose-fitting sweater with cuffed jeans and flat booties are so simple, casual and perfectly fitting for fall. Add the soft plaid scarf and heavy oversized tweed coat and this outfit is almost-winter ready. This outfit is also great because it's comfortable and versatile. It works for fall family time in the suburbs as well as a coffee date in the city. It seems so basic, but each piece comes together perfectly for an outfit you can't quite look away from.
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Image via: Tommy Ton for GQ
This guy is the epitome of winter cool. From his hat to his puffer coat to his sweater, white pants and wingtip boots, he's got cold weather style handled. I think I originally saved this image because I love the idea of winter white pants on guys. Upon second look, though, his outfit is so simple, but the fit is impeccable, the turtleneck is daring and the boots beg for a second look. The coat is practical but also fitted and looks nice and the pop of color with the hat works because the rest of the outfit is so neutral. Between the color palette, fit and individual piece choices, this outfit is an A+ for winter. And the glasses don't hurt, either.
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Image via: 9to5Chic.com
It might be Friday, but technically Friday is still a work day, so I'm going to talk about interview wear. Dressing for interviews is a lot like dressing for something like a first date in the sense that they're both stressful and exciting situations, and if you aren't comfortable or don't feel like yourself on the outside (ahem, first impressions), then it's going to show. Now, some fields have their limitations, but even so it's important to wear styles, colors and textures that will give you one fewer thing to worry about. 


I've been going on a fair amount of interviews during my job search, and I don't typically like to duplicate outfits for several reasons 1) an opportunity to make an outfit is an opportunity to make an outfit, I'm not just going to pass that up. 2) Different potential jobs warrant different looks. 3) Different times of year require different levels of layering (duh). 4) There's something that just feels wrong about re-wearing an outfit that was designated for a similar but not quite the same event. Because these interviews are usually in the fashion realm, I get to have a bit of fun with my look and accessories and show my personality, but I don't like to stray too far from the conventional rules. I'll wear something like a button down, but wear one trimmed in leather, buttoned to the top with a statement necklace (similar to the above). Or I'll wear a pencil skirt, but one that's brightly colored with colored pumps and a blouse with an asymmetrical hem untucked. If I go with a dress, I usually keep the style and color simple and add personality with accessories and lip color. Work pants? I don't really own any, but I do have a pair of plaid ankle trousers from J.Crew that I'll pair with a patterned top and bold pumps. There are a lot of options, even with limitations.


Now, to the photo. Not everyone has to wear "work appropriate" clothes to work, but these types of silhouettes are important to have in your closet in the event you have to dress for something with that type of attire. This doesn't mean you should run out and buy a sad, gray skirt suit, and Ahn of 9 to 5 Chic demonstrates this remarkably well. This outfit is so simple, yet still unique and shows her personal style. She just tucked a plain, neutral button down into a leather pencil skirt and paired it with pumps like so many workforce women have. But the bold bib necklace, striking (but not distracting) lip color and bright bag pull this outfit away from the snooze zone and show that she is professional, honors that type of dress code, but doesn't let it keep her from adding personal touches. We can learn a lot from this approach.
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Image via: ShopGella.blogspot.com
Oversized knits and plaid are probably two of the biggest trends of the moment, and this outfit helps show just why that is. I'm still in denial that winter is imminent, and while I futilely hope for one last (long lasting) warm up in the weather, it's pretty clear that I'm just going to have to deal with the reality of the season until real warmth starts to come sometime in April (hopefully!). Until then, when I have to face the elements outside, I will rely on blanket-like sweaters to act as the next best thing. It's easy to look frumpy with huge, thick knits, but it's also not the hardest to temper the shapelessness with feminine aspects, like the above extremely cute skirt. The length and style are the perfect opposite to the sweater, and the solid black bottom half is perfectly simple to let the real elements of the outfit stand out. Though it's simple, it's not forgotten. I mean, those boots. This girl knows how to keep it stylish and feminine without sacrificing the warmth factor.
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Image via: FashionGoneRogue.com
My birthday is this weekend, and since I share it with one of my friends, we're celebrating for two nights. The main objective of my birthday is to hang out with people, so the festivities are designed around that goal. But that doesn't mean I don't think about what I'm going to wear. As much as I'd love to go full out fancy, the reality is that I want to dance and I don't want my feet to hurt by the end of the night. This dashes my heeled dreams a little bit, but priorities are priorities, and I guess I can wear heels another time. This brings me to the styling in the above photo. The model has on a gorgeous Balmain dress with some heavy duty rings and moody makeup (that isn't too heavy) to match. This girl is the coolest. I actively want to be her, especially with her skill at pulling off this long sleeved mini, which could be extremely glamorous, in a tougher way by wearing it a little oversized and styling it just so. Those boots are awesome, and I love how she's not wearing this with tights. Somehow she's made a blinged out mini dress a little masculine, and it works. Not only does it dress down this all-over embellished dress, it's a fresh way to style this type of look. This outfit serves as a reminder that your clothes definitely don't sit in just one category, and if you want to wear that fancy dress to a not quite as fancy event, all you have to do is think outside the accessories box. 
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Image via: HallieDaily.com
The best part of unseasonably warm fall weather is the freedom you can take with layering without feeling at risk of overheating with a coat, because you don't necessarily need a coat. Yesterday's temps reached into the mid-60s here in NYC, and my favorite thing to do in that instance is to ditch a coat and utilize fall clothes to their potential. The Vanity Fair best dressed list 2013 member here, the blogger behind Hallie Daily, does the fall layering thing well with color and silhouette. I'll admit first thing that I am very much not a fan of her shoes in this picture, but a pump is a great idea with this otherwise low key and casual outfit. I love the bright yellow against the bright blue pants and her choice of a red coat (but only if you need it!) and the way the bright patterned shirt underneath ties everything together so well. The v-neck sweater over the buttoned to the top shirt which hangs out from the bottom just so is perfectly styled to look intentional, but also laid back. I love that she cuffed the pants, but this outfit can work so well with pretty much any fall flat or heel. The clutch makes this a little more formal, and just like the shoes, many different bags could work with this look, too! The best thing about it is that most people already have all these elements in their closets.
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