New York City-based Olivia from Corporate Catwalk has Business Casual dressing down pat. She loves to wear skirts and dresses to work, and sports smart casual looks on weekends. Her creative Modern Classic style is elegant, feminine and polished. She wears high heels almost daily and uses her trademark bright red lipstick to spice up both neutral and happy coloured outfits.
Olivia has a wonderful collection of skirts and day dresses! Here she’s sporting a black and white striped sheath that fits her perfectly. The above-the-knee length showcases her shapely legs and lengthens the leg line. Low-contrast shoes like black, nude, or metallic shoes would all work with this fun frock, but our blogger likes to add a bit of zing, so she opted for bright red pointy toe pumps. For outside, Olivia pops a chic Modern Classic trench over the dress. The graphite satchel, gold watch, statement necklace, our blogger’s lush brown tresses, and bright lipstick all work beautifully with this outfit’s neutral colour palette.
A matchy-matchy off-duty look for Spring or Fall. Matching the colours of the shirt, gilet and footwear creates visual cohesion. Going with a vibrant burgundy instead of neutral colours makes it fun and sassy. Wearing a striped shirt with the top buttons unbuttoned relaxes the strict vibe. The tailored long gilet provides lightweight layering interest and lots of polish, while the wedged suede peep-toe ankle boots add playful soft edge. Tucking the black skinnies into the boots streamlines the outfit. Oversized sunnies, Oliva’s trademark red lipstick and a handy petite crossbody bag with gold hardware finish off the look.
If you still need convincing that a classic pencil skirt outfit can be fabulous, then here’s your proof. Olivia’s jacquard striped skirt with frayed hem is undoubtedly the star of the show. The ladylike vibe, happy colours and flattering on-the-knee length suit her to a tee. Pairing the colourful skirt with a black blouse could have felt a little harsh. It works perfectly here though because the sheer material and ruffled flouncy sleeves create an elegant and airy integrity. Tucking the blouse creates a long lean line. On trend bright blue suede block heel ballerina pumps, silver jewellery and a pebbled leather satchel complement this amazing Business Casual look to perfection.
As an elegant Modern Classic dresser Olivia likes to sport smart casual outfits on weekends and on days off. Here, she’s paired dark wash skinny jeans with a two-in-one top consisting of a cropped knitted top part and flowy woven lower part to create a sweater-over-shirt look. The longer length of the navy midi trench coat works well, even on shorter gals, because of the tailored fit on the shoulders and the low colour contrast against the jeans. Low-vamped patent stilettos in nude also help. A long blue and white striped scarf, Olivia’s pebbled leather satchel and go-to lipstick are the polished finishing touches.
This crisp white shirt dress can easily take you from the office to date night or after-work drinks. The fit-and-flare style is a flattering silhouette. The self-fabric belt accentuates Olivia’s waist and creates structure. The eyelet fabric mimics a graphic square pattern which creates both visual and textural interest. Nude-for-her pointy toe pumps elongate the leg line. Olivia’s minimalist tote bag matches her shoes. A gold watch and spikey bracelet are the arm candy of choice. Bright raspberry lipstick, a pair of eye-catching chandelier earrings, oversized white sunnies and Olivia’s nonchalant updo create chic beachside glam.
Another stunning and creative Business Casual look! As a modern take on the classic white button-down, Olivia is wearing a crisp white popover with short diagonal cuffed sleeves. She’s tucked it into a gorgeous chevron striped pencil skirt with higher waist, which gently hugs curves and creates fabulous hourglass proportions. The diagonal lines of the sassy chevron pattern draw the eye back to the waistline, thereby accentuating a defined waist. The vertical lines on the sides have a slimming effect. No extra bells and whistles needed, so Olivia finishes off the outfit with neutral-coloured dainty ankle strap sandals and a tan tote bag with strict architectural lines.
Let us know what you think of Olivia’s creative Modern Classic style, and then hop on over to her blog to check out the rest of her fab outfits. Or find out what inspires her on Pinterest.
