All of Seattle was elated last Sunday as we enjoyed a sunny and hot 83 degree day (28 degrees Celsius). This year’s dismal Spring and Summer weather made it an absolute pleasure! I couldn’t wait to bust out a sleeveless top and wear it without an additional layer. 

I wore a casual outfit that day because I caught up on admin at home, ran a couple of errands, and joined Phoebe for her photo shoot in the afternoon. I wore my newly repurposed clamdiggers and am pleased with how they turned out. Somehow, they actually look better as clams than as skinnies. I rolled them up because they haven’t been hemmed. 

I matched up my clams with a sleeveless grey pinstripe Winter dress that I usually wear with over the knee boots and hose, or over skinny jeans. Ironically, I actually prefer wearing this grey frock in the Summertime because I like it best worn on it’s own. No under layers or outer layers. It has a complex collar that’s aching to take centre stage, and the dropped waist looks most effective when it drapes as a single layer. 

I’m one of those people who can handle the heat. When everyone else is in sandals, I’m the one in closed shoes because I find it more comfortable (my feet generally do not like the straps on sandals). Adding my flat oxfords to this outfit is an acquired taste, but I like the arty vibe. It’s strong, simple and makes a statement. 

I added a black polka dot floral pin to bookend the black of the shoes. My black and white specs and white watch also match the peds. I finished off the outfit with a very colourful satchel and left off the pearls. I could comfortably dash around styling Phoebe and Kai for the photo shoot in this outfit and I wasn’t too hot at all. 

The proportions and combination of items here are unusual. A dropped waist worn with clams, WITH high vamped, high contrast flat shoes is not everyone’s cup of tea. Neither is a dressy Winter dress worn over very faded denim. But the playful combination works to my eye and I felt fab wearing it — bright white legs and all.

A pair of 7 For all Mankind “Roxanne” skinnies and a pair of Marc Jacobs straight leg jeans were rescued from the donate-pile last Sunday morning. The Roxanne’s were awfully faded and had a tear in the bottom left leg, while the MJ’s were never quite the same after being laundered at a hotel. So I got out my fabric scissors and transformed the two pairs of jeans into cropped clamdiggers. I cut them a few inches below the bottom of my knee cap so that I can roll them up to a flattering length. At this point I’m not even going to bother with sewing in a proper hem because they are super casual. 

I bat for Team Wear, so I wore the cropped Roxanne’s right away under a sleeveless dropped waist grey pinstripe sheath dress with flat oxfords. It was fun to repurpose two pairs of premium denim jeans in this way. I certainly didn’t turn up my nose at two pairs of free clamdiggers! 

Our business casual readers often say that they wish they could wear more fashionable clothing combinations to work. They feel that fun fashion trends are often inappropriate or too casual to wear in their professional and often conservative work settings. 

Well, I think that the addition of the right leather or pleather jacket is a great way to inject a bit of variety and fashionability into a corporate look. If you need to maintain a professional appearance, don’t choose anything too moto-esque, bomber-ish, distressed, heavy or overly embellished with zippers. Stick to LIGHTWEIGHT leather jacket styles with clean lines that can be worn indoors in place of a blazer or cardigan. Of course, if you work in a creative business casual environment, you can choose a more daring leather jacket style. 

Over the last few seasons, 95% of my business casual and business formal clientele wear the right leather or pleather jackets in their professional work settings. They match them up with anything from dressy trousers and pencil skirts, to cigarette pants, slouchy trousers styles and sheath dresses. They keep the tops and footwear dressy. 

My business casual clients run the gamut and some are required to look more formal than others. Some wear leather jackets on days when they don’t need to wear suits or see clients. Others wear leather jackets when they see less conservative clients. Others leave the look for Casual Friday when they still aren’t allowed to wear denim, but suits are not required. 

I vote yay. As long as you keep the leather jacket refined, lightweight, dressy, sophisticated and crisp, you can wear a leather jacket in place of a blazer or cardigan for corporate business casual settings. Remember that you can also take off your leather jacket during the day if you feel restricted or too warm. What’s your verdict?

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This post is sponsored by Nordstrom. Shop the Anniversary Sale: Next Season on Sale Now. Prices go up August 1.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce my incredibly fabulous 33 year old client and dear friend, Phoebe. As a Test Lead at Microsoft and an engineer by profession, she works full time in a male dominated technical environment and absolutely holds her own. 15 months ago Phoebe gave birth to adorable little Kai and let me tell you honestly, Phoebe has never looked better. She juggles a HECTIC work schedule with Kai and hubby Marcus (also a ‘Softie). Phoebe’s life also includes lots of travel, community work, and socializing with friends. I don’t how she does it but she always looks perfectly stylish no matter what.

Phoebe missed the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale preselections this year, but we made time to shop together on the second day of the official sale. Phoebe worked from my top picks list and also showed me her own selections. Of course, as Seattleites, boots, knitwear and cover-ups are always on the shopping list. 

Phoebe is 5′ 2″, but we never shop in the petites section because the proportions are off. Her long limbs and strong shoulder line mean that regular clothing normally fits perfectly with the occasional length alteration on jeans, dresses and skirts. With a flexible shopping list we set out to refresh her Autumn wardrobe, making sure that we covered all three areas of her lifestyle, namely casual careerwear, busy Mum on the go, and glam nights out. The outfits below showcase some of the items that followed us home.

I love Phoebe’s passion for style and daring wardrobe choices. She adores both earth tones and brights, and enjoys looking spunky and dramatic. Working in a highly technical environment and dealing with toddler mess does NOT stop her from having fun with fashion or wearing nice things. Phoebe especially likes to sport new trends, which was evidenced by the cape at the top of her shopping list. 

Since Phoebe started walking to the bus stop each morning she has joined me on Team Flats and Team Fussy Feet. Phoebe is also on Team Blouse, so when it comes to Mum on the go weekends, she loves to wear comfy boots with jeans, a woven boxy blouse and cross body bag. This made the REPORT ‘Bernsen’ Ankle Boot and the Halogen ‘Half Moon’ Tasseled Crossbody Bag no brainers. Both items allow her to run after darling Kai hands-free. Phoebe also likes the forgiving aspect of a blouse because it keeps her covered while she bends over. And it looks dressier than a tee, which appeals to Phoebe’s chic sensibilities.

We tried on a few capes and agreed that camel or tweed was the way to go. No batman-esque black! Phoebe and the Trouvé Twill Cape were an instant match made in heaven. It was the perfect style and length for her height, not overwhelming her petite frame at all. The colour was great while the tortoise shell buttons picked up her eyes and hair. We chose biker boots for this outfit because it contrasted so well with the soft elegance of the cape. Phoebe likes how she can throw on the cape without fussing with a belt. And Kai was quite taken with Mum’s voluminous sleeves. 

Phoebe does not miss an opportunity to dress up and go out. She has enjoyed adding a ’70s touch to her style which meant hello Hinge Smocked Front Silk Blouse, complete with pussy bow and smocking on the yoke and sleeves. When I saw Steve Madden’s cropped faux fur vest, I knew Phoebe would fall for it. I suggested pairing it with the blouse, wide leg jeans and heeled chestnut boots. So fun for a night out with friends! Phoebe’s oversized hoop earrings and sunnies are the ’70s cherry on top. Unfortunately the fur vest is not available online, but it’s an Anniversary Sale offering at the flagship in downtown Seattle.

Phoebe loves chunky knitwear, so my eyes went straight to Classiques Entier’s ‘Spesso’ Cardigan. Its swingy silhouette and textured mocha tone made her heart sing straight away. It’s the perfect casual outfit combination for a day at Microsoft over a Caslon Shirred V-Neck Tee and Vince Camuto’s Riding Leggings. These three pieces will also double duty as practical weekend Mum on the go items. 

My over the knee Stuart Weitzman flat riding boots that I purchased at last year’s Anniversary sale tickle Phoebe’s toes. So when the opportunity arose to purchase the very similar Stuart Weitzman ‘Cadet’ Boot, she was in. Weatherproofed with spray and comfortable as slippers, these boots will take Phoebe just about anywhere in Seattle. They will be wardrobe workhorses and Phoebe was not leaving Nordies without them. 

The Steve Madden fur vest was one of Phoebe’s favourite purchases at this years Anniversary Sale, so much so that she will wear the dramatic piece both to work and when she’s with Kai. I suggested that she dress it down with a tee, faded jeans and flat boots. We thought that worked really well, and so did Kai, who couldn’t stop stroking Mummy’s new faux fur toy. 

Greg and Marcus are also close friends, so I see Phoebe all the time. Despite her very busy lifestyle, she never fails to look chic, hip and pulled together. I love that Phoebe challenges her environmental work norm by looking fashionable and stylish amongst a crowd who prefer to wear shorts, sneakers and polar fleece. Phoebe is the gal who happily wears silk when playing with her toddler and doesn’t care if her light coloured tops and bottoms get grubby during the day. That’s why the laundry process was invented!

There is so much to respect and admire about Phoebe that goes deeper than fashion and style. Her style on the outside is killer, but the beauty of her heart and soul is hard to match. She is an intelligent, kind, thoughtful and extremely sweet natured lass who enjoys expressing her confident and fun style each day. Thank you Phoebe, for being the extraordinary, inspirational person that you are.