casual friday

if there is one thing i've learned in the past few years of being in a steady office environment, it's that everyone has a different interpretation of "casual friday." for some people it means khakis and a button-up; for others, it's jeans and a sweater; for some, it's shorts and sneakers.

i used to struggle with wanting to be comfortable, but still looking professional and appropriate. one resource i discovered for solving my casual friday blues is jcrew.com. they always seem to have a chic selection of quasi-professional wear. what i love about the stuff for this fall is that a lot of it totally translates from day-to-night, so if hubs and i want to go out for drinks after work i don't need to worry about looking underdressed.

I also love the charming color palette they are using this fall. it's rich, but not to extremes, and a big focus is on simple silhouettes with accessories that pop. I love the mustard colored clutch and black and white shoes in the large snapshot above. I'm the type that is much braver with accessories than pants and shirts!

in my opinion, jcrew really hit the mark with their cuff bracelets in this most recent collection:


in addition, their flats are tre adorable this fall. i don't wear flats a lot because i'm so short, but i'm so very tempted to buy a pair -- particularly the pair right in the middle. love them!


hubs and i both believe that a consistently polished appearance makes a big impact in the workplace, especially among certain older generations that grew up wearing a coat and tie every single day!