Skirt: Black Peplum Skirt ($35)

From Left, Earrings: Tribal Fusion Studs ($20) Ring: Minkoff V Stackable Ring ($78) Bag: Z Spoke Eartha Satchel ($495) Cardigan: Tippi Cardi ($85) Top: Sorcha Printed Top ($128) Shoe: Nine West Quinty Pump ($47)

From Right, Earrings: Loft Teardrops ($25) Bracelet: Jules Smith 5 Bangle Set ($98) Bag: MK Selma Satchel ($358) Shirt: DKNYC Floral Blouse ($49) Shoe: Miri Midheel Pump ($198)

I posted this ruffled peplum skirt on the blog last Thursday and didn’t post the Two Ways due to having too much fun on Wednesday night, so I thought that I would post it today.

For the Office.  Originally, I had just the blouse and skirt with a pair of colored high heels.  Then, I remembered that it’s air conditioning season in D.C. and re-worked it to include a sweater.

Black and white prints are everywhere this season, which is odd since summer is usually the season for color.  If you want to indulge, I love this Theory top but this Madewell top is nice too.  Under-$50, we have this ring-printed top.  For petites, I adore this long-sleeve top and for plus-sizes, I like this ikat top.

I went with a teal cardigan because the buttons were black and the color was deep enough to stand up to the black.  If you prefer a sweater in cotton, I would choose the J.Crew Jackie Cardigan in white.

The textured gold on these earrings is really nice and the stack rings are really versatile.  And the Zac Posen bag is to die for, but if you need something cheaper, try this $34 ASOS satchel.

For the hair, I would wear it up in a Gibson roll or twisted bun.  Gibson rolls are my primary mechanism for having decent hair on humid days.  For the makeup, I would choose a slightly darker lip color, like a sheer berry stain.  And I would paint my toenails (peep toes!) a deep aubergine.

For the Office.  Wearing black with summery colors, like pink, can be a challenge.  I find the best way is to incorporate them in to a pattern, like this DKNYC blouse.  This DvF blouse mixes yellow and black and this Peter Pilotto top brings the pale blue, just for a few more examples.

To pull it all together, I chose the pink drop earrings.  They’re dainty and pretty and a great price.  (Wear them with white dresses all summer!)  And while this bag looks white, it is actually pearl grey.  Prefer the darker shade?  Click here.  (The medium size, no top handle, is $228.)

These shoes are really comfortable.  I wear them all day and my feet never hurt a bit.  This is the miracle of the sub-3″ heel, because it is not the padded insole (ie. there is no padding) that’s doing it.  Need a pair for less?  Check out the peep toes above or these Drusilla pumps.

For the hair, I would wear it down, but not too straight since there’s a lot of volume and ruffle in the outfit.  For the makeup, a pinky-peach lip gloss with some bright pink polish (Bikini Pink, $9) would look lovely.  I’d also break out a bit of black pencil liner.