Skirt: Mossimo Zipper Pencil Skirt ($8)
From Left, Ring: Andara Three-Stone Ring ($110) Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Darcy Bag ($395) Shoes: Steve Madden Walkerr Pump ($109) Jacket: Collarless Panel Jacket ($96) Top: Otte NY Sylvia Top ($298)
From Right, Bracelet: Brooks Brothers Amethyst Bracelet ($74) Tights: DKNY Perfect Opaque Tights ($20) Bag: Madewell Sloane Satchel ($185) Sweater: N Peal Cashmere Sweater ($155) Boots: Loeffler Randall Viola Boots ($595)
For the Office. The neutral pattern in the skirt provides a lot of opportunities to mix in grey and black and ivory. This outfit is a mix of a darker grey blouse and a pale grey jacket. This blazer from Topshop is a great piece that can be worn all winter long and in the spring for a very reasonable $96 price. However, if mixing greys doesn’t strike your fancy, you could easily swap in a black blouse and a black blazer.
The accessories were intentionally kept on the subtler side. After all, you are wearing a leopard skirt. I love these Walkerr pumps from Steve Madden for the mix of materials, but stock is running low. So I found these suede Sam Edelman pumps with a similar price and a leather toe-cap.
As for the bag, if you’re looking for a bag that has the ladylike-appeal of the Minkoff Mini-MAB with a bit more edge to it, check out the Darcy satchel. The zippers, the barrel shape and the understated hardware make it just cool enough, while maintaining its professional appeal.
I chose silver jewelry for this look because I thought it mixed well with the grey palette. This druzy and pearl ring from Andara is sublime. However, if you need something less expensive, this Dara Ettinger ring will run $90. Prefer a pair of earrings? These grey pearl drops from Stella & Dot pack a lot of chic for $34.
For the hair, I would wear it up in a twisted bun. For the makeup, I would go with a palette of mauve and berry, with this Vitality mauve cheek flush and this Clarins blackberry lip gloss.
For the Office. I’m not usually a big fan of the turtleneck sweater, but for this outfit, it just felt right. Of course, I chose wine, my favorite fall shade. But you could also select pine green, navy or ivory.
If you’re looking for inexpensive turtleneck sweaters for fall, I’d start with Gap Eversoft collection (be warned they run large). I also like Land’s End, which stocks several colors in regular, plus and petite sizes.
Let’s talk about the boots. I snagged a pair of these at a 25%-off sale after admiring them for two years. They’re chic, comfortable and the perfect heel height for the office. On a 1 to 100 scale, I rank them a 92. My only complaint is that they’re pull-ons, so I’ll need to figure out some way to take them off without damaging them. I’m thinking about hiring elves.
If these boots are not in your budget, the closest thing I found were these Nine West Getta boots. Have a wide calves? Fitzwell makes a number of boot styles that might work for you.
The accessories were also kept fairly subtle for this look. I liked this amethyst bracelet so much that I featured it twice, but if you need something cheaper, I found this Nine West bracelet with purple discs and a mix of silver and gold.
As for the bag, I chose this Sloane Madewell satchel. It’s a great work tote, and at the sale price, a pretty fab deal. It also comes with a strap for those of you who need it.
For the hair, I would wear it down. This is a departure from my usual stance of “covered neck = hair up,” but I think turtlenecks tend to be heavy, and wearing your hair down balances it out. For the makeup, the natural inclination would be to match your lipstick to your sweater, but that could end up really dark. I would go for a muted mauve, like 08 from Kate Moss for Rimmel.
