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The Range: June 8, 2017

Jun 9, 2017

Until last year, I put up a post like this every morning. My friend Virginia mentioned that she missed this post, and that other readers might feel the same way.   The issue is that it can be very difficult to find new things for each day, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find things from time to time that are perfect for this type of post.

Polka dots are back on trend.  Black and white, as always, is the most common color combination.  And there are some pretty dramatic shapes and styles out there.  This ASOS Keepsake top has a lot of ruffles to it, and with the sheer it’s quite stunning.  But while you can take this simple dot print to very dramatic ends, what makes polka dots great is that in simpler cuts and styles they can add a bit of whimsy to your office attire.  After the jump are some tops in different price points that can bring dots into your work wardrobe, and a widget with other great polka dot pieces.

[images via Soraya Bhaktiar, Pinterest, and Greyship]

Corner Office

Moschino Polka Dot Shirt ($495)

Cubicle Farm

& Other Stories Silk Shirt ($115)

Front Desk

Express Polka Dot Portifino Shirt ($30)

Plus-size: ModCloth Hosting for the Week ($45) Petite: Talbot’s Perfect 3/4 Sleeve Top ($45)

 

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  1. Hi, Belle,
    I really miss the posts you used to do that were similar to this but they’d show nearly the exact same look for 3 different income levels (Intern, paid staffer, and Congresswoman, or something like that. Can we still access those in your archives? Can you bring it back?
    We do custom clothing for women which is kind of pricey for women just starting out in their careers so I used to enjoy telling them about your website and how clever you were with that.
    Thanks in advance.
    Linda

    • Belle says:

      This is a recreation of that post. As you can see the shirts are similar trends in the same price point. Not all of the pieces match exactly every time. In this case, each is a dotted shirt, with long sleeves, appropriate for the office. I changed the names from the political titles to more generic office titles, since I used to get push back from people who took them a bit too literally.

  2. Jenn says:

    I’m a long time fan of the blog and just wanted to say thank you for posting about clothes that women in the professional world would actually wear.

  3. TheLoop says:

    I like to call them power dots

    • Pompom says:

      ha! love this!

    • Belle says:

      I had the prettiest Zara dot blouse. I used to wear it under my black suit, it looked so good. I always felt awesome wearing it. After 600 wears, give or take, the sleeve ripped. I cried. Say what you will about polyester, it lasts.

  4. Sarah says:

    I love this post! I have been a reader for so many years and to be honest, I really loved the blog of 3-4 years ago- Intern/Something/Corner Office posts, cocktail suggestions, and things like this were my favorites. I like the weekday reading posts but sometimes I just want to sit down and look at all of the pretty clothes and jewelry (I wonder how many of us have closets full of clothes Abra suggested?). Maybe it changed because of law school (and AMEN to that sister bc your life was not your own) but I’m secretly looking forward to it becoming a little more…DC-esque again 🙂

    • Belle says:

      Definitely working on getting it back to looking more like it did before. I’m going to run this post once or twice a week. The new design launches this weekend, and you’ll see that the Workday Reading will be downgraded so that the fashion content will come up to the front.

      I honestly couldn’t tell you what happened, I think I’d just been out of the workforce for so long that I didn’t feel like I had anything to say on the topic. Combine that with post law school exhaustion and some depression, and things happened. But I’m getting back into it now, so I hope you like some of the content.

  5. Lisa says:

    yay! this has always been one of my favorite types of posts 🙂 I feel like it helps me think about where to invest my money and where (i.e. trends) to find cheaper alternatives

    • ~M says:

      Glad you’ve brought it back. It’s been one of my favorite posts. I also really like seeing the slight variations in thing. Sometimes it shows the different quality available at different price points and sometimes it just shows slight differences in trends.

  6. Mary says:

    I missed The Range posts, too. Including them as an occasional feature is a great idea.

  7. Rebecca says:

    Agree! I love this post. And like Sarah, I have a closet full of favorites that started here on this blog (Nordstrom cocktail dresses, MMLaFleur work dresses, tasteful satchels and grown-up commuting flats). I know keeping this blog going must be a labor of love–thanks for doing it!

  8. KH says:

    I agree too! Like Sarah and Rebecca, I have picked up many tasteful items through CapHill Style (now the “Work Edit.”) I have followed it religiously from when I first started interning in DC in 2009, through law school, then working in DC, and now working at a firm in Chicago. I do agree with Sarah – hoping this blog becomes more “DC-esque” again.

  9. Casey says:

    From the original picture (with the shirt, dress and the pencil skirt) – where are those from? Did I miss them?

  10. Monica T says:

    Love polka dots, my favorite is navy with small white ones. There must be some kind of magic algorithm for the right size polka dots, overly large and it appears clownish and overly small and it looks like pinpoints. All of these are great!

  11. Whitney says:

    Yes! I DO miss these posts, but I can totally understand how time consuming they might be. Even once in awhile is nice, though! Thanks for all of your hard work. There is true value in what you do.

  12. Whitney says:

    Just want to chime in to say that I ALSO learned to dress like a grownup once I found this blog because of posts like this! I muddled through for so long, but Belle, you truly helped me stop embarrassing myself and start loving my wardrobe.

  13. Virginia says:

    Not only do I love that these posts are back, you featured Polka dots!! ?

  14. Alyson says:

    Yes! A secrond for bringing these back, as well as the 2/3 ways posts. I’ve been with you since the beginning, and still come back regularly, but also miss some of the old stuff. I remember the first time I figured out what polyvore was, and that I could peruse all you boards! So good. I know people, tastes and energy levels change, but just wanted you to know how much we liked them. Also, hearing from you, nut just round ups. Your thoughts and opinions are valued. Keep up the good work, girl!

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