Office-Casual Outfit: Spring Plaids

Feb 28, 2024

Are you headed into the office tomorrow? Don’t know what to wear? Transitioning a wardrobe from home to the office, and winter to spring is a double whammy. What fits? What looks good? What’s “springy” but not going to be cold? Well, this outfit is perfect for that.

This Pinterest outfit from @cocobeautea is your inspiration to take that plaid jacket you bought in 2016 out of the back of your closet, and freshen it up with a pair of white jeans.  This look is perfect for a manager in a semi-casual office.  It evokes professionalism without being fussy.

Blazer // I went big for this blazer, and chose a Veronica Beard plaid option.  I am in the process of completely rethinking my wardrobe, and a blazer like this is the perfect accent piece to dress up basic separates.  The black-and-white color palette makes it work with many outfits, in many seasons.  Need a less expensive option? Try this Tahari herringbone option or this Bar III blazer.

Prefer a shorter, crewneck jacket?  This look is a classic alternative for the preppy girlies.  And this Ann Taylor plaid sweater jacket delivers that look in spades.

Jeans // Light colored jeans are a must-have for spring and summer.  Whether you’re in the office, working from home, or just looking to freshen up your wardrobe, you need these.  Luckily, the Gap has a great pair for under-$80.  (Also in tall and petite.) They’re wider leg, slightly high waist, and ankle length.  I ordered them immediately.  

Prefer a slimmer leg?  Urban Outfitters has these great straight leg Levi’s mid-rise jeans.  These Mother jeans give you a skinnier-but-not-skinny leg.  Plus-size?  These Land’s End recycled denim jeans are fab.

Tee // How cool is this Everlane tee?  It’s cotton, comfy, easy to wear, washable, and if you take the blazer off, doesn’t look like a basic tee.  What a great “work” top.  It comes in three colors, and runs sizes XS to XXL.

Shoes // I already own these Marc Fisher slingbacks (now just $53), so I tossed them into the collage.  Since I don’t post photos of my own outfits, I think it’s important to show that I rewear pieces, sometimes for years.  While I love a new, great thing, staples are staples.  Looking for a bow-adorned ballet flat like the inspiration image?  These Steve Madden flats come in a light-cocoa brown.  I also like these white-and-black Sadie flats.

Bag // The foldover, paper bag clutch in the photo is a very cool piece, but it’s also a very expensive piece.  This BR buckle clutch is unbelievable.  The clean lines.  The unique shape.  The buckle detail.  I adore it.  It’s $280, but it’s an heirloom piece made with high-quality leather and made in small quantities.  It’s the kind of thing your daughter finds in our closet at 21 and spirits away to college.  Something similar for less is tough to find, but this Quince clutch has a similar shape and a strap for ease of use.

Accessories // Quince has these cat-eye sunglasses for a reasonable price.  The peaked up corners are a fun look for summer.  Modern and cool, but not so fashion-y that they’re unwearable.

These earrings just need to be mine.  I think this is the third time I’ve posted these Missoma Lucy Williams hoops.  I love the chiseled shape and the smaller size.  Such impact.  Definitely an awesome gift for Mom, Sister or Friends.

Styling // Hair up is going to make this outfit a little too severe.  I recommend hair down, loose, in whichever texture is natural to you.  For the makeup, don’t miss the lip color with a monochromatic look.  I recently purchased the Summer Fridays lip butter in cherry.  I don’t think it looks as much like Dr. Pepper chapstick from Bonnie Bell, but I did love it enough to buy it in the brown sugar shade as well.  It’s not sticky and wears off evenly, so you won’t get that 90s lip liner look.

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Career Style, Posts, Style, Work

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  1. Amanda says:

    Gosh, the description “ a manager in a semi-casual office – professionalism without being fussy” is exactly what I’ve been looking for these days. Thanks for sharing!

  2. Jody says:

    I would buy every single item! So perfect.

  3. Diane says:

    Perfect. I never would have put this together on my own, wearing it today! Thanks so much!

  4. HStMama says:

    Love this combination! You’re so slay at creating outfits out of classic pieces. In fact I’ve been going through your outfit posts and taking photos of myself in them (!).

    Do you happen to have any advice on what online photo service I should use to store the outfit albums, e.g., white jeans, black skinny? I used to use Shutterfly but it’s so last century

    • Belle says:

      My friend does this and uses Evernote.

    • Michelle says:

      I’ve been using Pinterest to store outfit photos for years now! I started out with a simple private board and have organized it into different categories (pants, jeans, skirts, dresses, weekend, etc). It’s been so helpful to reference on days when I don’t want to have to think about putting an outfit together and now that I’ve been using it for so long, it’s fun to go back to some of my first uploads and see how my style has evolved.

  5. HStMama says:

    Thanks so much for the ideas!

  6. This is a great post on refreshing your work wardrobe for spring! I love the suggestion of a plaid blazer and light-colored jeans for a polished yet casual look. As an SEO Specialist and content writer specializing in UK Market for Loft Boarding services, I find that decluttering your home can also help you feel more organized and productive. This can even extend to your wardrobe, making it easier to put together outfits in the morning. Do you have any other tips for decluttering a closet or wardrobe?

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