Maxi Dress to the Office?

Are maxi dresses office appropriate?

What about sandals?  Are there rules on summer footwear for a flowy maxi at the office?

Well, earlier this week I did it.  I took an easy-peasy, light n’ airy, double-side-slit maxi dress to the office for a business casual look.

I’m a rebel.  Living’ on the edge.  It’s true. 😛

IMG_7964
This dress is almost too long…but the loose belt helps me mange the length a bit.

I recently had to return an online item I ordered from Forever21…and exchanged it in-store for this bold abstract printed maxi dress.

The fab braided, strappy back design is really what sold me.   Being petite (short), maxi anything is always a challenge for moi.  I haven’t been wearing heels very much this year.  And there’s just something oh-so-cool and sophisticated about wearing a flowy long dress with a pair of flat sandals.

I recently bought myself some aqua thong’d Birkenstocks that have quickly become my go-to-shoe for the summer — showing off my orange polished pedicured feet 🙂

Another nice effect to this dress is the 21cm long side-slits!  Totally ready for summer beach strolls and weekend brunch.

IMG_7977
Braided-Back Abstract Maxi Dress from Forever21+ – want it? click here.

Buuuuuuut, is it office appropriate?  Things that make you go hmmmm…..

I dunno if you’re like me, but when I buy something new, I like wearing it out immediately!  So it was gonna happen!

Blazers cover up a number of clothing sins and boosts the level of professionalism and sophistication to nearly any outfit. This blush pink open Dorothy Perkins blazer has come in handy to do just that for me in both Fall and Spring.  It’s a bit warm for Summer wear (due to lining), but it did the trick.

I tried balancing out the length of the dress’ slits with covered up arms –  the 3/4 sleeves cuz its summer.  Alternatively, I could also put a button down shirt over a maxi dress and belt it for a different office-appropriate effect.

FullSizeRender-9

On its own, NO! This dress is not office appropriate.

Maxis are tricky ones! This one had a nice modest neckline, not too tight.  But look at those high slits for a leg peep-show and the boho pattern.  Maybe it was TOO beachy, too light, and read more like a nightgown …. but I wore it with confidence and took it to the office anyways! 😛

I even got to catch some Vitamin D at lunchtime “networking” with a coworker WITHOUT the blazer.  Oh yeah!!!

FullSizeRender-7
How I Got The Look: Blush blazer, Dorothy Perkins; Maxi dress, Forever21+, Aqua sandals, Birkenstock, Aqua purse, Aldo Accessories

Summer in the city!  Gotta keep that wardrobe versatile to go easily from 9a-5p and beyond 😉

Ladies, sound off — are maxi dresses or maxi skirts ever appropriate for the office, or have I committed a terrible fashion faux pas?

Oh, and if they’re ok…. which are the proper shoes to wear with them?   Assuming that my aqua Birks were deemed inappropriate for the office too … told ya, I’m a rebel. 😛

Tell me your thoughts in the comment section below!


Have you LIKE’d the Petite Plus, Meow’s Facebook Page yet?

LIKE. Comment. Follow. Share. 

PPMEOW logo1IMG_7968

Blushing in Polka Dots

What a beautiful weather day in Toronto!

IMG_5246

So beautiful that I was able to get away with simply wearing my new blush blazer (from Dorothy Perkins) as outerwear alone over this long sleeved sheer dress to the office.

IMG_5231 copy

I’m still learning how to use my Mac for photo editing … just figured out how to insert these talk bubbles above 🙂

IMG_5242

How I Got The Look:

Dress and earrings from Old Navy (click here to see the dress in other looks); Blush blazer from Dorothy Perkins; Shoes from Winners (click here), purse from Guess, watch from Michael Kors

IMG_5247

Thus concludes the week of office appropriate looks as promised.  What did you think of this one?

If you’ve missed the others this week click here, here and here.

 Have you LIKE’d the Petite Plus, Meow’s Facebook Page yet?

LIKE. Share. Tell A Friend, friend  🙂

PPMEOW logo1

IMG_5248

Fall Double Feature: Blooms on Black

Happy Hump Day!!!  I hope you’ve been enjoying and  following my Fall Fashion series in collaboration with Cassie from Style Cassentials.

We’re discussing fall trends this week – if you missed any of my previous posts, you can check them out here, here and here.

Today we are talking about Blooms on Black!

Profs II-07

I haven’t always been a big fan of florals, but this Fall, I’m starting to re-think this….considering we’re only at Hump Day Wednesday with this special blog series, and I’ve already worn blooms-on-black twice!  (Click here to see how I incorporated florals with leather earlier this week.)

Profs II-06This Dorothy Perkins metallic floral top is adorable and feminine…perfect for evening or date night.

Profs II-08

I’m really feeling gold this Fall … in accessories like watches, bangles, necklaces, earrings.  Get yourself some GOLD friends!

Profs II-11

In an effort to really play up the gold elements of this top, I paired it with a simple black pencil skirt and my giant pearl necklace…

Profs II-12…keeping my purse and shoes simple matte black.

The back of this top is really the showstopper – don’t you think? 🙂  Dorothy Perkins – A UK company that sells some really beautiful, classic plus size pieces that are high quality and that you are sure to have in your wardrobe for years to come. Many of the items are wardrobe staples. Excellent quality and they sell Canadian sizes 14-18, as well as straight sizes.  Lucky for me The Hudson Bay Co. carry her line and I got to scoop up this fab top without online hassles!

Profs II-13

How I Got The Look:

Floral ivory & metallic toned top from Dorothy Perkins; black pencil skirt from Old Navy; open toed pumps from Diesel; Giant pearls from Your Big Sister’s Closet;  vintage bracelets from Toronto Vintage Clothing Show; black purse gifted

Profs II-10

How cute is Cassie in this terrific felt hat!?  The blue hues with yellow blooms on black in this dress is just lovely.  Plus those amazing gold earrings….Love. It!

Head over to Style Cassentials for all the details on how Cassie has styled the trends.

DSC_0868
Cassie of Style Cassentials

What are your thoughts around wearing florals in Fall?  How would you incorporate this trend into your wardrobe this season?  Use the comments section and tell me all about it…

Have you LIKE’d the Petite Plus, Meow’s Facebook Page yet?

LIKE. Share. Tell A Friend, friend 🙂

PPMEOW logo1

Photo credit: Lawrence Kerr of LawrenceKerrPhotography.com

IMG_4669

Have you missed a few from the special Fall Double Feature?  Not to fear…

Loving Leather click here

Sweater Glamour click here

Modern Monochrome click here

 

 

Hello, Yellow!

It was a gloomy partly cloudy day in Toronto … and surprisingly chilly for a July day.

With an afternoon full of meetings in the downtown core (yuck), my mood needed some lifting.  So I decided that my outfit needed to be bright, loud and fresh.

Here’s what I came up with:

20140715-122435-44675240.jpg

I’ve been searching for “the perfect yellow” – very difficult to find.  Found this lovely light-weight sweater in the clearance rack ($14) at Reitmans in The Duffrin Mall the other day, figured I’d be saving it for the Fall, but today was just cool enough to unveil it.20140715-122433-44673157.jpg

My favourite parts of this outfit are the shoes and purse!!!   Picked up both pieces LAST summer…..when I was totally obsessing over this amazing turquoise colour.  Even my earrings match in this outfit.  Aren’t these shoes just fantastic!!!!  Gawd! I love them! 🙂

20140715-122428-44668988.jpg

So….Waddya think?

Multiple patterns!  Loud colours! Too much for an afternoon in the office?  Maybe…..buuuut I don’t care.

I like it!  It totally lifted my mood – and I’m ready to face these meetings with a “passionately neutral” approach 🙂

20140715-122457-44697629.jpg

How I Got The Look:

Yellow & white stripped summer sweater from Reitmans; Grey checkered pencil skirt (click here to see skirt in other posts), Dorothy Perkins from The Hudson Bay Co.; Fabulous patterned peep-toed pumps from Nine West; Turquoise purse from Aldo Accessories; Earrings gifted.

PPMEOW logo1

 Have you LIKE’d the Petite Plus Meow Facebook Page yet?

LIKE. Share. Tell A Friend, friend 🙂

20140715-122728-44848061.jpg

#OOTD: Pink, Pearls & Perkins!

Between my recent vintage shopping and new pieces I’ve picked up here and there over the past few months, there are a ton of NEW (+ new-to me) accessories that I haven’t integrated into an outfit from my closet as yet.   So, I was determined to adorn myself with newness in my office outfit(s) this week.

I’ve been waiting patiently for Spring to officially get here already to wear these pieces I picked up from Your Big Sister’s Closet

20140331-215630.jpg

On Monday I finally  unveiled them to the office, along with my new Dorothy Perkins pencil skirt with my mint-toed nude pumps and lacy shoulder pink 3/4 top.  I have this top in mint seen here, but I recently re-discovered that I had it also in pink (hidden in the deepest corners of a drawer).  Hooray for buying things you in multiples once they’ve stolen your heart completely!  🙂

20140331-215540.jpg

I also wore these behind-the-ear cuffs I picked up from the Steampunk Fair a few weeks ago.  Thought it might be too edgy of the office, but I wrote them anyways anticipating less than positive reactions from colleagues.  Between the necklace and the skirt, this unique piece of jewellery got oh-so-many compliments!  Thrilled that the ones I picked up – the clock-arms –  there weren’t too many for sale that looked quite like them. 🙂

20140331-215558.jpg

Putting all the above pieces together….and TA-DA! A more exciting Office ready Monday.  Waddya think? Belt? No Belt?  You Likee?

20140331-215548.jpg

How I got The Look:

Mint-toed nude pumps from HBC, Eaton Ctr

Checkered pencil skirt from Dorothy Perkins, HBC (Yonge/Bloor)

Pink lace shoulder top from Forever21+, Eaton Ctr.

#OOTD: Go Canada Go! + Sunday Brunch

I’m not a sports fan. Buuuut when a work colleague instant messaged me Friday afternoon to give me grief about the fact that I was working…when I should be a patriotic Canadian, by stopping everything I was doing and watch the Olympic Men’s Hockey US vs. Canada Game… how could I argue?

20140223-164509.jpg

As y’all know….Canada dominated moving into the finals! And at 6am this Sunday bars everywhere  opened their doors to die-hard Canadians who support our athletes by drinking beers and cheering at big screen TVs with complete strangers in unison.

I too wanted to be apart of this hoopla! However, unable to commit to the extra early wake up call that is required to get up, dressed cute and out the door to a crowded bar to maybe find a seat at the wee hours of the AM with a possy of peeps, just wasn’t panning out.   I ended up watching the game cozy in my snuggie with the pup from my couch instead.  But I did venture into the city for long-standing Sunday brunch plans.      

     20140223-181207.jpg   20140223-164446.jpg 

Sadly, try as I might, there is no way to get my hands on one of those cute 2014 Red-White-Black pomp-pomp HBC touques – If anyone has connections for getting me one of my very own – speak up friends!   In an effort to make up for not representing in person at 6am, my Outfit of the Day (#OOTD) needed to be a nod to our Canadian Olympic athletes doing us proud over there is Sochi. So here’s what I’ve come up with:

       

20140221-230733.jpg

20140223-172934.jpg

Love this Dorothy Perkins dress I picked up a few years ago on sale.  I especially love the detailed double-puff of the short-sleeves.  It is a bit short to be worn on its own once all my T&A fill it out, so I often wear it as a long tunic or simply fold or tuck as I did today.  The black n’ white polka dot Diva pants worked out perfect to add a bit of interest/pattern with this all solid colour look.  Plus, these pants fit easily within my over-the-knee/thigh-high boots.  I kept the make up uber simple, avoiding heavy eye-make up – just masscara and a bit of gloss.

I walked into The Annex from my place, to have a catch-up Sunday brunch at Insomnia Cafe with a few gfs – new & old!  I’ve only been here once before, Xmas Eve two years ago after midnight mass with a few friends who were visiting from out-of-town.  However, this spot is apparently known for their Brunch menu.  And a fantastic little surprise – they have a $5 mimosa special!!!  They have an entire section devoted to Eggs Benny (my fav!).  I had the pull-pork option…and as they say, “you eat with your eyes first”…see my plate below…it was fantastic!  We had a particularly lovely server today too – which really made leaving the comfy chairs/sofa area they sat us in, oh-so difficult.  Looking forward to visiting this spot again, as they have daily deals on drinks as well as $10After10pm menu options!  Woot! Woot!

20140223-164406.jpg

How I got The Look:

Red puffed sleeved dress by Dorothy Perkins, from The Hudson Bay Co. (Yonge & Bloor Sts)
Accessories from Laura Petite – Earrings & Neclace (picked them up yesterday in my kill-time-in-the-mall-mini-haul)
White wide-belt with silver details from Lane Bryant
Black n’ white tiny polka dot, Diva cut from Old Navy [see Best. Pants. Ever!]
Over-the-knee/Thigh-high black wedge boots from AdditionElle (Queen & Yonge Sts)

     20140223-172918.jpg    20140223-172943.jpg

%d bloggers like this: