Impersonating a Competent Professional

Reading Nautical by Nature's recent post brought to mind my fashion rut of late & the issue of appropriate professional dress in various stages of life, as last manifested at a conference I attended. At this particular event, I found myself surrounded by a group of my peers. By "peers" I mean other lady professionals in my particularly conservative line o' work who can dance wide, intricate pirouettes around me career-wise, both in years and in aptitude. In fairness to moi, this was a weekend, "business casual" affair, but nonetheless, upon assessing the situation, I had a rather frantic internal conversation that proceeded along these lines:

Self: "My, what an impressive group of women we've found ourselves amongst! How fortunate we are to find ourselves in their proximity."
Response (also self, but clarified for dramatic purpose here): "Um, hello! These ladies are the rock stars of your profession. You don't belong on the playing field, in the stadium, in the zip code of the oxygen you breathe. Slouch down in your chair now, and just pray that no one notices you."

Self: "Actually, we consider ourselves happy to be here with the opportunity to learn from these pioneers. Besides, we have the very same professional degree they do."
Response: "Oh, get over yourself - uh, Self. Not only are these other women light years beyond you professionally, they also look it. And, PS, I notice they don't speak to themselves in the third person."

Self: "What are you saying? I see your point on the experience, but don't I at least look the part?"
Response: "Duh! Look to your left, then look to your right - zero of these other women are in designer jeans, even if said jeans are accompanied by a dressy blouse and 30 years of bluffing your way through above-your-level situations."

Self: (puzzled, struggles to look around room and spot a non Ann Taylor-ite. Fails.) "Hmm, uh . . you may have a point . . . " (muttered while slouching down in seat, hiding behind conference binder).

Aside from legitimately learning some valuable substantive points at this event, I left with the question - how to dress "business casual" to blend with a group of older, seasoned professionals, such that you fit in, but not to the extent that you're slavishly imitating a 45-year-old in the requisite Talbots pleated chinos (which are second only to skinny jeans on the Conspiracy To Make My Hips Resemble Alaska List) and sweater with jaunty cat appliques?

I've set to work on investigating some classic, business-casual wardrobe additions for my Christmas list, not so age-inappropriate and boring as to put me in the Cat Sweater set (hopefully), but tailored and traditional and, frankly, above-Target-level enough to blend with the ladies who have officially Made It. Given that I work in a "casual casual" office at best, I'm a bit rusty at this & therefore would love some Readerly Assistance. What do you think of the following?

Shoes

(credit: Tory Burch)

(credit: Tory Burch)

Yes, everyone and their aunt's sister's gardener's babysitter now has a pair of Revas, but the unusual colors / patterns on these make these a younger take on a soon-to-be-classic, no?

(credit: Saks)

The Tod's driving moc has been a longtime Pretty favorite, but am I 20 years and 5 cats short of being able to pull this off?

Work Tote

I have a dressy, structured black Furla tote for suit-level business occasions, but what about this for the more casual event:

(credit: Longchamp)

Again, this is a bread-and-butter tote, but does the of-the-moment color make it age and trend appropriate?

(credit: Longchamp)

Less budget-friendly, but also less ubiquitous. Conservative, but love the color & barely there but interesting hardware . . .

Pants (ie, The Wardrobe Area in Which Upgrade Items Most Urgently Sought, But Most Difficult To Find As All Secretly Designed To Make Figure Resemble Hippopotami)

(credit: J. Crew)

Lovelies, it's important that you know that We Are Cold. All of the time. No, really, even - or especially, given the AC situation here - in Texas, we're reaching for our under-the-table heater. So pants are most often a professional way of life for moi, despite our love and purchasing habits with dresses.

(credit: Ann Taylor LOFT)

Forget the (completely inappropriate for my line of work) shoes here - do these pants say to you, "I trust this woman with my money and livelihood?" Or do I really need to just dive in and Talbots it out already?

Readers, any hints for good business casual wear? Or do I just need to finagle a personal shopper at Needless Markups and fork over dignity & credit card in short order?

Pretty Inspirations for Monday

Every so often, each of us faces down a Monday that we suspect will be a total waste of our Bobbi Brown - say, by means of completely random example, you face a loathsome work assignment. However, since we are nothing if not sweetly determined here at the Pretty, we are trying desperately not to be refuse to be daunted.

So, in addition to the pricey soy latte we'll surely arm ourselves with tomorrow morning, we look to a few of our favorite things - meaning those which leave us a little champagne bubbly with happiness by virtue of their very existence - to get us through le day. Yes, yes - we know material things aren't where it's at - but surely looking at a few lovelies is just the thing to get a girl through a Monday, no?

(credit: theworldsbestever.com)

A lounge chair with an ocean view. Stay tuned for an upcoming Pretty on-location report regarding this very subject. Bonus heart palpitations if there's a little flag attached to the back of the chair for summoning poolside margaritas (rocks, extra salt).

(credit: Trendsnow)

Speaking of bubbly, lest you think we're merely a champagne bubble in mindset, we're also particularly fond of the real-life Veuve variety. Although we'll take it in any form that we find it - the good ol' yellow label is plenty fancy for us - the delicious new rose with the pink label makes us fairly lightheaded just thinking about it.

And since we don't want you thinking liquor is what's getting us through Monday - not the average Monday, at least . . .

(yes, that's a dog in there)

At the risk of looking like one of those faux inspirational signs with the soaring eagle that reads "EXPERIENCE - What Everyone Does Every Day, Except More Special", we've titled this pic "The Triumph of Mind Over Matter". Our Pretty Pug Mascot finds his extensive duties rather exhausting, hence his recently chewing a hole in his carrier to provide extra sleeping room. Like his human servant, HRH Pug will stop at nothing in search of 5-star accommodations comfy naps in the sun.

(credit: Neiman Marcus)

That fine Texas institution and its many-splendored outlets, where we may have recently scored our first Milly dress for 80% off (pics to come) . In fact, we're also filing this under our "Why You Should Like Me Better Than Paris" records, because what other blogette do you know with the good sense to work within 10 minutes of one Last Call & live within 5 of another?

(credit: Wikipedia)

The anticipation of beginning a new book, as narrated on CD by the genius author.

(credit: USA Today)

Images of elegant times past. Yet another book we've just discovered & must add to our wish list.

There are truly so many other things we are grateful for, but at the risk of boring you silly, we'll stop here, slug back our restorative coffee, and wish you a happy Monday.

Bikini? Check. Passport? Check.

Pretty HQ has just confirmed that for the New Year's holiday, our operations will temporarily and blissfully relocate here:


During this time frame, please direct any Pretty correspondence or margaritas (rocks, extra salt) to my attention via the swim-up bar.