Winter finds/needs

The fall is here and winter is just around the corner. I know all of us have trouble leaving the summer, but guess what! winter can be sun and fun too.

Here I am listing some of the winter essentials for every work girl's wardrobe. I am going to list a couple of options for the same essential so you can pick and choose according to your budget:)

#1 Winter Boots

Winter boots are a must have for any girl who doesn't live in Florida. As far as I know, every other place except for FL gets cold enough to recall winter boots at one point or another during the winter season. Here are my top picks.

Ugg Dreaux. Who doesn't love Uggs. Thermal, stylish, and professional.

Ivanka Trump Inez. My personal fav. Comfy short heel, sexy pointed front, and perfect shaft height.

Louboutin CANASSONE BOTTA. Sleek, stylish, and elegant with the perfect heel height for work.

These are my top three choices and notice how I have listed all black boots. Because my personal checklist for winter boots for work is,

1. They have to be black 
2. They have to be at least knee-high 
3. They have to have at least a small heel. 

I think colored boots, booties, and flat boots can be saved for everything else in winter (thanksgiving, christmas, new year) except for work.

#2 Cape

No, I am not talking about a superman halloween costume. I am talking about a stylish, classy winter cape. I used to go to NYC a lot for exams etc. and when I am there in the winter I would always see these women walking into skyscrapers wearing capes and louboutins. I was awed by how respectful and mature a cape can make you look if matched with the right outfits (another post).

Marc Jacobs Black Markus Cape. Want it. Stylish, fun, young and comfy looking.

Burberry Brit Shearling Cape. Hooded, comfy, warming, and charming

H&M cape, Affordable, sophisticated, and pretty

#3 Leather Pants

If it is not winter what other season can you rock leather pants without feeling sticky, sweaty, and uncomfortable??? Leather pants in winter are comfortable, thermal, soft, and a great fashion statement.

Leather pants paired with black blazer

Replace Mary Kate's sneakers with heels, perfect work outfit     

Leather pants with a cape and thigh high black winter boots

#4 Sunglasses

Yes, I said sunglasses in winter. Sunglasses are a staple in summer to protect your eyes from harmful UVs but many people don't know that sunglasses can be a staple in winter. 

1. It protects your eyes from harsh winter wind/cold climates which can dry out eyes pretty fast 
2. It protects your eyes from winter sun which is proven to be stronger than summer sun (earth closest to sun in the winter something) 
3. It spices up your winter wardrobe:)





The Row 50. Unisex, powerful, matches every outfit  






PRADA Baroque. Shown here in Black but my personal fav is color Havana.
Glamorous, trendy, and shape your face 

House of Harlow. How wintery are these? elegant, shape your face, and match any outfit.

In winter you should stick to black/dark brown shades and stay away from oversize sunglasses, john lennons, or anything else that is coming with a new crazy trend (save them for not work wear). Stay with classy black shades with a little spice up maybe on the sides (like the PRADAs above).

Now working girls,  I am going to be on the hunt to add at least two from each of these items to my wardrobe so should be you. So get out there and happy hunting!

Thank you for reading. Come back for more:)

Outfits Post 3: Green Pants

I was bored today so I was going through my closet and found these pale green pants that I didn't know even existed. I didn't like that green so I decided to dip dye them using Dark Green RIT dye to give them a nicer pattern and a more sophisticated color.

Originally they were this color.

This itself is not a bad color but I just couldn't see myself in them often (the reason they were nonexistent to me on the first place).

After the dye job they became this.

I liked them a lot after dying so I am putting together some outfits with green pants. You can definitely wear these to work and spice up your workday;)

Ann Taylor ruffle blazer, Forever 21 striped t-shirt,
Etoile Isabel Marant black boots

J.Crew gray cardigan, PRADA white button down, Etoile Isabel Marant black boots

Gray sweater from a small store in Philly, H&M black long sleeve tee,
Etienne Aigner burgundy boots

Charlotte Russe orange blazer, purple tank,  Etoile Isabel Marant black boots

Note: This look might be too bold for daily work wear, but is good for like a fundraiser or a charity event. Green, Purple, and Orange combo is famous on the runway and with celebrities.

Madewell denim jacket, Juicy gray long sleeve, Brown scarf

Zara white ruffle top, H&M beige cardigan, Charlotte Russe Belt

H&M yellow/green blouse, Etoile Isabel Marant black boots

Full Tilt short sleeve jacket, Free People top,  Zigi Soho wedge sneakers

I hope you guys like these outfits and of course, there are many other ways to incorporate green pants into your everyday wardrobe. They sell green pants on almost every clothing store and online, so if you are buying some make sure to go for the darker jungle green than the popular light green. I find the darker green more professional and sleek;)

P.S: I noticed that the pictures here are pretty grainy so sorry about it. Time for me to invest on a new camera.
 

Outfits Post 2: Black Blazer

If you are a career woman or a college girl about to enter the corporate world, BLACK BLAZER should be a staple in your wardrobe.

Black blazer is like a miracle piece because it can dress up any outfit. Wear a potato sack and put on a black blazer, voila! you look like a million bucks:)

 #1 Black Blazer for the interview
Many professionals recommend a neutral colored suit for interviews but I always recommend a black blazer+pants suit for interviews. Compared to other neutrals like gray, navy, and brown I find black sleeker, sexier, and also generates a very powerful image.

                                          

 

Body by Victoria pant suit, Vince Camuto top

Note: Here the blazer and pants are actually jet black even though the camera has faded the color a bit.


#2 Black Blazer + Fitted pants
Now that you've got the job, putting a stylish outfit together every morning can be very strenuous. Thats when the black blazer + skinny pants duo come to rescue.

                                             

 

Guess blazer, Guess skinny jeans, Steve Madden heels, Don't know the brand names of the tops but you get the idea... and make sure they match your shoes.


#3 Black blazer casual
So after eight hours of hard work you definitely want to reward yourself by going out with your friends/ colleagues for a small drink, or to a family gathering, or to a birthday party, even to a business casual event. Now do you have to go back to your closet and put together a whole new outfit? no, because you can dress down the black blazer to a stylish, sleek, super cute casual outfit.

                         

 

Guess Blazer, Intermix shorts, Tahari heels
Tops I bought online but don't know the brands. But see how versatile the blazer is, goes with both leopard print and floral:)

The black blazer apparently goes with everything. So get out there and invest on some black blazers. I know many girls have tight budgets but I highly highly highly recommend spending at least $150 and buying a good quality blazer. Guess has quality blazers for moderate prizes and if you can afford it, go for Isabel Marant. Their blazers are stylish, durable, and are definitely statement pieces.

Cameron Diaz in a lovely Isabel Marant blazer.

Outfits Post 1: Gauze tops!

 

Jen's Pirate Booty Gauze top, Charlotte Russe belt, Jean Shorts, Dolce Vita Sandals

Note: I am wearing loose cuffed long shorts in this picture ONLY because I wanted the shorts to be seen and the top to not look like a dress. BUT if you are wearing this top it is best to wear tight short shorts because they complement the top most and makes it look sexier;)

 

Jen's Pirate Booty Gauze top, Express Belt, Jean shorts, Guess wedges

Note: See how the short shorts complement the top.

Gauze tops are perfect for sweaty summer days because this meshy lightweight fabric allows your skin to breath and is very soft on it. I bought these tops from Jen's Pirate Booty which is like the "pioneer" of the Gauze tops haha. These are handmade in Mexico with natural dyes and natural materials. Summer is almost over but these are definitely worth investing on for the next summer.

P.S: Please ignore my awkward posing hehe...I am still new to this and promise it will get better.

Hi there!

My name is Maneesha and I am your everyday kinda girl living in the suburbs of good old Philadelphia. I have been wanting to start a blog on my fashion sense (how original!) for a while but never had the time to get around for it. Now that I have graduated college (yay class of '13) and am taking a small break until I start working professionally, I thought why don't I put my dream into action now that I have time. It is all about the start because after that it is easy to continue on with it.

Talking about "fashion" let me give a brief history on where I come from. Until couple of years back, I used to be the girl who didn't give a s*** about what I put on myself. As a freshman I went to class wearing pajama pants, went on dates wearing sweatpants and went to work as an intern wearing indoor slippers (yikes!).

 

Then I went to my junior year and I started looking around to realize how important it is for a girl to pay attention to her outfits. A good outfit is a great confidence booster, a huge first impression factor, and most importantly brings out your natural beauty! So I started looking up fashion blogs, magazines, and shows to get ideas on how to put together nice outfits and dress up maturely and sophisticatedly. And it really really made a difference.

However, now that I have graduated and am ready to become a career woman I found a lack of resources on professional outfits. Going to work you have to be very careful about what you put on because the wrong outfit can even cost your job. That's why I thought if I am starting a fashion blog why not focus more on professional outfits. There are a lot of girls out there graduating college each year starting professional careers, and if I could help one of them that would be my goal with this blog. So let's see where this will go and wish me luck!

Thanks for visiting my blog and reading this rant :) I hope to see you again...