a lovely living

At this point in my life, my job as a full time mom doesn’t require me to dress presentably everyday. On certain days I appreciate that, but on others I miss the days of pulling myself together and getting dressed up for work. For those of you who are not in my boat, I have put together some outfits showing you how some closet staples can work in a variety of ways.

I first chose a basic shift dress. If you don’t own one, you may one to get your hands on one ASAP. They are so easy to work with and can be changed up with a swap of a few accessories. You could easily layer some necklaces on here instead, but I love the way a scarf looks with a shift dress. A few weeks ago I was wearing mine with bare legs and booties, but the weather has since taken a change for the cooler, making tights a necessity.

Shift Options by mzerby

Outfit 1: Madewell white ivory dress / H&M black tight / Zara leather shoes / Marc by Marc Jacobs leather purse / Marc by Marc Jacobs stainless steel jewelry  / Bracelet jewelry   / Loop scarf

Outfit 2: Madewell white ivory dress / Navy opaque tight  / Lauren Ralph Lauren tall boots  / Madewell leather tote / Michael Kors watch / Gold bracelet / Forever 21 scarf

Second, I chose your basic pair of black pants. I love this pair in particular because they are fitted and have an ankle zip to give them a bit of flare. Your options are almost endless here. I kept the ensembles fairly classic but added pops of color, animal prints and statement necklaces. I also paired black pants with a navy top since I told you before that I’d be pairing these two colors from now on. I happen to own this top, and it’s even better in person.

Black Pants by mzerby

Outfit 1: Madewell ponte pants /  Gap chambray top / J.Crew purple jacket / J.Crew bootie boots / J.Crew j crew purse/ Tory Burch earrings / Betsey Johnson stainless steel jewelery

  Outfit 2: Madewell ponte pants / LOFT blue sweater / La Mer chain bracelet  / Pendant jewelry / Louise et Cie black ankle bootie / MICHAEL Michael Kors zipper tote

It’s always fun to re-think what’s in your closet. Sometimes it just takes someone else pointing it out to you. For those of you lucky enough to get dressed up everyday, enjoy it!!