*All outfit details listed below* For today’s post, I’m excited to share a fun collaboration with Nine West where I styled three pairs of shoes for different meetings in my day-to-day life. I work in financial services which is client-focused, so my work attire can depend on what type of offices (some formal, some super casual) and contacts I’ll be meeting with each day.
Similar gingham shirt and swing trench coat
For a breakfast meeting, I’ve paired classic navy pants with a button-up blouse finished off with leopard-print loafers. The outfit is tailored enough to be business casual, while these flat, comfy smoking slippers are great for running around and commuting in. I’ve gotten lots of requests to show more flat shoes and absolutely love these – if you’re in between sizes, I’d suggest going half a size up due to the narrower fit and pointy toe.
For a more formal meeting with my clients’ CFO or their board, I’ve styled these heels with an outfit that is conservative and professional, but still with feminine details that are true to my style…
You can’t go wrong with solid closed-toe pumps, but I chose a thin herringbone pattern which appears all grey from afar (thus is still easy to style) and offers a little interesting texture closer up. I found sizing to be true to size with no slippage for narrow feet.
For after-work networking with fellow bloggers, I’ve paired these scalloped-top booties with a flared skirt and knotted blouse for a fun, casual look that’s a welcome change from office attire.
You guys know I love my ankle boots and I definitely think they can be flattering even on shorter legs. Look for ones with a dip down the middle which can be more lengthening than those cut straight across, or pair with dark tights or skinny denim to create a seamless leg line.
Hi! I love the belt with the leopard flats! Can you tell me where it's from?
Hi! I love the plaid shirt with the leopard flats and belt! Can you tell me where the belt is from?
So stylish – What size did you get in the Sloan pants?
Hi there. First of all, I love you! You have such a great sense of style and I'm finding your website and blog to be very inspiring. I can across reader comments and a reply from you that had to do with BR Sloan pants. From the comment that I read, I gathered that you had previously shared some advice on shrinking them in the dryer (!). I'd love it if you would re-post for me. I was unable to find anything by using the search. Thanks so much!
Simple love your outfit!! Especially the second outfit. So elegant!!
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Totally love the whole outfit. But I love the casual outfit. Find accessories that will add beauty to your outfit.
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Hi Isabel! It's called the Banana Republic cropped Heritage trench and might still be in stores. Unfortunately, it's not available in petite sizing so I had to get several alterations on it.
Hi! It's actually recent from Banana Republic, but sold out online.
Thank you so much! It's a navy gingham : )
Can you please tell me what's the coat in the first style?. Love that one. I'm almost the exact same size as you and same height.
Hi, I noticed you said that the trench you are wearing in the first outfit is old but I am wondering out of curiosity if that is Zara's short trench coat from a year or two ago? If so, wondering what size you purchased… 🙂
Thanks for the tips that you shared here. It really helped me a lot. I still needed to hire a personal shopper Singapore though, but I told her about this and the style that I wanted.
Hi Jean,
I love all the looks you have posted – its much appreciated from one petite girl to another! With the first one, is that a navy gingham print or black?
Hi there – I'm a huge fan of animal print accents because they contain so many neutral colors like black, brown, camel, etc. which work seamlessly with everyday outfits. I wear all of my leopard print shoes fairly regularly, whether it's with plain denim and a white blouse (as in the post right before this), red pieces, navy pieces, striped or gingham items, etc. Of course there are outfits where an extra print may be too busy, but in general I find leopard shoes to almost be more versatile than solids (with the exception of solid black or nude shoes : ).
Hi – hope you are enjoying NYC, which I think is quite the change of pace from Boston living : ) These photos were actually taken in Chicago.
Hi there! Yes I machine wash my Sloan pants repeatedly. I will note that if you don't want them to shrink, avoid any machine drying, since I was intentionally shrink these down a little and they did quickly with drying on medium heat. I would suggest machine wash cold and then hanging/air dry. Please do note this is at your own risk though since the tag does instruct dry cleaning, but I have personally not experienced issues machine washing them.
Hi Jean- Long time lurker here and love your blog. Was wondering if you would considered the leopard print smoking shoes too bold/noticeable for every day wear (I have always thought of animal prints as occasional accents) or do you think with the right combination it can be worn on a frequent basis. Appreciate your input!
hello! enjoying your blog very much.
i used to live in boston (now nyc) and i was wondering where you are in the breakfast setting? where are those coffee cups from? thank you!
Hi, Jean! I really like your first look! It's so simple, effortless yet so chic and work appropriate. I wonder if you can share with me how you would clean the BR Sloan pants you wore in this look. I really like the look of this pants, but I found it on online that it requires" dry clean". Have you tried washing it by yourself? Does it work? Or you think it's dry cleaning only. Thank you!
Hi there – I wouldn't get too creative with job interview outfits and just stick to the classic and professional navy, black, or grey suit : ) This is an old post but the "after" is what I would probably still wear to an interview even though it's years later: https://www.extrapetite.com/2011/02/reader-request-building-confidence.html
Thank you for your sweet comment! That means a lot to me
Thank you Jen for your suggestion! I would also suggest reading reviews on Amazon. And yikes about the burnt blouses! I used to own a steamer but it got caked with calcium buildup so now I just iron my silk and poly items on very, very low heat. Sometimes I hang blouses or dresses up while taking a hot shower to let major wrinkles fall out, which only works if your bathroom is very compact and the steam builds up (probably not good for my walls : )/
Thank you! If you have a teasing brush, lift pieces at the top of your head and brush backwards (you can google or YT basic teasing) to get volume, then push into a little poof at the top of your head and secure with 2 criss-crossed bobby pins. Gather rest of hair into one ponytail and wrap the entire ponytail against a thin 1" barrel curling iron (it'll be tough to get thick ponytails around the iron, but that'll help create the loose wave). I hope once I become a little more adept at self-filming, I can make a YT video showing this simple process.
Thank you so much for your kind words & feedback! It was fun being part of their email but especially rewarding to hear from a longtime reader like yourself.
Hi Jackie – I really hope you like them! They have been my go-to commuting and weekend shoe lately : )
Good point, Julia – I only really get more 'daring' with color when I've meet clients several times and know what their office style is, both formal or casual alike. Would not recommend something non-conventional like yellow for conservative settings or people : )