Work to Play Look
When I was packing Gina for her long adventure in Sydney, I had to make sure most of the pieces in her suitcase could pull double duty: work, play, events, coaching intensives, the beach—this global entrepreneur is one busy lady.
This outfit was styled for both work and play. Gina was meeting and spending the day with some notable women in Sydney, so she needed to look professional and chic, but she also planned some personal time to hang out, explore the city and do some shopping. We built the look around 3 simple and comfortable pieces that came together to create something spectacular. In the business world, you call this synergy—where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In my world, we call it style.
Ahh, the elusive third piece. This is something many women take for granted when putting an outfit together, but for me, it’s the difference between a woman who just gets dressed everyday, and one who makes an effort towards amazing style.
What the heck is a “third piece” you ask? Well, it can be any number of things that help to complete your look, or add that extra something special without a ton of effort: a cardigan, a statement necklace, a cool coat or topper, a scarf, a hat—or in Gina’s case, this structured white Dolce e Gabbana blazer. I call these pieces “completers” and they help to elevate your everyday style in a major way. Are you taking notes yet?
Gina’s look is made up of three simple pieces that are crisp, structured and tonal—when they come together the look is feminine, but still strong and professional.
It starts with the top, a long floaty tank with a chevron-pleated neckline from popular Australian label Sass & Bide. The longer length offers extra coverage at the hips and bum, and helps balance the slim shape on bottom. The pinstripe grey leggings are borrowed from the boys—with a suiting stripe that’s inspired by classic menswear fabrics. The vertical lines help to slim and elongate the leg line even further.
The third piece, that helps complete the look, is a structured white blazer we pulled from Gina’s closet at the last minute. The blazer was part of a suit we broke up to build on this new outfit. When you’re looking to add a dash of professional style to almost anything, a blazer is always an effortless add-on.
Since we kept this outfit rather simple in tone and texture, we needed a statement-making pop of color or pattern to amp things up a bit. This zebra print Gucci handbag was ladylike and edgy all at once, adding just the right amount of interest to Gina’s look.
A pair of pointy pumps in basic black polished things up, while a vintage tasseled lariat necklace in black-and-white made for a perfect finish.
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