Nothing to Wear

"Seriously - I didn't understand why it was necessary to have a LBD just hanging in your closet, but now I totally get it," I groaned, heaving piles of once loved, perfectly fitting ensembles that would have been ideal for a wedding 45+ pounds ago.

Stuffing hangers over the doorway and furiously texting my girlfriends and sister-in-law, I debated over sporting animal print, then figured there was no hiding that madness in the tiny Danforth chapel. Finally I landed on a stretchy KU blue dress and sassed it up with some accessories. As I trudged through the house implementing final dressing details, I realized the only black tights I had were maternity and that my arms resembled tree trunks. Le sigh.

This scrambling at the zero hour was not a new practice of mine. In fact, we learned more than six months ago our office would return to business casual and yet I had not done any shopping to prepare for this transition. Perhaps it was because I was avoiding the "hey I kinda sorta just had a 10 pound baby and began weaning so everything's bigger that I wish were smaller and smaller that I wish were bigger" situation.

But: a girl's gotta start somewhere.

So of course I started at LOFT and Nordy's to build back up that business casual wardrobe for Monday through Thursday (Friday is still denim friendly). Here are some finds if you find yourself in a similar situation:

Cardis - dig the Halogen ones at Nordstrom as they are affordable, washable, 3/4 sleeve and versatile

Black and gray trouser pants; love the LOFT Julie or Alfani style

Pleated LOFT blouse that's comfy and hides all the new wobbly bits

Calvin Klein houndstooth jacket for a touch of flare that you can pair with almost any color to mix it up

And as Melanie Knopke shared, start with some basics (cardi, great jackets, dark denim) and a few printed tops and go from there.

It worked for work!

Happy shopping!