We’ve had some fun in the past couple of weeks, putting together outfits for work with things we might not normally wear to work – like sequins. But today my nose is back to the grindstone as I put together an ensemble with something that is easily work-appropriate: the high-waisted pant!

High waisted pants are still on trend, so for those of you that want to take advantage of that, I can help you out. Let’s see what I did here:

High Waist Trouser in Black ………. $19.99
Polka Dot Tee ………. $7.99
Steve Madden Oxfords in Lavender ………. $19.99
Mixed Tape Cardigan in Dark Rosewood ………. $49.50

Let’s talk about what I did here. The pants are high-waisted, and look really comfortable. I went with black and paired them with this lavender and gray polka dotted shirt, because lavender works so well with black. I went with printed lavender oxfords, because oxford shoes are really in right now, and I liked the different pattern.

Since the tee has short little sleeves, I figured you might want a cardigan to keep this work-friendly. (Or not – your office might be casual enough for you to just wear the tee, tucked into your pants, of course, otherwise, what’s the point of high-waisted pants?) I kept things in the same color family by going with this dark purple cardigan. BUT – and this is important – do not button it.

You guys know that I sometimes get a little desperate when trying to put everything together for under $100. I wanted to find a dark purple cardigan that wasn’t banded at the bottom, but this was the one I liked the most, because it’s J.Crew and it’s awesome. But the banding on the bottom is problematic, because cardigans with bands on the bottom have their own shape, and should really be worn over dresses or skirts.

But if you don’t button it and leave it open for a slouchy and comfy look, the cardigan’s shape won’t be emphasized and it will look just fine with pants. Of course, if you have an unbanded purple cardigan of your own, I highly encourage the substitution.

Again, if you leave the cardigan unbuttoned, it won’t be a problem at all. And there we have a lovely work ensemble built around high-waist pants!

We are always on the look out for the perfect pair of jeans, bag, sweater etc. that we can pair with any outfit, any day of the week. After all, when you work long hours with no time for yourself, every little bit counts. So, if you can save yourself a half hour in the morning because you have that fabulous sweater in your closet (in 3 different colors) then ladies, I say- work it.

Here is a fantastic way to sport over-the-knee boots for a very appropriate business casual look! I am partial to the flat over-the-knee boot. It’s also much easier to work with in order to avoid toting the line of the ‘hooker boot’ look. However I declare that Jimmy Choo would dare not cross such a line! There is also the look below with Marc by Marc Jacobs being the genius label that it is, featuring over-the-knee boots that you can fold down if you feel over-the-knee is just a bit too tall for the workplace. Going out after work? Roll those boys up, lose the sweater and don a long gold chain and bangles, and you can strut your way straight into cocktail hour!

And remember how I said I was drooling over the over-the-knee riding boot? Well I can’t ignore my latest fashion obsession in a rundown of my coveted working looks! These gorgeous Frye boots may be worn very well by yours truly on an upcoming Casual Friday with dark skinny jeans, a tucked-in ruffled silk ivory blouse, an elbow-length black boyfriend jacket and cuff bracelet. My coworker may then realize that over-the-knee boots are not only office friendly, but almost a fashion necessity!

What we loved the most about this look (besides that it’s an ideal go-to work look with a statement bag) was the tagline, “In honor of #teampencilskirt.” What a fantastic hashtag! We here at TheWorkingWardrobe would absolutely love to be on that team!

Here she stated that this is her new favorite dress. We can tell you that based on this image, orange is definitely our new favorite belt color.

Do you want to be a part of our “What I Wear to Work” series? Email a photo, your first name and industry to rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com! OR you can tweet your photo to us here. You can even get all crazy and post it on our Facebook fan page! Whatever medium you so choose, we’d love to see what you wear to work!

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve been experimenting with adding certain things to the work wardrobe that we might not add otherwise – things like sequins and shorts. This week, I’m continuing this trend by showing you a great way to introduce more plaid into your work wardrobe.

Plaid was really big last fall and is still around, solidly in place, and chances are, you’ve probably already worn plaid to work. But you probably felt a little guilty doing it, like you were suddenly opting for far too casual a look…or because you looked like a lumberjack.

There are plenty of ways to wear plaid to work guilt-free, and here’s an example:

Charcoal Wash Skinny Jeans ………. $15
Gauzy Smocked Top in Black ………. $24.50
Boyfriend Cardigan in Turquoise Sea ………. $23.99
Buckled Ankle Boot in Cognac ………. $21.80

I picked this gauzy plaid top just because it caught my eye and I really liked it, but rest assured that a normal plaid shirt with a collar and little pockets and everything is just fine, too. I paired it with these black skinny jeans. Since this is a gauzy smocked top deal, you don’t need to tuck it in because that would look ridiculous. If this were a normal plaid shirt, all lumber-jack-style, I’d definitely tuck it in.

I added this turquoise cardigan for some color, plus I like the length. It’ll look longer with the tucked in shirt, and will make you look leaner. Plus, it’s a nice feminine touch.

For the shoes, I went with rich, warm brown booties that you’d obviously tuck the skinny jeans into. I own boots a lot like these but in black, and they’re absolutely adorable. And the best part? I can dress them up for an evening out or dress them down so I can wear them with jeans and not look fancy.

I was, sadly, unable to find a bag to include in this ensemble, but I’d go with a black leather satchel with silver hardware. It would look absolutely adorable. (Because, remember, you don’t always have to match your bag with your shoes. After all, this isn’t your mother’s working wardrobe!)

Sometimes as an intern, you will be asked to attend events such as networking functions, panels, holiday association parties, and even golf outings. When this opportunity comes along I suggest you plan your outfit ahead of time to avoid any nervous breakdowns. It also doesn’t hurt to ask around on what to wear – play the ‘intern’ card and admit a bit of ignorance. People won’t judge you and they will actually most likely look at your efforts as a good sign that you want to make a good impression. That is never a bad thing in the working world. Here’s a good look for a networking event in the corporate world.

Chances are this may be a bit too much on the formal side for your industry. I’ve discussed attire for the arts industry in the past, so don’t think I didn’t ignore you musicians and fashion folk out there!

Have you ever gone thrifting and magically came across that one piece instigating the reaction of, “oh. my. gawwwd. I must have that”? Well, I for one definitely have and sometimes that piece ends up sitting in my closet collecting dust while other times I put it to good use.  I would hate the former to happen to you, so I’ve taken a vintage concept and put it into a modern work look that I feel could class up any office space. A good rule of thumb is to pair your vintage item with other pieces you already have in your closet.

Do you want to be a part of our “What I Wear to Work” series? Email a photo, your first name and industry to rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com!

I got yet another email from a reader that referred to my last post here, where I discussed making shorts work-appropriate. This one is kind of in the same vein, in that Melanie wants to know if there’s any way for her to show up at work wearing her favorite sequin-embellished tank top.

I’m not going to sit here and scold all of you for even daring to think of wearing tank tops to work. Hardly! I’m actually a huge fan of lacy camisoles, and I love wearing them under brightly colored cardigans. One of my fellow law students has a similar love of corsets and bustiers, and admits that she’s been known to show up to court or work wearing a bustier over a collared dress shirt, under her suit jacket.

The point is, there are always ways to gussy up your favorite articles of clothing that would usually be too sexy for the work place – like tank tops, camisoles, and, yes, corsets and bustiers.

So I found a pretty embellished tank and created an outfit around it that would absolutely be work-appropriate.

Tapered Skinny Dress Pants ………. $15
Hannah Studded Tank in Grey ………. $19.99
Solid Varsity Cardigan in Grey ………. $39.50
Spring Flat in Purple ………. $22.99

I picked a pair of skinny dress pants that hit the ankle, no lower. They’re like work-appropriate skinny jeans! I know a lot of you really dig the skinny jean trend that’s been around for…forever. It sure seems like forever, at any rate, doesn’t it?

I paired them with this studded/sequined tank. It was one of the better ones I could find in our price range. Feel free to go with one that’s more heavily sequined, because what we’ve done here in this outfit is really dress it down, so a more glittery tank would still work.

I dressed the sparkly tank down by picking a long, modest cardigan in the same color. I absolutely adore this varsity cardigan from Delia’s. And to finish off the outfit and add a pop of bright color, I picked these purple flats. I wanted to find studded flats, but these were the best I could do for our price range. Check out the embellishments, though – they’re kind of studded. It ties in with the tank and pulls it all together.

To accessorize, consider throwing on a silver bracelet or two, and a gold one, to tie into the buttons and just add some interest. It’s totally on trend to mix the materials of your bracelets (bronze, gold, silver, leather), and here, I’d go with two silver and one gold.

And there you have a fool-proof way to dress down sequins so you’ve got an ensemble that’s low-key but polished enough for the office!

Yes we may only be half way through the summer but that doesn’t mean our favorite stores haven’t begun to put fall clothes on their racks. It is my firm belief that while it is acceptable to start showing fall clothes at this time, it doesn’t mean some of us don’t still need a few summer dresses.