Back to Basics Starter Work Capsule Outfit Options

Back to Basics Starter Work Capsule for under $250 Outfit Options

Striped Sweater • Gap | Black Sweater • Mango | Green Sweater • Mango | White Blouse • H&M |
Black Blouse • Mango | Pencil Skirt • Stefanel | Dress Pants • Uniqlo | Blazer • Mango Outlet |
Trench • H&MLeopard Flats • Sole Society | Heels • Michael Kors | Boots • Sole Society |
Black Purse • Sole Society | Blue Purse • Guess

I probably should have included these outfits with the original post of The Back to Basics Work Capsule for Under $250 but I honestly had not finished them when I posted it, so you may want to look back at the original to get the background of this.

In that post, I discussed taking your wardrobe down to its bones so you can see how many items that you already own could be brought forth and used in your work wardrobe.

After you finish that I showed you a small little collection of items that when added to pieces that you already own can give you a very versatile and well-rounded work wardrobe.

I put together 12 outfits from that small collection which will turn in to an innumerable amount of options once you integrate your other pieces.

If I added those to what I currently have in my wardrobe that could be brought forth I could easily put together 2 months worth of work outfits without repeating a day and I don’t have a lot of “workish” pieces.

That is a lot of options for only spending an extra $250.

Now, to a lot of people, $250 may seem like a huge expense which is why I am a huge advocate for finding things in thrift/second-hand stores, Ebay, and thredup.

This will give you the same options for a fraction of the price, and really, who doesn’t like to save money?

I really wish that I had a setup here in the apartment that would allow me to photograph me wearing some of these outfits vs the collages to give you a better visual of how they look once you add accessories.

Kind of like a store mannequin. But I don’t have a DSLR camera, ample lighting, or a proper white background so the collages will have to do for the time being.

I know they can be a bit impersonal and it is something that I am looking to change so I can to give alternate visuals.

I hope that these two last posts allow you to see that you do not have to spend a lot of money to freshen up your work wardrobe, you just need a little ingenuity.

Have a great weekend guys!

This post contains affiliate links. By using my links to shop I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks for supporting what I do 🙂

Back to Basics Starter Work Capsule for under $250

Back to Basics Starter Work Capsule for under $250 #capsule #workwardrobe #capsulewardrobe #staples #basics #livelovesara

Scenario: You are starting a new job that has a more professional dress code than your closet is equipped for. You have pieces that you can use and get away with but you need to up your game and build a work capsule for under $250.

First: I suggest stripping your current wardrobe down to the bones and bring forward anything that you can use for your new work wardrobe.

Try things on in a more formal way, like adding a blazer or slipping on some heels and see if that moves it from a casual wardrobe to work.

I give five simple steps for building a work wardrobe in this post that will help you get an idea of where you stand, and what you may need.

Next: Once you have gone through those steps I suggest looking for your pieces at thredup, ebay, or used/consignment stores.

That are so many treasures and deals that you can find there and many times you can find things that look like they have never been worn and even still have tags.

This will save you tons and allow you to get some extra pieces if you wish.

I’ve put together some suggestions that start with a small collection of pieces that most women already have in their closets. There is no point in buying something when you have pieces that will work.

In my experience most women have at least one of the of the following in their wardrobes:

Most women also have at least a small collection of accessories like jewellery and scarves which can completely change and dress up and outfit.

The pieces that I have selected to add I picked for their cohesiveness. That is important when you want to make as many outfits as possible with as little pieces as possible.

The new addition pieces I have selected are:

Grand Total: $226.85 
(which can be made way lower if you find these pieces second-hand)

In the next post I am going to show a bunch of outfit combinations from these pieces so you can see how they can all be paired.

I hope that this gives you a start on your new work wardrobe.

Do you have a favourite second-hand retailer for finding great pieces?

This post contains affiliate links. By using my links to shop I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks for supporting what I do 🙂

What I Wore This Week

What I Wore This Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore This Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore This Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore This Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore This Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

Outfit 1 – Blouse • H&M (similar) | Pants • H&M | Booties • DSW (similar)
Outfit 2 – Leather Jacket • Zara | Sweater • Mango | Watch • Daniel Wellington
Outfit 3 – Sweater • Zara (similar) | Jeans • H&M (similar) | Jacket • Zara | Knit Hat • old (similar) | Shoes • Converse |
Outfit 4 – Sweater • Zara (other colours) | Pants • H&M | Purse • Zara (similar) | Shoes • Adidas |
Outfit 5 – Shirt • Brandy Melville | Jeans • Gap

When it’s Sunday night and your husband has been away working on site all week. You glance around with your outsider eyes and notice how bad the kids have kicked the shit out of the apartment. The apartment that you let slide because it is/was the last few days of Christmas vacation and you really didn’t feel like constantly cleaning while on holidays.  With him due home any time you cringe, maybe weave some swear words together, then rally the troops (ie. the kids) who may or may not be very helpful.  They have the tendency to start strong and then fizzle out to nothing when they get side tracked with missing toys, or are suddenly starving and perishing of thirst. Cleaning brings out the drama in everyone.

So I just cleaned the shit out of the place and now have to prep for school tomorrow. The girls are going to be pissed but I am amping up the work load since Roo is getting so close to high school age (I can’t believe it) shit is starting to get serious. I found 14 pencils when I vacuumed out the couch so we are off to a good start 😉

You know how you get sucked down holes when you are looking online? Like, you start searching something and then end up in a completely different universe? That happens to me on Wikipedia a lot, but today I started looking up slider recipes because I remember seeing one of those Facebook cooking videos that was “Sliders 4 Ways” which I neglected to save and couldn’t find, and somehow I ended up discovering a really cool fashion book. It is called The Fashion Sketchbook by Atsuko Kikuchi, and is written in Japanese. I kind of want it in the original language, but I found a French Version. It’s called Mon Fashion Sketchbook which will be easier for me too muddle through since I am studying French (no matter if I still suck).  The writer/artist is on Instagram under the name oookickooo where she posts pages/art from the book. I jet spent a hour scrolling though and clicking on everything. I searched all over online trying to find a copy with a decent price and shipping which I found at bookdepository.com for $19 (Canadian) and free worldwide shipping. I buy from there a lot and I recommend them.

Side Note: My Ancestry DNA sample arrived at the lab so my mailing worries were for naught. Now to wait 6-8 weeks for my results 🙁 

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What I Wore This Week and some Thoughts on the New Year

 

What I Wore this Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore this Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore this Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore this Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore this Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

Outfit 1 – Sweater • H&M | Pants • H&M | Purse • Zara (similar) | Shoes • Adidas
Outfit 2 – Sweater • H&M | Pants • H&M | Jacket • Zara (similar) | Shoes • Converse | Watch • Daniel Wellington
Outfit 3 – Blouse • H&M (similar) | Sweater • Mango | Jeans • Zara | Shoes • Converse | Knit Hat • old (similar)  | Purse • Zara (similar)
Outfit 4 – Plaid Shirt • Zara (similar) | Jeans • Zara
Outfit 5 – Leather Jacket • Zara | Skirt • Zara (similar)

When I was young I thought at this age I would have it all figured out. I would have my shit together, confidence, and a mental maturity that seems like the epitome of grown up. What no adult tells you is that while physically you age, mentally you will still retain that 18-year-old self to an extent. While I may not give as many fucks anymore, I still hate making doctors appointments, ordering pizza, and entertaining(my small talk skills suck). They make me nervous and I literally have to write down what I am going to say so I don’t mess it up. For 2017 I want to try to get out of my comfort zone a bit. Maybe join a class, or a book club. I’d really like to take some college classes as well. We shall see.

While I am still learning French, it’s not as much or as focused as I would like so I want to change that. I also want to throw another language in to the mix. I’m thinking either Dutch, Swedish, or Danish. Rosetta Stone keeps sending holiday sale emails and it’s really hard not to order one. When it comes down to it there are so many other affordable or free programs that work just as well if not better but Rosetta Stone has a “fun” factor. Damn that user-friendly and fun interface 😉

My last area I would like to work on is my health and wellness. I need to smarten up and realize that I have reached an age where I have to seriously start taking care of myself. Self neglect is a bad habit to break and I have to try to find a workout regime that actually works for me. Any suggestion for someone who has to workout from home?

Do you have any goals or resolutions for this year?

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How to style a Pair of Oxfords

How to Style Oxford Shoes 10 Looks One Pair of Shoes via #livelovesara

Oxfords have been around forever with their menswear inspired roots but the last couple of years have become a fashion staple in many women’s wardrobes. They are extremely versatile and be taken from casual, to workwear, to dressy with ease. I love the look of oxfords, I don’t have a pair though. The closest I have come was with a pair of 3-hole oxford style Dr. Marten’s. I still love Doc Marten’s and totally regret getting rid of them all.

I received an email from someone who has this pair of Cole Haan black oxfords and she is stuck in a style rut with them. She asked me if I could put together some outfit ideas to give her some inspiration on how to pair them with a range of different looks. I put together 10 outfits that cover many different styles and occasions with examples of causal to dressy and everything in between. Oxfords are easy to wear if you don’t over think it. They add a fun touch to a super feminine outfit, but also a casual coolness to leather and jeans.

When it comes to pulling off a look, as long as you feel good in it, and confident you can wear anything. Below are the 10 outfit ideas I put together using the above Cole Haan Oxfords as the shoe.

You can find some other outfit ideas on Pinterest here.

Happy New Year Guys! See you next week. A Vancouver packing list is on the agenda.

Links for the Outfits are below.

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How to Style Oxford Shoes 10 Looks One Pair of Shoes via #livelovesara

Outfit 1 – Striped Shirt • Uniqlo | Jeans • H&M | Jacket • Mango | Purse • Matt & Nat |
Outfit 2 – Sweater • H&M |  Wide Leg Pants • H&M | Black Purse • Elle & Jae Gypset |
Outfit 3 – Wrap Top • H&M | Waxed Jeans • H&M | Snakeskin Clutch • Topshop |
Outfit 4 – White Blouse • H&M | Blazer • H&M | Jeans • H&M | Colour Block Purse • Neiman Marcus |
Outfit 5 – White T-shirt • J.Crew | Boyfriend Jeans • Madewell | Cardigan • H&M | Cabernet Bag • Madewell |
Outfit 6 – Grey Cardigan • Uniqlo | Black Pants • H&M | Hat • Iris & Ink | Crossbody • Dune |
Outfit 7 – Striped Dress • Knot Sisters | Sunglasses • Nordstrom | Cognac Purse • Neiman Marcus |
Outfit 8 – Wrap Shirt • Topshop | Skirt • H&M | Velvet Clutch • Asos |
Outfit 9 – Navy Sweater • H&M | Jacket • Mango | Jeans • H&M | Scarf • Roxy | Two Tone Purse • Farfetch |
Outfit 10 – White T-shirt • J.Crew | Waxed Jeans • H&M | Blazer • H&M | Pink Clutch • Asos |

What I Wore This Week

What I Wore This Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore This Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore This Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore This Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore This Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

What I Wore This Week #wiw #ootd #livelovesara

Outfit 1 – Distressed Sweater • Zara | Jeans • Gap | Boots • DSW (similar) | Purse • Zara
Outfit 2 – Sweater • Zara | Jeans • H&M
Outfit 3 – T-shirt • Brandy Melville | Blazer • H&M (similar) | Jeans • Gap | Boots • DSW (similar)
Outfit 4 – Blouse • H&M (similar) | Jeans • Gap | Purse • Zara
Outfit 5 – Peasant Blouse • H&M super old (similar) | Jeans • H&M (similar)
Outfit 6 – Kimono Shirt • Zara | Jeans • Zara | Boots • DSW (similar) | Purse • Zara

Well, Christmas is over and a lot of stuff happened this weekend. First and foremost my Aunt Lynda (my mother’s older sister) passed away after 4 years of rapidly declining from the complications of diabetes. It was expected and she welcomed it, but it truly doesn’t make it easier does it?

On Tom’s last day of work last week he was hit by a car. He is fine but it shows you how quick something can happen. He was at a gas station filling up his work truck and went in to pay. He then walked out in to the brightly lit overhang (it was night-time but it was really bright there) and as soon as he stepped out of the door a woman drove past and somehow managed to simultaneously run over his foot and hit him so he ended up rolling on the front hood. She then had the audacity to blame him because he was wearing black although it was like daylight under there. Needless to say there were witnesses who gave Tom their cards if he wanted to press charges and needed witnesses. He went back to work where the on site medic looked him over and he was fine. Not even a broken toe.

As I was typing this I just aw that George Michael passed away. Please let 2017 be better than 2016.

Take care of yourselves friends.

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