What to wear to your office holiday party (III): MM LaFleur Giveaway!

    

If you've been following along, you'll know that I am obsessed with MM LaFleur (just check out my posts here and here) so it should come as no surprise that I would pick this deep red Nisa dress for part three of the "what to wear to your office holiday party" saga.  (Here's part one and two in case you missed it.) Not only does this maroon color scream Christmas, it fits like a glove and is wrinkle-free and machine-washable (say what?! Heellooo, Christmas miracle!). And as if that's not enough, it even has built in pockets so you can avoid all the awkward clutch-under-my-arm, champagne-in-one-hand, hors d'oeurves-in-another, please-just-grow-me-an-extra-arm juggling acts at your holiday party.  For a more glamorous look, top it all off with a fur vest and play up the warm tones with some gold jewelry. 

What to wear to your office holiday party (II)

So... I don't want to stress you out or anything but we are officially into the second week of December, which means there is only a little more than two weeks to get all your holiday shopping done. Factor in the shipping time and that's really only 2 weeks (if even!). So unless you're some kind of super human, super organized freak, I give you full permission to cue freak out now. (EEEEEK!) 

What to wear to your office holiday party

Oof, how is it the end of November already? 

The holiday season has managed to creep up on me again and with it means one thing - dressing for holiday parties. I'm sure you've got your go-to cocktail dress for a fancy night out or jewel toned gown for your black tie event, but what about that office holiday party? That has always been a head scratcher for me - how do you amp up your generic 9 to 5 look without going all sparkle crazy and skin tight sleazy? 

Lazy Sundays

   

Having a dress code at work means that half my closet is off limits during the work week. So on weekends, I relish in rolling around in the "comfortable section" that my closet has to offer. And while I'm never one to turn down a cozy sweater, there's a fine line between comfortably chic and looking like a dishevelled college kid who just stumbled out of the library at 4 am. 

What to wear to work: Grey Mesh

      

Shift dresses almost made me hate shopping. 

What to wear to work: Soft Trench

I have been looking to add another trench coat now that the weather is cooling down (is it though? You can hardly tell in HK...) and fell in love with this Elie Tahari version. 

What to wear: To a Daytime Wedding

This was an outfit I recently wore to a friend's daytime wedding reception. I was looking for something casual (to match the relaxed vibe of the reception) but elevated enough to celebrate their special day. So when I happened upon this top at Ted Baker, I knew I had hit a gold mine. The jewelled neckline instantly adds polish to the outfit while the crop top keeps it fresh and on trend. 

What to wear to work: Victorian Frills

As the weather starts to cool (or rather, as the A/C continues to be on full blast in my office), this

Transitional Dressing with MM LaFleur

What to wear to work: Zebra Stripes

I'm never one to shy away from bright colors or bold patterns (dressing for work is meant to be fun!) but on days when all you want to do is curl up in bed and watch the rain, I find myself gravitating towards the monochromatic tones in my closet.  So for those of you who hates (fears?) color, a little stripe on stripe action might be just what you're looking for. 

What to wear to work: Florals and Pastels

Thank goodness for weekends! I couldn't be happier to spend this rainy Saturday morning parked on my bed catching up on sleep, reading, and quality alone time.  Sending you a little pastel and floral love today. Have a wonderful weekend! :) 

What to wear to work: Bold on Muggy Wednesdays

On muggy, work's-got-you-backed-into-a-corner kind of days, I usually try to pick something bright to wear to work. Because whether it be that extra smile (or was it a smirk?) from a random passerby marvelling at your bold choice, or that genuine compliment from your favourite colleague, or maybe just finally taking a breather on making small talk about the weather (or this crazy market), you'd be surprised at how much of a difference it can make when you're having a rough day.  

It's truly the little things, the little things.  

What to wear to work: Casual Fridays

I had my first ever Casual Friday this past week and while I was stoked (omg, finally a break from pencil skirts! Full, long gaits here I come!), it quickly became clear I had no idea what a cross between weekend comfort and office friendly would look like. 

Weekend Travel: Bangkok

WHEN TO GO:

Do NOT go in the summer, I repeat, do NOT go in the summer. I went in July and it was a blistering 37C (98F) and wandering outdoors from temple to temple, market to market, resulted in a sweat I didn't even know I was capable of. 

Vacation Dressing: Temple edition

Since we're in full blown summer territory and most of you are well checked out of work and either literally or figuratively (I'm talking to you Mr. Maldives screensaver) on your way to some far flung destination, I thought it was time I deviated from the 9 to 5 office wear to something a little more vacation friendly. 

I recently spent a weekend in Bangkok (full travel post coming shortly!) and visited the Grand Palace, which was astounding in its grandeur and (almost) made the scorching 37C heat bearable.  But like most sacred sites, a conservative dress code was required for entry. This has always been a huge head scratcher for me - from temples in Cambodia to cathedrals in Italy, I've struggled with figuring out how to cover myself appropriately while not dissolving into a pool of sweat. 

That's when I discovered the power of this airy, knee grazing dress - well covered enough to get you into any religious monument yet breezy enough to keep you from getting a heat stroke. You can easily pull it over (and just as easily wiggle out of) your tank+shorts combo for the length of the visit  or wear it by itself without feeling weighed down by your skinny jeans.  

What to wear to work: Prints on Prints

When I was little, I used to hate florals or (let's be honest) prints of any kind and any patterned piece of clothing would be quickly relegated to the back of my closet. Lately though, I've been dipping my toes back in,  and what started off innocently with this floral pencil skirt has quickly spiraled into this full blown floral on floral ensemble.  

Santorini Sunshine

I want to tell you that Santorini is all kinds of beautiful but it just doesn't feel right to tell you a lie.  Those beautiful white houses topped with blue domes? They're only found in two tiny little towns filled to the brim with selfie sticks, Chinese tourists and wanna be fashion bloggers (oops, guilty, guilty and guilty? heheh...). It's like walking into Times Square in New York, but with better weather and fresher seafood.  I hate to break it to you but the island is not a swash of white and blue left and right, up and down. Instead, much of it is a rocky terrain dotted with sparse vegetation, like sprouts of hair on a balding head. 

Did I thoroughly ruin Santorini for you yet?

Good.

Breezy Swirls

"Hello there, my name is Jennifer. How do you do?"

It's been so long I feel like I have to reintroduce myself in case you've forgotten about me already. 

It's been a hell of a few weeks but I finally feel like I'm settling into a routine in Hong Kong. I'm starting to get the hang of where to go for lunch, when to go to avoid the crowds, but most importantly, how to get around without stepping out into the 100% humidity here. The air is so wet and heavy it feels like you're underwater. I kid you not when I tell you that the walls here sweat. Literally, they perspire. The walls.  

White Lace

Pinstripe

Yello, Spring!

Yello, spring! 

You sure took your sweet time didn't you?

Startup Spotlight: Standard Shirt

Since my last post on how to outsource your Valentine's Day to the start up world, I've been wondering if I could leverage the start up world for my work wardrobe. And after I've introduced you gals to OnePointSix and MM LaFleur, I thought it was only appropriate to share some of that love with my gents.  So today, I'm happy to introduce you boys to Standard Shirt, a start up focused on setting the standard for men's office wear one white button up shirt at a time.

I got a chance to sit down and speak with one of the co-founders - Paul Hsiao, so I'll let him tell you all about Standard Shirt in his own words. 

What to wear to work: MM Lafleur

With my recent move, I've been doing some major spring cleaning and have decided to streamline my closet to focus on investing in a few well tailored, key pieces that will last through the years (just check out my last post here).  

In the process, I discovered MM.LaFleur - a start up founded by a Harvard/Bain/PE alum and an ex-Zac Posen/Jason Wu/Theory designer (can you say power duo?!), dedicated towards taking the work out of dressing for work.  I've heard about them for quite some time now but always found myself pressing Alt+F4 instead of click through to checkout on their website. Their dresses looked too simple and plain to pique my interest and the price point was a tad too steep to propel me towards any spontaneous purchases in the past. Recently though, I decided to give them another try and made an appointment to check out their Soho showroom instead. 

And boy, was I glad. 

(Although I must say the complimentary espresso/champagne definitely helped!)

What to wear to work: Introducing OnePointSix

I've searched high and low for a well tailored, work appropriate black dress and I think I may have finally found it with OnePointSix, a start up focused on dressing the professional women. Not only is this dress made out of the most comfortable, jersey-like material, the beautiful detailing (from the white sleeves to the pleated back) takes it to the next level without any accessories. 

What to wear to work: Pastels on Rust

Review of Place Invaders, NYC's Secret Supper Club

A couple months back a friend excitedly told me about Place Invaders, a "private dining experience set in extraordinary homes in NYC". I was intrigued and thought a secret supper club might just be what I needed to get out of the monotonous depths of winter. So as soon as I got back to my desk, I went on to their website (bare bones, with nothing more than an elusive "Come invade with us!") and left my email address in hopes of finding out more.

A few weeks later, I got the following email -

30 minute meal: One tray dinner

If you've been following along, you'll know I'm a huge fan of putting dinner on the table (or let's be real, straight into my belly) using nothing but the ability to lay ingredients on top of each other. Just check out my love affair with open face sandwiches (here, here, here and here!) or this juicy, flavor packed salmon or this breakfast quiche.  All of which require nothing but assembling and maybe some mixing in between.

Today, I wanted to introduce you to another simple recipe that even a kitchen novice can handle - the hearty one tray dinner. It was a life saver throughout college when I truly had no idea how to cook, when scrambled eggs often meant surprise egg shells and anything involving a pan always ended up one shade too burnt. This recipe is so straightforward, all you need is a baking tray, an oven and the ability to sprinkle salt over your food. 

What to wear to work: A Dose of Spring

I promise I won't harp on the cold in this post because apparently an average person spends 10 whole months talking about the weather in their life (WA-BOOM!). And I think that time could be much better spent talking about all the fascinating things that are happening around us. Like this hilarious app where you play Marco Polo with your misplaced phone, or this robot that will feed you tomatoes as you run (why tomatoes though?). 

We engage in small talk often times because...

Casual Fridays: Bright Winter Layers

When I say it's cold, it is cooo-oooooold here in NYC.  

The bone chilling kind of cold where any sort of weekend plan outside of parking yourself under five layers of blankets in front of Netflix is utterly dreadful. (You think you can try to trick me out of my cocoon with bloody marys and poached eggs? Think again!)

What to wear to work: Valentine's Day edition

A start up guide to Valentine's Day

With startups out there for pretty much any and everything that you could possibly think of, I thought I would take advantage of all this proclaimed convenience and share with you how to outsource this whole Valentine’s ordeal to the startup world.  

30 minute meals: Persimmon, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Sandwich

There's really nothing easier and quicker than putting together a sandwich. But for years, scarred by one too many lunches made with ham one hue too pink and sliced Kraft cheese (ick), I strayed far, far away from any form of a make-my-own-sandwich situation. 

What to wear to... the gym?!

Since this blog is focused on the nuances of working life, I thought I'd share a few tips on how I managed to balance work and fitness. Or let's be real, how to add fitness into your working life.

For years I had been lazy, wanting to sit at home and watch TV after a long day at work instead of hitting the gym. And for too many New Year’s, I would tell myself - new year new me and resolve to work out at least once a week. Only to end the year feeling fat, drained and unaccomplished, and repeating the cycle the following year.  

This past year though, I finally put my foot down and decided it really was time to check this one off the list. I decided I had to come up with an actual step-by-step guide, instead of just going about my day with this lofty “I need to work out more” goal at the back of my mind.

Here are the four steps I took to get out of this fitness rut - 

Weekend Travel: Austin, USA

New York City is in the middle of a historic snowpocalypse and this whole snow-slapping-against-my-face and bracing myself for the 40 mph gusts of wind on my commute to work is making me dream of much milder temperatures. So if you’re like me and looking to escape the frigidity but aren't looking for a beach getaway (uh not even close to being bikini ready, pls), I strongly recommend Austin, TX.

What to wear to work: Vests

30 minute meals: Baked eggs & salsa

Sorry for the hiatus - jet lag got the best of me and I pretty much spent every free moment either knocked out on any flat surface I could find or trying desperately to fall asleep. But now that my sleeping (and eating!) schedule has returned to normal, I thought I'd share a quick recipe that I came up with in these last few days of sleepy delirium. 

What to wear to work: Casual Friday

Here's a casual one, for those of you lucky enough to not have a dress code for work.  I picked a top with a little sparkle on the sleeves, but covered it up with a slightly more proper tweed jacket to make it office friendly.  This is the perfect outfit for those of you with after work plans, all you gotta do is shed the tweed, add a clutch and voila - happy hour ready! 

What to do this weekend: Dyker Heights Christmas Lights, Brooklyn

Happy New Year!

If you still haven't gotten tired of anything and everything Christmas and you're looking for something different to do this weekend, go check out Dyker Heights in Brooklyn! It's a quaint suburban town drenched head to toe (or I guess floor to ceiling and foyer to chimney) in Christmas lights.  Every year, this predominantly Italian-American community competes for the most festive home (although in some cases, you'd think they were fighting for the gaudiest Christmas graveyard).  All New York City snarky-ness aside, some houses really are phenomenal, complete with carousels, elves workshops, life size snow globes and even dancing ballerinas! It really does give the decorations on NYC's Fifth Ave a run for its money.

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking.

What to wear to work: NYE edition

Happy New Year's Eve! 

I've always been a strong believer that NYE should be a public holiday. I mean honestly, wouldn't we all rather spend the last day of the year with family and friends, instead of frantically trying to wrap things up at work? But since this has yet to materialize, I guess we'll just make do with some sparkle. And tonight, all you have to do is swap out that button up and blazer for a silky camisole, add a bright lip and you're well on your way to kissing 2014 goodbye.