The Closet Coach

This week is part 2 of my 3-part outfit photo series showing you how to use a versatile fitted blazer to make Working Mom Outfits in 3 of the 5 levels, from a Level 2/Weekend Chic all the way to Level 4/Client Meeting.

Today it’s Level 3, Casual Friday. That means it’s just enough nicer than our Weekend Chic look to be appropriate for most workplaces.

The outfit’s three main foundation pieces stay the same from Level 2 last week: the blazer itself, the V-neck sweater and the denim.

Instead, the difference here is in the details of the accessories: a knotted neck scarf in animal print instead of a hand-knit necklace; pointed-toe, heeled boots instead of flat ones; and the addition of a chunky wooden bracelet.

In fact, any time you want to boost an outfit you’re wearing up a notch, think accessories. It’s such an easy way to look just that little bit better than you would have otherwise.

And who doesn’t want to look a little bit better?

Blazer: Calvin Klein (similar, on sale for $180, Ann Taylor).
Sweater: Banana Republic (similar, $30, Kohls).
Jeans: Habitual (similar, $195, Nordstrom).
Boots: Impo (similar, on sale for $130, Zappos).
Scarf: Express (similar, $45, Nordstrom).
Outfit level: 3

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A really great-fitting blazer is one of the most versatile pieces you can own in your wardrobe. Dress it up, dress it down; you always look just a little better when you put one on.

This week I’m starting a 3-part outfit photo series to show you how you can use a blazer to make Working Mom Outfits in 3 of the 5 levels, from a Level 2/Weekend Chic all the way to Level 4/Client Meeting.

Today it’s Level 2, and this one takes the least amount of fuss. Since it’s the weekend, you know we’re wearing denim! I struck a balance between super casual and dressy by wearing my lighter wash Habitual jeans.

I could’ve worn a T-shirt under the blazer, but since it’s winter I opted for a simple V-neck sweater.

For fun, I spiced the outfit up a little bit with my leopard print booties. To keep the jewelry at a Level 2, I wore a handmade knit choker a friend bought for me at a craft show a zillion years ago.

And if I wanted to go Level 1/Weekend Casual, all I’d have to do is replace the blazer with a soft button-front shirt or tan hoodie.

Goes to show how much this one piece elevates the level of an outfit, doesn’t it?

Blazer: Calvin Klein (similar, on sale for $180, Ann Taylor).
Sweater: Banana Republic (similar, $30, Kohls).
Jeans: Habitual (similar, $195, Nordstrom).
Boots: Pencey Melun (was $275, on sale for $123, Neiman Marcus).
Necklace: Handmade (similar, $18, Etsy).
Outfit level: 2

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Last week’s outfit post was intended to show how you can take an outfit from one level of the 5 Levels of Working Mom Outfits and tweak it slightly to take it to another level.

I started with a Level 3/Casual Friday outfit (as I would define it for my workplace). This week, I’ve reworked the pieces to make a Level 4/Client Meeting outfit.

Although it looks like the top half is different, the 3 pieces are actually the same. This time, I wore the vest over the denim shirt instead of underneath. This allowed me to button both garments which I thought might give me a more streamlined torso.

I also knotted the scarf slightly differently to make it a little looser.

What makes this outfit a Level 4, however, is the bottom half; I swapped corduroy jeans for a skirt and tights.

I still have on brown boots with 2-inch heels, except this pair are knee high while last week’s were ankle boots. Even so, if it weren’t so cold, I could’ve kept the original pair of boots on and still had a Level 4 outfit.

In other words, just one item made the difference in levels for me. When you wear a skirt, you’re always just a bit dressier, don’t you think?

Turtleneck: Lands End (similar, Three Dots, $55).
Vest: H&M (similar, Coldwater Creek, on sale for $20).
Denim shirt: Old Navy (similar, $78, Zappos).
Skirt: H&M (similar, Jones New York, on sale for $45).
Boots: Aerosoles, Gather Round (on sale, $88, Endless.com).
Scarf: JCPenney (similar, Nine West, $24).
Outfit level: 4

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One of the things I talked about in my series The 5 Levels of Working Mom Outfits was how to transition from one outfit level to another.

Often many of the pieces are the same; the difference is in accessories, or shoes, or one garment.

In the next two outfit posts I’m going to show you how this works by starting with a Level 3/Casual Friday outfit and then bumping it up to a Level 4/Client Meeting.

(Those are the levels for my workplace, anyway; you might consider these two outfits a Level 2/Weekend Chic and Level 3/Casual Friday. Either way, they differ by a level of dressiness–as you’ll see.)

We got our first dusting of snow for the season (thus the indoor photography), so I turned to layers once again. Because it’s apparently my new theme, the bottom layer was a turtleneck.

I wondered what it would look like topped with the vest I got last summer, so I added that. I could’ve gone the 3-piece suit route and added a blazer, but I thought a denim shirt might be interesting instead.

And what works better with denim than brown corduroy? (Peeking through at the waistline is a red belt, not brown; I was inspired by the way Allie recently wore an orange belt with black and tan.)

The final two pieces that make this outfit a Level 3 to me instead of a Level 2 are the flowing animal print scarf (which I slip-knotted to make a sort of cravat for my menswear-inspired vest) and the pointed-toe heeled boots.

Take the scarf off and put on flats and it would definitely be a more casual outfit, don’t you think?

Turtleneck: Lands End (similar, Three Dots, $55).
Vest: H&M (similar, Coldwater Creek, on sale for $20).
Denim shirt: Old Navy (similar, $78, Zappos).
Corduroy pants: J. Brand (similar, 612 Corduroy Pencil Leg, $172).
Boots: DSW (similar, Bandolino, $76).
Scarf: JCPenney (similar, Nine West, $24).
Outfit level: 3

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I may have set a new speed record for the photo shoot for this outfit; it was 28 degrees outside on a Sunday morning when I rushed out, sans coat, and tried to find a spot with some sun to stand in.

This outfit was inspired by an article I read in a back issue of InStyle magazine on menswear. They were giving advice on how to wear such items as a shirtdress or long dress shirt.

The inspiration outfit paired a long shirt with a skirt, so I pulled out this electric blue collared tunic I recently bought and matched it up with a black and white patterned skirt.

Since I’m on a roll with turtlenecks, I naturally wore one underneath. (Also: 28 degrees.)

As for the tights, I remembered I had a pair in almost the identical blue color. But they were also a more sheer weight, not warm enough by themselves. Sudden brain storm: why not wear them under an equally lightweight pair of black patterned tights?

For the shoes, I could have worn my black knee-high leather boots. Again. Instead I chose what I call my Eiffel tower shoes; the cutout on the instep reminds me of the Paris landmark. (They also feel a bit Downton Abbey, right?)

The final piece was a simple long silvertone pendant on a black silk cord from Express that I’ve had for ages and ages, possibly even decades. A look this minimalist never gets dated.

Turtleneck: Mossimo ($12.99, Target).
Tunic top: Calvin Klein (vaguely similar, $74, J Jill).
Skirt: LOFT (similar, $49.99 on sale, Ann Taylor).
Shoes: Indigo by Clarks Plush Weave ($109.99, Zappos).
Necklace: Express (similar, $64.99 on sale, Calvin Klein).
Outfit level: 4

[Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links.]

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