My husband and I are having a date tonight, and I have no idea what to wear (I have about six hours to decide, which should be plenty of time, but still). I am completely stumped, you all.

Here’s the scoop: We’re going to a charity auction for a group my husband is involved with, so this is essentially a work function for him. The event is dinner, a silent auction, a live auction, and a performance by Toby Keith. The whole shindig is taking place at a casino outside Oklahoma City.

Oh, and? There’s a pretty good possibility that we’ll get to meet Toby Keith.

Seriously, do you see why this is throwing me?
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Once you’ve picked out the right shorts, you’re half way dressed, but what goes on top? Answer: Pretty much anything!

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It’s Friday. Time to wrap up our work-related responsibilities and focus on relaxing with the family. However, “relaxing with the family” doesn’t always need to include a ratty, old t-shirt and yoga pants. You can enjoy the weekend in style with a few key pieces thrown into your normal rotation. (Hint: jeans are key. For more than you would ever want to know about jeans, click here.)

A great weekend checklist includes the following:

• The perfect pair of jeans
• Slim capris
• A crewneck sweater
• A casual, buttoned-up blouse
• Short and long-sleeved cotton tees
• Chic flats
• Brightly-colored accessories

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I recently read an article in In Style magazine about The Fab 5 pieces every woman should have in their closet. I can’t disagree - they listed five classic, go-to items, but I think some could be open to interpretation.

Let’s interpret, shall we?

The five items listed were:

1. Little Black Dress
2. Cardigan
3. White Button-Front Shirt
4. Jeans
5. Black Suit

Do you have all five of these items in your closet? It’s true, with the right accessories, these articles of clothing can get you through almost everything, but I’d like to add some food for thought. Before we start, it’s important to point out that these are the types of items that you should expect to spend more of your fashion budget on due to their longevity in your closet.

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The following post is from the archives of Friday Style.

I went to a swank cocktail party over the weekend; the invitation specified that the attire was “after five.” When my friend Molly called to invite me, she said, “I don’t know about your house, but at my house, after five usually means pajamas.”

“After five” is not a style concept that most of us do very often, and when we are compelled to get our party duds on and go out, we often panic. In the last week, I have gone to a funeral, a ladies’ luncheon, and a cocktail party, none of which are part of my typical weekday events calendar. How do you know what to wear? Easy.
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I will be traveling a lot this summer, for business and pleasure, and I’ve been spending some time standing in my closet trying to decide what exactly I should pack for all these trips. I’m looking for pieces that are easy to wear and easy to care for and versatile. I need things that can go to a meeting and go sightseeing, and I need outfits that will work for hot and cold weather. I am trying to steer clear of dry clean only anything, because I want to have the option to wash things out in the hotel sink, rather than wearing it once and stuffing it back in the suitcase.

That’s not too much to ask, is it? Nooo of course not! Not if you have the right strategies.

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We’ve been talking about how to build an office-friendly wardrobe that will also work for those hours and days when you are NOT at the office. The goal, of course, is to have a closet full of basics that you can mix and match and wear for years to come. The place to start any wardrobe overhaul is by assessing your existing wardrobe, which includes making a list of pieces that you are missing.

As you go through your closet and try on everything that has survived the purge (pieces that fit AND are in good condition AND are classic enough not to reflect a specific trend or moment that has long passed), you need to take note of what you DON’T have. While you might easily identify gaps in your basic pieces — no trench coat, for example, or no office-appropriate jeans — you also need to think about the details: Do you have the right undergarments for every piece in your closet? The right shoes for every outfit? The right accessories for every look?

That fabulous white shirt won’t look so fabulous if you’re wearing it with a green bra, trust me. Or even with a white bra that shows RIGHT through.

Make two lists as you clean your closet: one list of Big Pieces (trousers, skirts, blouses, dresses) and a second list of Foundations and Accessories (lingerie, jewelry, bags, shoes). These are the things you need to shop for, because these are the things you actually NEED. Nothing else, at least for right now.

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The jeans-and-tee wardrobe is a staple of moms who spend a majority of their time at home, and with good reason: tees are comfy and machine washable and inexpensive. But tees are also super casual, so much so that it can be hard to feel really professional and smart when you’re sporting one.

Dressing up your jeans and a tee uniform can be as simple as adding a jacket. Putting something with some structure over your tee gives your whole outfit some shape. Go as formal or casual as you like — a suit jacket can do double-duty with a pair of jeans and a tee, while a jean jacket gives your chinos a little edge. The easiest way to up the wow factor of your basic tee and jeans is a trench coat, which is the perfect spring outerwear, but think also about structured sweater jackets, which are a little more flexible than a traditional blazer but can look equally professional and polished.

A jacket is a terrific way to bridge being at home with your kids and being out and about during the work day; take the jacket off to load the dishwasher or make lunches, then toss it on for the school run or a client meeting. Having one piece that has some structure and shape to it gives your outfit a pulled-together look that bridges work and home, but without leaving you feeling like you need two different wardrobes just to get through your day.

Outfits pictured here are all available at Ann Taylor Loft.

At the beginning of this series, I asked what you all wear to work at home. Selene had this to say:

I’ve been thinking I need a change. I want to step my going out wardrobe up a notch… I’m feeling the need to feel “prettier” than just my standard same-ole jeans and t-shirt type of thing. I actually had my first hair cut in months yesterday (YIKES!) and am feeling good! I’ve been putting myself second for so long (probably since I had my daughter 2 years ago and she became #1, LOL)

I get up so early in the morning though (4am) that I can’t see getting up even earlier (3:30am) to shower and look nice just to pad on over to the office 20 feet away.

BUT, it would be nice to maybe use my current “out” wardrobe (jeans) at home, and get something nicer for when we go out.

I think we all know what Selene is talking about; at some point, we’ve been so focused on our kids that we have lost sight of ourselves; we stop getting haircuts (I once went almost an ENTIRE YEAR without a cut), we stop buying clothes, we stop getting dressed for anything that’s not a special occasion. It’s inevitable, I think, but it’s not necessarily desirable. And it’s easy to change.

Jeans are a fine wardrobing piece for a day at home, whether you’re working for pay or working for love. What you put on TOP of the jeans, though, can make a huge difference in both your look and your attitude. The key is to find tops that are more stylish than a basic tee but are ALSO machine washable AND affordable.

Thank god for Old Navy.

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In the comments on the first post in this series, quite a few of you said that when you are working at home, you still try to look nice, because there is always a chance that you will see people during your work-at-home day. I was impressed by how many of you said, “Of course I get dressed — I have to take my child to school, after all!” Because frankly, carpool moms are frequently the WORST fashion offenders.

Before we get to what you SHOULD be wearing during your WAHM day, let’s run down the list of things you should NOT be wearing:

Sweatpants with elastic at the ankles. Get some yoga pants instead.

Spirit tees. You know the ones, with the school’s name and mascot on them. Buy one for your kid, but not for you. If your child is involved in some kind of extracurricular activity that REQUIRES you to wear the spirit tee, save it for those specific events. And even then, think twice about it.

Battered tennis shoes. Honestly, put some real shoes on. It won’t kill you.

So what is the alternative? Let’s start with pants, shall we?

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