Tomorrow is my first-ever job fair, and as it happens, I forgot my perfect grey J. Crew blazer at home. I don't own anything that would necessarily count as business attire — I would instead take the liberty of describing what workplace-appropriate dress I do wear as "business attire's little sister who wants extra Tabasco in her Bloody Mary and reads the style section before the front page of the NY Times."
So I'm taking a page out of the Chanel Fall/Winter '11 show, a look that's buttoned-up but still chic. I'm wearing a knee-length (see! Totally appropriate!) tiered black pencil skirt, a cowl-neck-inspired blouse, and my grey suede J. Crew pumps. And tights (sigh, in April) because I must (read: the career counselor woman told me I had to). This ensemble isn't necessarily buttoned-up, but I'm wearing all neutrals and those godforsaken tights in an effort to compensate for my shameful lack of power-woman blazer. Really, I need my mother, who always waited for me at the bottom of the stairs so she could order me to go back up and roll my school uniform skirt back down.
Wish me luck!
[photo cred to 1]