Business Travel--Part 3

For the third installation of my Business Travel series, I'm posting a couple of my new favorite outfits. I found myself in a complete scramble to pack last weekend, as I was out all day at the Cherry Blossom Festival (stuffing my face with Japanese food) and taking in the Pulp Fashion Exhibit at the Palace of the Legion of Honor. Then I went to see a live Clive Owen interview (yes, Clive Owen, in person), which left me pretty much zero time to pack.

Anyhow, back to the wardrobe—I only needed two “work” outfits this week, and I was determined to pack as little as possible (though I totally cheated on my one pair of shoes rule). First, I was really excited to create a look with my recent Goodwill find —a Dana Buchman silk leopard print blouse. I wore it with my black faux-harem pants (I call them faux because I have a real pair of Catherine Malandrino harem pants now, a huge score off Gilt). I love the way these pants look with my nude Seychelles, and I definitely needed a neutral shoe with all that animal going on up top!

I felt like I was walking straight off the set of Dallas (save my lack of shoulder pads), and I was actually in Texas. As I was about to leave my hotel, I put on my Rebel lipstick in haste, which is very fushia on me, and I looked straight out of bad 1990s Eastern Europe. I had to do a quick removal of the lipstick, because believe me, I looked like a train wreck with it on.

So here I am channeling Dallas:

The bracelet I wore was a birthday gift--it's made out of stingray! Who knew?

 

The second outfit is a new stretchy skirt with leather hip panels paired with a very old Zara silk top (again, silk travels so well!). I love that graphic prints are so big right now, because I'm a huge fan of patterns. I topped it with a Kenneth Cole silver necklace to give it a little contrast. I wore the belt again to give myself a little more shape. If I had been in San Francisco, I would have worn a chunkier, bolder shoe, but since I needed to look a tad bit more conservative, I went with my favorite pair of gray & black Bandalinos. Like I said in my last business travel post, if you work in a more formal environment, a blazer or cardigan could be layered over either outfit.