Closet Case

The other day I read a very interesting article about a newly married wife who use to seek solace in her.....closet. Whenever her and her husband disagreed to the extent that it would lead to an argument she would disappear and go into her secret hiding place to regroup. While the main focus of the article was not about closets, the closet concept fully intrigued me because for anyone who knows me really well, they know I spend alot of time in my closet.

A closet can mean different things to different people. To me it is a place of solitude and a place of privacy. My closet has been my refuge for thunderstorms, for broken hearts, for first time conversations with new crushes, for girl talk, for desperate pleas to God, for meditation, for hope, for timeouts from company that just wouldn't get the hint and of course for clothing storage.

Decorated and organized as if it was a room itself I must say my closet can be a relaxing place for anyone. Its a place where fabulous shoes are stored, fancy purses are housed and clothes and unique accessories are hung. Softly lit, adorned with pictures, a chair and small trinkets, to put it simply,my closet is fashion heaven for me. There is peace there on every level.

It is a temple of peace not because of the clothes and the fancy things but because of the feeling of serenity that is there. To some this may all sound cliche because not only do I live by myself and shouldn't need to hide, but also because I am claustrophobic. Ironic as it is, its true, my closet is my hiding place, its where I am safe and where I pick myself up and rebuild my foundation.

This year I will not only invest in the clothes I put in my closet but I will continue to invest in my closet itself. A closet can never be too organized and it can never be too cozy.

What does your closet mean to you?

What To Wear

As I transition into my new job, I find myself constantly debating what to wear. The term business casual leaves much room for interpretation and it can be quite challenging trying to decipher which fashion styles are appropriate for work and which are not.

For the past decade business casual meant a shirt and slacks for men and a knee length skirt and blouse for woman. Minimal make up and accessories were preferred and the phrase less is best was the rule of thumb.

Somewhere during the Sex in the City era and the emergence of movies like The Devil Wears Prada, the fashion world has changed the defintion of professional work attire. Four inch stilleotoes are now paired with fitted pencil skirts. Knee length skirts are now replaced with form fitting dresses and high waisted palazzo pants. Accessories and make up is everything and while the business world has turned into a fashion competition for woman, beauty regimens like flawless make up, manicured nails and trendy hair styles have become the norm.

I wish I can say the new world order for fashion in the work place is appreciated and followed by everyone but unfortunatly it is not. Quite oftenly, I find my peers examining my outfits from head to toe trying to decipher if skinny dress pants, designer purses and booties are appropriate. While I make it my business to never wear revealing clothing or do an overkill on make up, I find myself making a statement in the things I wear.

During the first two weeks of my new position in attempts to "fit in" I resorted back to the old way of professionalism. Not only was I bored to death with how I looked I also felt like I wasnted being true to who I was.

As time has gone by, I am happy to say that I have found a happy medium between the overly conservative world and the fashionable Devil Wears Prada world. I now wear clothes that are not only professional but clothes that reflect my personal contribution to fashion. Indifferent to peoples scrutinizing my outifits thinking my stilletoes are too high or my pencil skirt is inapproprite, I now wear clothing which represents not only my true fashion sense but clothes that show that while I am a fasionista I am 100% business and I'm not taking any mess!

The pictures below show a few different looks that work for the office.

What do you wear to work?