Experiences in the past have indicated something about my personality, and it’s that I may have a more serious demeanor, especially at work. I even had one person that told it to me directly, that I am an intense person to work with sometimes. Having been an outspoken person my whole life, I’ve taken comments like that as a compliment. That sentiment changed slightly in a recent incident. I had a 1:1 teleconference with someone I was trying to make a really strong impression with, and in the teleconference the video capacity was enabled. For the first time, I was watching myself as I spoke, in a way that I thought exuded confidence. I was mentally gasping at the image of myself on screen – I looked SO serious and definitely intense!

 Dress: Kit And Ace; similar here Vest: Boutique; similar here Mules: Asos; similar here  Dress: Kit And Ace; similar here Vest: Boutique; similar here Mules: Asos; similar here

Needless to say, there is a bit of a gap that exists between the internal visualization of myself and, when I get the chance to get a glimpse of, the way the world actually perceives me. It’s uncomfortable to face this realization, and quite honestly, a bit unsettling.

Working in Corporate America for half a decade has taught me a thing or two. Number 1, 2, and 3 are as follows: Your image is everything, your image is everything, and your image is everything. Yes, in case I didn’t make it clear, your image is everything. For me, the ideal image consists of the following adjectives: strategic, conscientious, and poised. The challenge, though, is that I am human and made of flesh. So while I can be strategic, conscientious, and poised, I am also passionate and dogged, and I really do care. So at times I have to be dial up certain qualities, in order to balance out the way I carry myself. As a result, I deliberately try to behave more assured, authoritative, and firm. This is reflected in the following ways: 

1. I am very conscious of something a lot of women fall victim of, something called “Uptalk” – where you raise the end of your sentence with an upward inflection to make it sound more like a question/suggestion, rather than a statement or a demand. (It’s a thing, officially called High Rising Terminal, look it up!) I do everything in my power to avoid it.
2. I pay attention to body language. Twirling the hair, sitting in the back of the room, crossing my arms, or sitting in a “minimizing” posture (including slouching, looking down, folding your arms) all indicate the lack of confidence. I do the opposite – I sit in the front, sit back and try to relax, make direct eye contact, and speak up toward the front of the room.
3. I keep small talks to the minimum. I have a select group of people that I would consider friends at work, and outside of this circle, I don’t engage in small talks too often. I prioritize being professional and effective over being someone’s pal to chat about the weekend with.
4. When the circumstances are so that I have to pick between making progress and keeping the peace or that “good feeling” environment, I usually default to the former. There are good ways, tactful ways, to create a win-win situation and achieve both, it’s true. But when deadlines are real and decisions need to be made, something’s gotta give. For me, making progress usually wins out.

 Dress: Kit And Ace; similar here Vest: Boutique; similar here Mules: Asos; similar here

So maybe, just maybe, in the process of upholding that image as a professional woman, I lost touch with the core of my being – the warm, open, caring, and easy-going side of me.

Or maybe, just maybe, in the corporate world, room for an individual to exhibit these characteristics is just limited.

Or maybe, just maybe, could it be because I am a woman, therefore the trade-off exists?

I would definitely be re-visiting this topic soon. What are your thoughts so far?

All photography by Natalie Alvarado (Stylenfuse)

The post How I Came to Be an Intense Woman at Work appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

What’s even more special is that this top and bottom together cost me less than $50… the secret is shopping on Poshmark! You can see how it changed my shopping behavior permanently in my last post.

I wanted to pair this outfit with shoes that would elongate me, so I went with my most recent Valentino Rockstud purchase that I made during Thanksgiving… And of course a part of me just wanted the occasion to wear them

I have more of these classic work outfits coming up.. stay tuned and let me know what you think!

All Photography by Ngoc M. Nguyen

Find similar items here:

The post Cream Blouse + Blue Patterned Pencil Skirt appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

Why you want to invest in a good sleeveless blazer

In this post I am featuring two sleeveless blazers with two outfits. These two blazers are very similar in terms of cut, material, length, and general look and feel. That’s why I wanted to showcase them side by sider, so you can see the versatility in these blazer vests. You can literally create infinite number of office appropriate outfits here. They are even season-less because you can very easily pair them with a long sleeve piece underneath, and voila you are ready for a chic office look!

Blazer: Banana Republic similar here
Sweater: Madewell
Necklace: Mirina Collections
Bracelets & Rings: Madewell
Watch: Daniel Wellington
Clutch: Proenza Schouler PS11

Blazer: Topshop
Turtleneck Sweater: Banana Republic
Bracelets & Rings: Madewell
Watch: Daniel Wellington
Necklace: J. Crew
Clutch: Proenza Schouler PS11

 Things to consider before you purchase

For those of us that are more vertically challenged, always remember to pair them with at least 3 in heels in your outfit. These vests tend to elongate your torso, so if you don’t leverage the help of some heels, your legs will proportionally seem shortened. No one wants that! Another thing to be mindful of is where the bottom of the vest rests. For me, I like them to sit right underneath my hip area so it covers my hip area and a bit of my thighs. If you have nice waistlines, I would pick a piece with a cinchable waist line so you can show off your curves!

So what’s your pick, the white one or the black one?

I think my heart secretly favors the one blazer just a little more. It shows in the number of times I’ve worn it when compared to the number of times I’ve worn the black piece. It just makes for a more bright and outstanding outfit in my opinion. But you may feel otherwise… so what’s the verdict, white or black?!

 Blazer: Topshop Turtleneck Sweater: Banana Republic Bracelets & Rings: Madewell Watch: Daniel Wellington Necklace: J. Crew

All Photography by Brianna Olsen

The post The Tale of Two Blazers appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

For this holiday season, I’ll be sharing with you three sets of outfit templates to live by when picking out outfit(s) for your company holiday party. Sign up for the newsletter and see the new templates as they come out next week! 

12/2/15 Update: Part 2 of this series is now available here! 

First up, the lace maxi dress!

Before you storm out the door (or storm onto ShopBop.com), there are a few things to note about which lace dress you go with… You see, the lace is very tricky. Between looking like an escort to a lady from the 70’s, it’s a very fine line to walk. Done correctly though, you exude elegance, confidence, and glamour – all in one outfit. So a few things to think about in picking your lace dress

• Watch the length of dress: For any company events, I’d suggest dresses that cover the knees. If the length is right over or above the knees, I would pick a dress with longer or semi-long sleeves. The point is to never do sleeveless and above the knee at the same time. We’re not in high school anymore.

• Opt for royal blue, black, emerald green, or burgundy: The point is to stay CLASSY with your choice of color. Anything that is somewhat playful or casual (pink, yellow, or lavender) will be borderline inappropriate. It’s the nature of a lace dress.

• When in doubt, always go with black or nude pumps: This rule requires no explanation. The exception is when you wear head to toe black. Then, go to town with color of your heels!

One thing I’d like to address is the slit in this dress. Because of the color, length, and sleeve length, I personally am OK with the slit going up as high as it does. Usually holiday parties are in venues that are dimly lit, so it shouldn’t matter. But I totally understand if people aren’t comfortable showing this much skin. Just wanted to make sure this disclaimer goes out there – I don’t endorse showing too much skin in any professional settings! (Duh.)

Dress: Dailylook Juliette Lace Maxi Dress
Wallet/Clutch: Proenza Schouler PS11 Chain Wallet
Heels: Valentino Rockstud T-strap Pump

All Photos by Ngoc. M Nguyen Photography

As long as you stay mindful of these pointers, a lace maxi dress is the perfect option to go with for your company holiday party. It will allow you to stand out, precisely because most people don’t know how to handle this kind of dress! You’re welcome.

Stay tuned for two more outfit templates – they’ll become available next week! In the mean time, have we connected over social media yet? I’d love to get to know my readers. Hit me up on one of these platforms!

P.S. Added bonus for readers that made it this far… Hop onto Polyvore to see two other similar looks I’ve created using their “Set” creation function! It provides all the details on where to find such items. These are super fun for me to do.. let me know what you guys think about this feature!

The post Company Holiday Party Outfits | Easy Templates for Creating a Killer Outfit! [Pt. 1 of 3] appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

“Didn’t I just wear this last week?“

With the confines of dressing professionally and appropriately, (let’s face it – if it was up to me I’d be rocking ripped jeans everyday) it’s not a walk in a park to always look polished & presentable, at the same time showing creativity in your outfit creation. I try to solve the problem by sticking with basic neutrals that could go with everything else I own, so I don’t have to brainstorm (more like brain-hurricane) in the morning as I get ready. Still, a slight problem still exists, which is that I end up creating really similar outfits or just gravitating toward the same piece over and over again. There are 5 work days a week is about 260 work days a year. Who has that much time to create 260 different looks?!

This is where the Third Piece Rule comes in handy. In case you haven’t heard, the Third Piece Rule is the wardrobe philosophy that adding a “third piece”, whether be it a statement necklace (any bold accessories) or an outerwear like a vest or a blazer, instantly makes the ensemble more elevated and interesting.  You can read all about it here.

Here, I am using a statement necklace to add instant glam to this office outfit that is otherwise a bit lackluster.

I did want to give a mention to the brand that makes this particular necklace I am wearing. It’s a Florida based company called Mirina Collections . They make a ton of these beautiful statement necklaces that are unique and obviously glamorous. I was offered a couple of pieces from their “Famous Necklace” collection at a discounted price to try out (about 50%), and in return they had asked me to give them a shout out on Instagram, which I did. In my opinion the retail price for these necklaces is a bit steep for the actual quality of the pieces (even though they claim to hand make all the pieces). But at the discounted price, they were worth every penny. Would you like to see more of how I style these Mirina Collections necklaces? Let me know

Top: Alice and Olivia (similar here)
Necklace: “Jess” by Mirina Collections
Bottom: Top Shop Leigh jeans
Blazer: Top Shop Nicola Peplum Blazer (similar here)

All Photography by Brianna Olsen

The post The Third Piece Rule & what it means for the Cubicle Chic appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

I’ll share my little secret upfront. I actually snatched up three of these sleeveless blazers this season. There. I said it.

Ok, now the skeletons are out of the closet, we can get to what I want to talk about today! If you’ve been following me and my style journal on Instagram [here], you know despite I am the blogger of Cubicle Chic, I actually am a casual girl at my core… #jeansandtshirt would be all I hashtag all day if it was up to me.

But I do work in a corporate office setting, albeit a rather casual one, I have to dress business casual 4 days out of the 5 every week.  So, I am always on the hunt for pieces that I can incorporate into my everyday wardrobe. And alas, I found the missing piece in my wardrobe (this season) that will do just that!

Details of this outfit:
If you know anyone living in California, you probably heard that we’ve had quite an entry of the fall season so far – a complete absence of it. So, the sleevelessness of this blazer has definitely come in quite weather appropriate. With a simple silk top on the inside, some black trousers, my office ensemble is complete. Here in the photos though, I am wearing a windowpane H&M dress (similars found here, here, and here) that might be a TAD short for business casual. I would personally rate this dress on the casual side, perhaps more suitable for a weekend outing with friends, or a holiday party with colleagues. To complete the look, I have on these Calvin Klein mules in the color nude (similars found here, here, and here). Need I say more? These mules are all the rage now, not to mention they instantly elongates your silhouette.

Needless to say, I’ll be featuring more of these sleeveless blazer vests in my upcoming blog posts and Instagram. Connect with me if you haven’t yet!

What’s your fall season office go-to piece? Share with me, I am curious!

Until next time!
-Jessica

All photography by Ngoc M Nguyen

The post The Missing Piece to your Wardrobe – Transform Casual Outfits into Office Appropriate Instantly! appeared first on Cubicle Chic.

A few close friends have noticed that lately I have been a tad obsessed with Banana Republic. Other than the renewed style and design lately, the only other thing I can attribute this to is seeing the series of collaborations between Wendy’s Lookbook and Banana Republic lately. If you haven’t seen them, you should! Or, maybe, just maybe, it has to do with me having turned 30 this year… In any event, I have my eyes on Banana Republic lately and I invite you office ladies to join in the chicness!

I love the silhouette of this knit top. It’s called the Textured Sweater Tank from Banana Republic. It weights quite heavy so it really accentuates my waistline in a flattering way. I have been reaching for this top and wearing it almost once a week in the past month. It’s starting to feel like my chic uniform!

For this outfit I paired it with jeans from Topshop, and some more blue hues with some d’orsay heels from Madewell. Literally, this is what I’m in almost EVERYDAY in the office – a comfortable top and jeans – and I love it! I’ll admit to a little secret though. I keep a pair of spare flip-flops under my desk and slip out of these heels when I am slaving away in front of my desk. It’s my way of staying in heels 8 hours a day plus my 1.5 hour of commute!

All Photography by Ngoc M Nguyen

Something that enlightened me this week…

If you’ve been following my Instagram, you may have heard me complain once or twice about how busy of a week I had at work. Despite all of it, I am finding some new found energy by reading a book a close friend/mentor at work had gifted me this week. It’s called Search Inside Yourself. I am currently reading the book and maybe I’ll share my thoughts here at some point!

The post Office Staple for Every Season: White Knit Top [Banana Republic] appeared first on Cubicle Chic.