Anatomy of a Go-to Work Outfit

Mondays are hard in the Zinn house. Mostly on this Zinn. The other one pops up and is ready to go. Weirdo. Me? I slam the alarm a few times, roll (literally, I roll) out of bed, trudge to the bathroom and don't speak actual words until after my shower. Even then the words aren't great. I'm not a morning person. Never have been. I'm also not a "put my clothes together the night before" kind of girl either. And that's why I have spent so much time on my closet to make sure I can throw together easy outfits without much thought.

My goal in the morning is to somehow make a decision about what to wear and look great in it while only half of my brain is actually working. It's an adventure, to say the least. But when in doubt, I pick out my go-to outfit.

Everyone has a different go-to outfit. For some it's a dress. Others it's a suit.  For me? It's pants, neutral top, cardigan, flats and jewelry.

Boring, right? I sound like a librarian or dowdy teacher. But I'm not.

Top - Kohls last season (affiliate link for similar here)/ Cardigan - Stitch Fix/ Pants - Ann Taylor last season (similar here)/ Flats - Target (similar here)/ Earrings - Gift/ Necklace - Stitch Fix/ Ring - Premier Jewelry 

The trick is to get fun neutral pieces. Like this top, I found at Kohl's last fall. I like it because it's an easy cream color, which goes with everything, and has a higher neckline. I don't like to show cleavage at work. When you work in a boy's world, you don't want to be perceived as using anything but your brains. I also love the layers, which give the top some interesting detail. My cardigan is from Stitch Fix and is super light, great for cold offices, but has some fun detailing around the front.

Then I add some some fun pops. These red pants are from Ann Taylor and are hands down some of my favorite pants. I love the color - it's  beautiful wine color that is easy to wear and perfect for fall and winter. I pair these with my trusty leopard print flats. Flats are my thing. Once upon a time I wore heels and I still have tons of them, but most days I live in flats.

Jewelry is the finisher. For the past two years, I have been all about gold. I'm not sure when the shift from silver to gold happened, but I mostly wear gold now. Dangly earrings, a long necklace to frame the open cardigan and a giant cocktail ring are all you need to finish the look.

I used to think that work clothes were boring. But I practically live in them these days and I've found that by spending some time thinking about your wardrobe as a whole, not just individual pieces, can help you come up with some great go-to outfits that you love and feel great in. Getting dressed isn't rocket science, but you do need some good choices to get a good look.  Life's to short to wear boring clothes (sorry, went a little LulaRoe there).

What's your favorite go-to outfit?