Today’s Outfit Idea: Office Appropriate? Of Corset It Is!

All right, all you ladies who push your style aside because you’re too dang busy just trying to get your kids or your partner or yourself out the door in the morning – the Fastionista is here to ease your style fear.

Now, before this post’s title makes you think I’ve gone all 1983 Madonna on you by flaunting a black corset under my suit jacket, let me explain. I’m not a proponent of showing off underwear in public, much less in the workplace. But the corset style has been spotted here and there on the runways this fall, and it’s something I can play with a little to incorporate the look in a classy way. So here’s what’s in my closet today:

· Long-sleeved Lace-Up Top: The two key factors I want to bring from the corset style into an office-appropriate outfit are the classic lace-up look, and the silhouette-hugging bodice. This top brings in both. It’s cotton, but its vertical seaming along either side of the midsection is reminiscent of those constricting bodices without doing any actual awful constricting (taking a deep breath of relief here, just because I can). The lace-up V-neck mimics the corset’s ties, but this top does it in a modest way (rather than all the way down the front). Best yet, the color is a pastel pink, which not only softens the shirt as a whole, but gives a nod to some Spring 2012 lines that are showing pastels as one of the “in” palettes.

· Brown Herringbone Pantsuit: Another hot color for spring will be brown, so here’s another chance for me to be fashion-forward. My fitted jacket nips in at the waist, maintaining my silhouette, and the pants have a straight leg that widens just a bit at the ankle. Wearing a relatively straight leg, as opposed to going for a drastic flare at the ankle, will keep my bottom half in proportion.

· Accessories: Since I’ve got quite an embellishment going on at my neckline (not to mention additional visual interest with the herringbone pattern in my suit), I’m only going to add two more accessories to the mix. First up is a silver bracelet with a crisscross pattern, which complements the corset lace-up style in my top. I’ll also add a scarf around the strap of my purse to give it an additional pop of color. This is a red silk scarf, bordered by a line of the same shade of pink as my top. Yes, the pink and red do go together, and bringing a shot of red in (top of the trendy color list for this fall) further anchors this ensemble in the here-and-now; I don’t want my outfit to be all about Spring 2012 before we’ve even gotten out of the holiday season.

· Purse: My deep brown shoulder-strap handbag picks up the brown in my suit, and complements the warm red and pink in my scarf.

· SHOES!: Tan ankle boots are season appropriate, and because they’re a different tone of brown from my suit and purse, they’ll add a final layer of depth to the color palette.

Voila! There you have it: great fashion fast. And you, gorgeous lady, are ready to take on the world, Fastionista Style!

Be ahead of the trend and work these styles into your ensemble before they hit the mainstream.

Today’s Trend: Flights of Fashion, Part Deux

Yesterday I talked a little about the Spring 2012 bird trend, and focused on plumy prints (“Today’s Outfit Idea: Lace With an Edge”). Along the same lines, we’ll see feathers themselves making an appearance. Now, while I don’t think most of us could get away with wearing a D&G feather mini to the office (although I’d love it if I could!) there are a ton of other ways to incorporate the style. I’ll rely mostly on accessories, from feather earrings to feather headbands to this peacock bracelet from Claire’s Accessories, but if you’re feeling really adventurous, start looking for feather belts or subtle feather embellishments on skirts and tops.