Modern Conservative

Typically, as the week goes on, my outfits become more casual.  I work in an office without a dress code, so on any given day, my outfit corresponds with at least one other persons in the department.  I had my American Apparel bandeau dress set for today until I found out that I would be accompanying my supervisor on a meeting with a counterpart at a different level of government.  Naturally, I felt that a cotton jersey dress would be much to informal for this occasion. 

Trying to place the tone of this meeting was difficult.  The person with whom we were meeting is roughly my age.  However, she holds a more substantial position than I do.  To top it all off, we werent' meeting in a stuffy board room.  Rather, we were meeting in a relatively trendy coffee shop. 

Having worn my take on the bombshell look that Kasmira posted about yesterday, I was kind of at a loss... How could I look my age, look professional and not feel overdressed at the same time? 

I decided the solution was simple: a trendy take on the classic suit.   A button up shirt was a must, though white would seem too conservative.  Black pants seemed like the safe bet, but modernized by cropping them.  Oxfords are a staple of a professional wardrobe, made trendy by a heel.  And a jacket?  We're entering the nicer days of spring where they aren't necessary, so a vest gives that same pulled together look without the warmth. 

While I'm not loving the cropped pants (I took a pair of scissors to them last night, and didn't realize until this morning that they had been slightly flared, and easy enough fix, if I had had the time... and I might go shorter when I fix that), I was feeling quite confident walking beside my supervisor (tone on tone pinstripe suit, jacket undone, white shirt, no tie, collar loose).  In fact, I think our counterpart was quite impressed when she arrived, wearing what would have gone quite nicely with my AA dress. 

Oh, and today's asset?  I wanted to really highlight my waist, and I suppose this vest does it... just not as well as the belted dress I had originally planned.  It does, however, more appropriately work my other asset, my ankles, which would have been diminished in the flats I was going to wear.  I used to have really boney ankles, and I think I've finally reached the point where they've filled out enough that I no longer feel so self conscious!