What to Wear to Work | Classic Trench Coat

In the rainy spring months, you can typically spot me wearing a trench coat with an umbrella tucked away in my bag. For years, I've considered it a staple piece in my closet. It's a classic and never seems to go out of style. It also makes most outfits look polished and effortless (the same goes for my camel coat that I wore this past year). 

There are several ways to wear a trench (as seen in this post). I prefer wearing a trench with the belt tied in back. It gives the illusion of a smaller waist. When it comes to perception with my petite frame, I need all that I can get to make me look taller and slimmer. 

You might remember me in this Zara trench worn here and here (ps. the stripe dress is currently on sale!).  It's been a personal favorite for a few years, but it's starting to show a lot of wear and tear. The lining on the inside is starting to unravel and I don't like the thick material as much as the new styles that are available. A few weeks ago, I wore this LOFT trench with a black pencil skirt and stripe top. Another style tip, striped tops go with almost anything - skirts, denim, trousers and can also be worn to work or on the weekend. If you feel like you never have casual to wear this spring, consider a blouse like this for work and a top like this for the weekend. If you want to mix a trench and stripes, this one is also on  my "want" list. 

The most recent trench was purchased from Ann Taylor. It's currently 40% off the sale price and since I had been eyeing it for a few months, I thought it would be a great addition to my closet. I love the mocha color and the mid calf length of the coat. I'm wearing a petite size, which is another plus about buying from Ann Taylor.

Ann Taylor Dress fits true to size (similar here & here)

Ann Taylor Trench (similar here) 

Coat Satchel (old, worn here and similar here)

Aldo Pumps

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

Day to Night Denim | Featuring NYDJ

When the NYDJ team reached out to me to work together on a collaboration, I was thrilled to try out something new and share with my readers. I naturally gravitated to black trousers, but after seeing the selection of petite denim, I wanted to share a few of my favorite styles that could be worn day to night.

Finding the perfect “work jean” has always been something that I’ve struggled with during most of my career. While most of the office wears denim on casual Fridays, I’m typically found in my trousers or a pencil skirt. It’s not that I find anything wrong with denim at the office, I’ve just never found a pair of jeans that were appropriate to wear in front of my colleagues. Most of my jeans are either distressed in the legs or a little too snug to feel comfortable wearing into a meeting with my manager.

While browsing through the NYDJ dark wash denim, I found the Billie Mini Bootcut jeans – also known as the perfect work jean! These jeans work for a casual Friday at the office because they’re a dark wash denim and they’re slightly narrower leg than your typically bootcut jean. I’m wearing the Billie Mini Bootcut jeans in petite. The jeans fit true-to-size and allow for a little for movement with a blend of cotton, polyester and spandex. I chose to wear my signature look – cami, blazer and stilettos to complete my Casual Friday office look! 

I also wanted to try NYDJ denim for an evening look. I paired the Alina Leggings in Petite with an off the shoulder top and statement earrings for a night out with your girlfriends. The Alina leggings hit my foot at the same place as the Billie, so I decides to roll up the denim for a less structured look.

They have a wide selection of denim for all shapes and sizes, they have dedicated sizing available for petite (YAY!), plus and tall. Typically I’m hauling 2-3 pairs of jeans to my seamstress to get the hem taken up a few inches, so most jeans automatically have an 25% markup after I buy them from retailers. The petite selection offers a variety of washes, styles and selections. 

Outfit #1

NYDJ Denim 

J.Crew Cami on sale

J.Crew Blazer 

Manolo Blahnik Heels 

Anthropologie Sunglasses

Outfit #2

NYDJ Denim

Zara Top

Manolo Blahnik Heels 

Michael Kors Bag

J.Crew Earrings 

Prada Sunglasses 

Thank you to the NYDJ team for sponsoring today's post! 

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

Easter Sunday Outfit

If you're not one to get dolled up for Easter Sunday, here's a casual look to wear to brunch and Easter egg hunting with your loved ones. The look might be a little too dressed down for church, but great for more casual gatherings. Hope everyone enjoys time with family and friends! 

Since we're far away from our family, we're  heading to DUMBO (with Batman) on Saturday to have coffee and donuts in the park and Sunday we're going to cook a big Easter brunch!  

Kate Spade Blouse (similar here & here) 

Club Monaco Denim Skirt (similar here & here) 

Chloe Heels (similar here & similar flats) 

Chloe Bag (similar here & here) 

Anthropology Sunglasses (similar here)

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

Spring Wardrobe Update | featuring thredUP

This year, like every other, I'm looking through my closet to find pieces to resell and donate. My style has changed a little from last year, so I'm looking forward to changing out a few pieces to refresh my wardrobe. One way to update your wardrobe, without a huge investment, is to buy from consignment stores - like thredUP! 

thredUP is an online consignment store that offers women's and kid's high-quality fashion pieces. They have everything from J.Crew (my favorite), Joie, Madewell and Zara. They sell these pieces at 90% off the retail price! As the company continues to grow, they're adding new inventory on a daily basis. 

The concept is brilliant! When I first discovered the site, I had a "why didn't I think of that" moment. You're able to search through tons of merchandise by brand, size and color. They also make it easy to shop for special occasions. For example, if you're looking for a red cocktail dress, you're able to search according to your personal criteria. 

For women like me who are gentle on their clothing, thredUP also offers a Clean Out Bag to sell new and like-new clothing. Fill your bag with items you no longer want (consult their website to see what they do and do not take), and place it on your front door for pick-up. It's an easy way to clean out your closet with minimal effort. 

I picked up a few pieces from thredUP. Originally, I purchased a dress from the site, but I ordered the wrong size. The return was easy! I packed up the dress and returned it for store credit. With the credit I received this tuxedo shirt, blue suede heels, casual work pants, black cotton blouse and a black dress. The tuxedo top I'm wearing in today's post was something I wanted to purchase a few years ago, but never got my hands on the right size. It was a treat to receive this in the mail in the cute polkadot thredUP box. Each pieces was nicely folded, with the thredUP hand-attached tags and wrapped in tissue paper. As a customer, I enjoyed the experience of receiving the clothing wrapped up. It was like I just purchased them directly from the store! 

The thredUP team is also offering $15 off your first oder of $60 or more for Corporate Catwalk readers. Use code OLIVIA15 at checkout. Offer ends 4/10/2016. 

a little tidbit...for all the corporate women, consignment is an ideal place to buy new and like-new work pieces.

J.Crew Top c/o thredUP

Zara Coat 

Joe's Denim

Manolo Blahnik Heels 

Ann Taylor Bag 

Kate Spade Watch 

Prada Sunglasses 

Big thank you to the thredUP team for sponsoring today's post! 

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

Office Style | Spring Edition

1. J.Crew Blazer - a colorful blazer to brighten up your daily looks. Can be worn with a cami or striped top. 

2. Pendant Necklace - a dainty necklace to add a little "spice" to your normal scoop neck blouse. 

3. Ray-Ban Sunglasses  - goodbye black sunglasses and hello neutral sunnies! The neutral sunglasses give a little softer look. 

4. Flared Sleeve Top - this top is an investment piece, but well worth it (in my opinion). You can switch out your standard white blouse for something fun and flirty. For the days that nothing fits, throw on this blouse with black trousers and you'll look ready for your next meeting. 

5. J.Crew Statement Earrings - right now I'm loving this trend. The next time you have a long night out, pull your hair back,  throw on your statement earrings, put on your favorite lipstick and no one will ever know you just rolled out of bed! 

6. Miss Dior Perfume - add a new fragrance to your collection to reflect the change in weather/season! Miss Dior is a personal favorite. 

7. Tory Burch Coin Case - grabbing an afternoon coffee with your colleague, but don't want to bring you purse, this little wristlet is practical for holding a few credit cards, cash and your badge. 

8. Kate Spade Watch -  I've had a few Kate Spade watches and I'm always impressed with the style and quality. This watch will add a feminine touch to your next work outfit. 

9. Banana Republic Dress - a simple dress that can be work with a blazer to work and sandals on the weekend. 

10. Ann Taylor Bag - love the pebbled leather and clean structured to this bag. 

11. Loeffler Randall Sandals - ready to put away your pointed pumps? Here's a work appropriate sandals (for those who can wear open-toe shoes) that's perfect for work and Sunday brunch with your beau's parents. 

The Winter Ball with Rent the Runway

Last week, one of my dearest friends, Courtney who writes Color Me Courtney invited me as her +1 to the The Winter Ball at the Lincoln Center. Once a year, The School of American Ballet hosts a black-tie ball and features the top performing students in a special choreographers performance for the event. It was spectacular!

Throughout the year, sponsors raised nearly 1.2 million dollars for the school and scholarships. All the proceeds go to enhance the dance program by enriching their training, teachers and maintaining the studios. Becoming a ballerina is an expensive and competitive dream, it was heartwarming to see so many people donate to help keep these dreams alive for these young dancers.

As a young girl, I never valued the beauty of dancing. In retrospect, I wish I would have applied myself more in dance lessons. My mom signed me up for two years of dance, but after hiding under my bed before every performance, she decided to take me out of dance and enroll me in softball (I was very shy and kind of a tomboy when I was younger). I will say, my last performance of "How Much is that Doggie in the Window" and "I'm a Little Teacup" was a huge hit! 

What I loved most about attending the ball was finding the perfect dress from Rent the Runway. Earlier in the day I met Courtney at the Flatiron location and tried on several gorgeous gowns. David Sabater who is an Associate Stylist Managers at Rent the Runways, showed us several options. He picked different style dresses that I wouldn't have normally picked for myself. The Laundry by Shelli Segal gown was the last dress he pulled - and I'm thankful he did! It was stunning. The length fit me perfectly and I loved the vintage and elegant style of the dress. 

Courtney wore a beautiful dress by Christian Siriano dress. The fun and flirty dress was both fitting for Color Me Courtney and The Winter Ball. The asymmetrical hem was my favorite! 

Laundry by Shelli Segal Eddie Borgo Bracelet J.Crew Earrings (similar here) Zara Heels (similar here) Bachelorette Lip Color by Kat Von D  A big thank you to Courtney for inviting me to the Ball and crashing her Rent the Runway fitting. You're the best! 

Photos by Lydia Hudgens

Weekend Wardrobe | Duster Vest

Dusters have been having a moment...for a while. After trying on the style several times, I started to give up on making it work for my body. Last week while shopping at Club Monaco, I finally found a style that worked for my style and shape. Since I'm petite and little curvy, I needed something with less material. Something shorter and without sleeves. 

Although this Club Monaco vest was an investment piece, I knew I'd be able to recreate several looks with this one piece. It can be worn to work by wearing it with a simple black dress and pumps. For a more casual look, switch out the flared sleeve top and heels for a white tee and sneakers. If you're heading out on a date, dress it up with a bodycon dress and strappy heels. 

Let me know what you think about this style! 

Club Monaco Top

Club Monaco Vest 

AG Denim

Ivanka Trump Heels (similar here)

J.Crew Bucket Bag 

Anthropology Sunglasses old (similar here)

Kate Spade Watch (similar here)

Photos by Lydia Hudgens