April 11, 2022
They all seem to have chosen the same scarf…
Executive Coordinator of something or other…
She came directly from a training visit to one of their branch offices…
Black cashmere cardigan – J.Crew; earrings – Gemondo; velour tee – Anne Klein; watch – Daniel Wellington; scarf – Arlo Goods; black skirt – Nordstrom; tote – Nadia Minkoff; pumps – Clarks
Her company’s name is just a long list of letters, with an ampersand in there somewhere; her friends can NEVER remember…
Long earrings – Aracheli Studio; pearl earrings – Lolaknight; pearl necklace – Canvas; red fringed bag – Simitri; red print kimono jacket – In Our Name; black ponte tank dress – Nordstrom; polka dot cardigan – Other; black tank top – Lands’ End; black ballet flats – Franco Sarto; red cashmere cardigan – Lands’ End; black silk pants – Eileen Fisher; red mules – Bandolino
And they could not BEGIN to explain what it is that she does. What they do know is that she’s important, travels a ton, and has the bold confidence of a pride of lionesses!
She has been packing for 2 or 3 day work trips for years, so going from meetings to friends and then BACK to meetings doesn’t faze her in the least…
9 garments is plenty for her – options for operas and dinners with friends, options to visit THAT office to kick some… trash cans…
Some day, they’re all going to go camping together. They’re going to designate her as the person to manage snakes, mosquitoes and other critters; they figure that she will terrify them enough that they will leave!
love,
Janice
p.s. Not exactly six years ago, we first met our expert in the symbolistic representation of saints in Gothic architecture. She’s MUCH more interesting than you might imagine!
Like this article? Save it to Pinterest!
Well I’m impressed with this elegantly simple but feminine heroine. The ease of packing for work to ‘party’. She relaxes her style but doesn’t abandon it entirely. I could see her wearing the polka dot cardigan to a work social.
Her choice of a kimono too hints at an interesting dynamic in the group. Does the soccer coach admire the executive’s style or has the executive seen the soccer coach wear kimonos before and thought that such a garment can be useful as a less formal jacket without sacrificing style and elegance? Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. Her choice is a subtle self coloured pattern.
I get the impression that despite her high flying success, she doesn’t like drawing attention to herself in a group social. The soccer coach and her ‘dressed to the nine’s’ friends do that in spades. After a busy week being front and centre at work, blending into a crowd is a tonic. I know how she feels.
As for the look back, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a tease for the introduction of the fourth friend in this group…. Her wardrobe’s were a triumph.
I’m trying to think how a fourth friend would fit, and found the most likely option is the group’s coordinator – someone with a bright personality that uses the black as an accent to more colourful pieces that combine her friend’s accents, possibly even the one that got the matching scarves in the first place!
To Beth t, I think the soccer coach wore it first. as much as I love this version, the coach’s one felt like a standout piece whereas this one quietly fits in with the other eight pieces. I don’t th ink the coach would have noticed but this lady definitely did.
I agree, the soccer coach wore it first. She seems to be too independent a thinker to notice the other friend’s choices. When I was in business, I would have loved this wardrobe. Having retired to a quiet, small town, I find the soccer coach is more my style now. And jeans are almost a uniform here.
I love this story. Thank you! It occurs to me that seeing someone is “dressed up” kind of depends on what everyone else is wearing. In comparison to the first heroine, and today’s heroine, the soccer coach is more casual. BUT if the others were wearing jeans, or something equally as casual then the soccer coach would actually look more “dressy” make sense? Just thinking out loud here. My personal style is more along the lines of the soccer coach – although I have never described myself as sporty. BUT compare to others around me, it seems I am more dressed up – because I’m around people in jeans, and leggings, or maybe colored jeans. This wardrobe is perfect for this heroine. I can’t wait to see where you take it next.
You’re a master storyteller Janice! Such fun!!
Yes she is!! I think I come for the stories more than the clothes sometimes!❤️ Bravo, Janice!
These are great. I too am curious about the next heroine. Especially the colors.
Loving these friends with matching scarves but very much NOT matching wardrobes! This wardrobe is dressy, but I’m finding after being at home so much for the past few years, my going out wardrobe needs a bit of tweaking. While this may not be how a lot of us dress every day, it’s nice to have maybe a ‘mini-capsule’ of clothes for more fancy occasions, baby or wedding showers, concerts, Easter dinners and the like. Some good suggestions here!
The look back post remains one of my all time favourites over the years. How many times have I studied it! I’ve tried to boil it down and translate it into my own evening wear and how I could do this look. For me, it’s the fringed black and gold scarf that sets this wardrobe apart. I think if you put that scarf with a roughly similar outfit of red and green and black pieces, you could replicate the look and feel of this evening wardrobe. You could make the shawl with a black scarf and some gold fringe from a sewing store. Will I do it? I’ll be on the lookout for some gold fringe. Thanks, Janice.
Good on you for being crafty, Lizette!
Ah Lizette, I’m sure there’s fringe available on the internets… And a big chunk of silk velvet – maybe a remnant? I would love that… sigh…
love,
Janice
I love these stories and the ones they have inspired in the comments!
Ooh…I like this friend. Elegant and quietly bold. Her colors aren’t mine, but I really would like to borrow her attitude. Sigh…the Mr would never have dared to spring a long gown formal event on that woman with less than 2 weeks for her to determine if any of her gowns will fit after 2 years of pandemic.
I love how you tell stories, Janice, as context for the wardrobes. It really helps us see why Heroine X chooses her clothing.
This colour palette certainly shines in all sorts of settings and I’m loving today’s especially. These ladies are showing us how to wear kimono tops and I’m taking notes!
Maybe today’s heroine and the fabulous and famous (in this blog!) heroine in the look-back post might be friends. Their wardrobes certainly seem to sing from the same hymn book, albeit on different budgets – like a soprano and alto harmonizing.
What a glorious wardrobe!! Love the story too. I would absolutely love to wear this everyday- but would terrify my company and staff. Ah, to dream.
The iron fist in the velour t-shirt…
THAT’S perfect! I always love your comments…
love,
Janice
Hi Janice and Everyone ! I really like development of this story arc, and like Rex, am curious about our 4th friend.. Does she live in town ? Does she work outside the home? And have child (ren)? And helps Mom out with Sunday dinner? And remembers everyone’s birthdays? Like Rex said, that would make her the super – cheery organizer (but no ‘Mom jeans’ for her!)
So when I went shopping w/my college age son a couple of weeks ago, we were in one of the trendier stores that the kids like (I can’t remember which one) and they had an entire display up on the wall of “Mom Jeans” Yep, using those words. An entire display. I laughed so hard.
Is that a better description than Boyfriend Jeans? Even my daughter wears Mom Jeans. Curiously, they are the style of jeans that she derided when she was a teenager. 😂😂😂
Watching young people deride then adopt the styles of your past is one of the simple pleasures of having attained a mature age.
I like that she wears the maxi skirt for travel or maybe for a fancy night with friends. In the West, most businesswomen don’t wear maxi skirts to the office – they seen as either vacation and too relaxed, or for more modest maybe religious women (who may or may not be executives, but a non-modest non-religious woman is unlikely to wear a maxi skirt to an office).
Dee, that’s really fascinating to hear about the skirt length. Anyone care to chime in about the other regions – North, South, East, Midwest, etc? Does that hold true for all ages or do just starting career or just ending career aged women have a touch more leeway to deviate from that? As you can tell, I am really a fact gatherer…because all those tidbits of info are just so fun. Where I live, the top choice to say professional business is more a classic slim though never tight pencil cut and less about the length…and pantsuits are still not quite the thing for a conservative place. I’m sure that I lost a job offer years ago because I wore a navy skirt suit that had an a line cut and a cream blouse rather than a pencil cut black with white blouse.
I realize I meant Western Hemisphere :) I have spent time in Arab countries (mostly Egypt and in Israel and India and Thailand and I have seen many many professional and executive women there (yes, even in Arab countries even 20 years ago!) And they generally do wear long skirts, dresses, or saris.
I am in the Southeast US and have an MBA. My business school focused a LOT on dressing the part and of course made allowances for religion – a hijab or a turban for example. But in general YES everyone in black suits like a funeral director, white shirt, acceptable pop of acceptable color in a tie or a small pendant necklace or stud earrings. Of course as any one especially women move up the ladder, some more freedom of attire is allowed even in formal offices and of course formal today is not what it used to be! I know we discussed that on the first friend post in this series. But even for men — I remember my dad wearing a three piece suit to his law office in the 80s. No one would do that now!
In my business casual workplace in Minnesota, maxi lengths in summer are not uncommon, though wear varies with the trends. This can include some members of senior leadership.
Maxi lengths year-round are more a religious choice and generally worn with other markers of religion, such as head coverings.
I had to look at the product description for the skirt because I would be surprised if she wore a maxi to work. However it is described as mid-length ie midi though it is 34 inches long which is long on most people. Perhaps our heroine is tall. Or she changed at work before travelling – my first boss had her work skirts hanging on a hook in her office.
Looking at the model, the skirt ends above the ankle at a point that some might call ballerina length. I recall women in the 1980’s wearing skirts like this to work.
I like the idea that our heroine is so confident of her style and her executive position that it would be rude to remark about the length of her skirt.
Being pear-shaped I would also opt for a long A-line but 29/31inches was, and still is, the best length on me as it shows off my narrow ankles but disguises the rest of my short legs! Worn with a short cardigan sitting a fraction below my waist, gives the illusion that I am taller than I am. The 1/3 ratio. So maybe our heroine is 5ft 3 but looks taller by altering her proportions with clothes? Kimono style jackets are also good on petite women as it draws the eye on a diagonal to the side.
Loving this series, thanks Janice! This is lovely to look at, but I’m more drawn to the soccer manager wardrobe.
I guess I’m the odd duck here, but I thank for the more relaxed rules in terms of dressing professionally. Bless the one who wore sneakers with dressing pants to work for the first time! And normalizing them with dresses as well. I do know some people’s standards are way too low in terms of dressing appropriately (eg a student I saw the past month with shorts and a cropped tank top in school, so out of place! – and out of season too), but I like that now you can choose the kind of pants that suit you best and not be forced into the one siluete everyone is wearing.
Can’t wait to meet the fourth friend!! Though I love this series so much I don’t want it to be over! Oh no, it’s Downton Abbey all over again!
I like that she wears the maxi skirt for travel or maybe for a fancy night with friends. In the West, most businesswomen don’t wear maxi skirts to the office – they seen as either vacation and too relaxed, or for more modest maybe religious women (who may or may not be executives, but a non-modest non-religious woman is unlikely to wear a maxi skirt to an office).