Business Casual Chic

This summer I had the opportunity to intern at Sister Bay Furniture Company in Sussex, WI, specifically in the sales and marketing department. I learned a lot about how businesses are run and that marketing is all about finding the things that work. Some efforts (ads, social posts, events, brand collaborations, flyers...) will be like dropping a pebble into water: there's not much reaction or response. But sometimes you will find the thing that skips a stone across the water, reverberating excitement and intrigue about your brand one skip after the next.

Being a girly-girl at heart, of course I was going to take this opportunity to try out a new style, this time with the goal of business casual chic in mind. Some days it was more casual than chic, to be honest, but it was still fun to develop my professionalism and have outfits to match.

Before my internship began, I went on a brief shopping spree to get some clothes that would coordinate with pieces I already had. I bought three pairs of dress pants, two pairs of closed-toe shoes, and one dress. From there I mixed and matched what was already in my closet and put together a variety of work appropriate, pretty-and-polished outfits.

A few of my favorite looks are described below. 

Here I paired a navy pleated pant with a tucked white tee, pearl necklace, and pastel blue flats. White goes with everything and pops nicely off the depth of the blue. I've also discovered that pearls are my new favorite accessory! I feel like they add such light to the face and delicacy to the outfit. 

For this outfit I paired a black, lightly patterned pant with a loose blouse, again tucked in to show the waistline. The accents here are gold on the neckline and earrings. I completed the look with my strappy black flats. This is what I wore on my first day!

Here are are two of my office dresses. The first is a no-fuss cotton dress with a unique, Aztec-style pattern, and the second is a coral colored dress with layered lace. Both are easy to wear and can be dressed up or down.

Finally, here is a picture of me donning my Sister Bay Furniture Company polo. It's a nice light blue color and you can not go wrong with it (really, you can't... because they're made for the company 😉).

Overall, this summer was a crash course in working 40 hours a week, learning on the fly, and trying to dress the part. I realized how important it is to find a job you love so your motivation is genuine and you can fulfill your responsibilities with purpose. Dressing my best and taking care of myself helps me feel more confident walking through the doors each day. I like to tell myself, "if you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you do good." I'm so thankful for this summer and can't wait to see what's next!