2023 Black Friday sales to shop

November 23, 2023

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Here’s a comprehensive list of the best Cyber Week sales of 2023.

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Easy, everyday outfits: no. 1

September 25, 2023

I’m back on the blog with easy outfits for early fall!

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What I Wore: Oct. 11 – 18

October 19, 2022

The weather is cooling down and the outfits are heating up. Here’s what I wore last week.

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Career – Skirt The Rules | NYC Style Blogger http://skirttherulesblog.com NYC Style Blogger Thu, 10 Jan 2019 02:53:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 How to Achieve Work-Life Balance in a High Demand Job http://skirttherulesblog.com/2018/03/19/pink-trench-coat-striped-dress/ http://skirttherulesblog.com/2018/03/19/pink-trench-coat-striped-dress/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2018 09:00:32 +0000 http://skirttherulesblog.com/?p=15895 Spring Style / Pink Trench Coat & Stripe Dress

Spring Style / Pink Trench Coat & Stripe Dress

Pink Trench Coat / Striped Shirtdress / Leopard Clutch / Nude Leather Pumps / Maybelline SuperStay Liquid Lipstick in ‘Lover’

If you work in a high-demand job like me, then you might experience days when it feels like work-life balance is non-existent. So I’ll just start by saying the best way to prevent yourself from burning out is to accept that you won’t ever achieve the perfect work-life balance.

Spring Style / Pink Trench Coat & Stripe Dress

Let me explain.

The traditional idea of work-life balance implies they are mutually exclusive. They’re on opposite sides of the scale, so if you add to one side, you have to take away from the other. You want to keep your work demands strictly between the hours of 9 AM to 5 PM from Monday through Friday. On the other hand, you want to enjoy your life and personal time whenever you’re off duty. And in a perfect world, the scale of work and life would tip in favor of the latter.

Unfortunately, finding balance doesn’t come easily and in a world where we want to excel at our careers while also having a quality life, it’s damn near impossible.

Spring Style / Pink Trench Coat & Stripe Dress

When I was interviewing for my current job, I was warned by the recruiter, the hiring manager and other leaders that this is a 24/7 role. After all, the airline industry is just full of surprises. Secretly, I wondered if I could handle the pressure of always being “on” and ready to jump in at a moment’s notice. And then one of the people interviewing me told me that it’s not about finding the perfect work-life balance.

It’s about striving for work-life integration.

What does that mean exactly? Work-life integration recognizes that the two aren’t mutually exclusive – that sometimes your work creeps into your life and your life creeps into your work. Is it ideal that I have to check my email after work or over the weekend? No. But staying on top of my work helps me get ahead for the next day or allows me to leave the office early some days to run personal errands. Should I have stayed at the office all night to finish up a project? Hell no. I can always finish what I need to at home or on the go.

Integration also prevents me from having the “Sunday Scaries” or dreading the thought of opening my inbox in the mornings. I know what to expect because I’m regularly looped in. Does that mean that I’m always connected by having my work email on my personal phone? Yes, but in a way, I find it more flexible and definitely more sustainable.

How do you deal with the demands of work? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Spring Style / Pink Trench Coat & Stripe Dress

Get the Look:

Pink Trench Coat / Striped Shirtdress / Leopard Clutch / Nude Leather Pumps / Maybelline SuperStay Liquid Lipstick in ‘Lover’

]]> http://skirttherulesblog.com/2018/03/19/pink-trench-coat-striped-dress/feed/ 2 Does Your Office Have a Dress Code? http://skirttherulesblog.com/2018/01/03/three-different-types-of-office-dress-codes/ http://skirttherulesblog.com/2018/01/03/three-different-types-of-office-dress-codes/#comments Wed, 03 Jan 2018 10:00:25 +0000 http://skirttherulesblog.com/?p=15575 Little Black Dress with Long Sleeves

Black Dress with Pearl Sleeves (on sale for $84) / Black Leather Clutch (c/o) / NARS Matte Lip Pencil in ‘Damned’

Last year, I shared my slightly crazy, definitely non-linear career path. If you’ve read the entire article, you’ll know that I’ve worked at a few very different companies in the past five years. From a conservative legal office to a fashion-forward retailer, each of them came with their own pros and cons and of course, their own dress codes. Every time I started a new job, I had to get a sense of the accepted office attire and adapted my wardrobe accordingly. So that got me thinking — does your office have a dress code (either spoken or unspoken)? I’ll share three of the work environments that I’ve worked in and what I wore for each

Little Black Dress with Long Sleeves

1. The Conservative Office

My first job in New York City was at a small, privately-owned marketing and communications firm for corporate real estate professionals. Random, I know (spoiler alert: I hated it). As part of our job, we would organize networking events for our clients anywhere from small gatherings at a law firm to breakfast meetings at the Harvard Club to big holiday parties at swanky places the Plaza Hotel and Cipriani.

I’ll never forget manning the registration desk at one event — I was wearing a tasteful black sleeveless dress, nothing too crazy with the neckline (probably something like this). My female boss/the owner of the firm came up to me and told me I needed to put on a jacket. I was slightly mortified, but also confused because I didn’t think anything was wrong with my outfit. Of course, as a small company with no HR department, there was no formalized dress code and it was really subject to how our boss felt in that moment. From then on, I played it safe and on event days, you’d find me in a long-sleeve button-up blouse, a pencil skirt and a pair of sensible pumps. It wasn’t the most exciting wardrobe, mostly because I didn’t make much money and I was still very much used to conservative clothes from my days working in a law office.

If you work in a conservative office, I think you can still have a lot of fun with some beautifully tailored pieces. I love J.Crew’s blazers – I actually wore this navy version with a notched collar when interviewing for my current job and I love the classic cut of this camel colored one. I’d also like to think that even if your office’s dress code is a little old fashion, you can still inject a little novelty into your wardrobe with small special details like a neck tie or pearl buttons on your blouse. As for footwear? There are plenty of tasteful closed-toe shoes that still have plenty of personality like these tweed bow flats or these pink suede pumps.

Little Black Dress with Long Sleeves

2. The Creative Office / Fashion Industry

After I landed my next job managing internal communications at Ann Taylor & LOFT, I immediately donated all of my suits to Goodwill and never looked back. I remember there was a 50% off everything sale going on before my first day at work. It was the same deal as the associate discount so I figured I’d get a headstart on my new work wardrobe. Not knowing how other people dressed in the office, I erred on the side of caution and bought a few sensible pieces like a pair of navy slacks, a flowy cream blouse and a pair of colorblock pumps. After I started, I realized that it was an “anything goes” kind of dress code.

Working in the fashion industry offered me the freedom to wear pretty much whatever I wanted, as long as I looked on brand and in season. That meant that a lot of my paycheck went back into buying the clothes we were selling, but that also meant I could wear jeans (any day I wanted), leggings, oversized sweaters, rompers and even shorts in the summers. If I had a go-to outfit during my time there, it would probably a sleeveless swing dress, a jean jacket and a pair of ankle strap sandals.

If you’re in a creative office environment, you probably don’t need my advice on what to wear since anything is fair game. You do you girl!

Little Black Dress with Long Sleeves

3. Somewhere in Between

Most likely, you’re like me in my current job where the office dress code is somewhere in between conservative and creative. I knew it was going to be more formal than working in the fashion industry, so I invested in a few new pairs of slacks (these ankle pants are my favorite – I love them so much I bought them in three colors) and more button upon blouses. Our employee handbook just asks us to dress in a professional, clean manner which some people interpret on the casual side of the spectrum (usually marketing and It) and others go full on suit (usually finance, legal and execs).

I love that there’s wiggle room to flex my style depending on how much effort I want to put into my look. In the summer, you’ll most likely catch me in a romantic, easy-to-wear dress. In the winter, I love wearing a bell sleeve sweater, a flare skirt and over the knee boots.

What’s your office dress code like? Let me know in the comments section below!

Little Black Dress with Long Sleeves

Get the Look:
Black Dress with Pearl Sleeves (on sale for $84) / Black Leather Clutch (c/o) / NARS Matte Lip Pencil in ‘Damned’

]]> http://skirttherulesblog.com/2018/01/03/three-different-types-of-office-dress-codes/feed/ 3 The Key to Finding a Job You Love is Patience (and Pickiness) http://skirttherulesblog.com/2017/10/30/fuschia-shirtdress-for-work/ http://skirttherulesblog.com/2017/10/30/fuschia-shirtdress-for-work/#comments Mon, 30 Oct 2017 09:00:23 +0000 http://skirttherulesblog.com/?p=15467 Office Style Inspiration: Fuschia Shirtdress

Office Style Inspiration: Fuschia Shirtdress

Belted Short Sleeve Shirtdress (also comes in black and white stripes – both are on major sale and almost sold out!) / Leopard Clutch ($50 version here) / Rosegold Bangle Watch (c/o) / Ankle Strap Sandal

It’s no secret that I love my job. I started managing internal communications for a company that I love back in January and there are days that I still can’t believe this is what I get to do. I’ve also shared my very non-linear career path with you, but I thought I’d focus on more of the how I got to my latest adventure. As in — how long did it take me to find this job? And when is the best time to look?

Office Style Inspiration: Fuschia Shirtdress

The reality is that your job search could take a few weeks or it could take a few months. Both James and I moved to New York City without jobs. For me, it took about one and half months to land my first job. For James, it took him nearly four excruciating months to get hired. Both opportunities were our first gigs after grad school and considering we had just moved to one of the most expensive cities in the country, there was a heightened sense of urgency to land something — anything. I set up tons of coffee chats with college alum. I applied to anything and everything, including unpaid internships in the city and even an hour outside in Flushing Queens.

Bright Fuschia Dress and Leopard Clutch

That said, my first job was far from my dream job. I did marketing and communications for a few industry associations (like professional organizations you join to network with others to get their business). I didn’t even see it as a place I wanted to stay for more than a year, let alone even consider it a career. Within a few months of settling in, I already was looking for a new job — afterall, I had moved to New York with the goal of working in the fashion industry. It took me an entire year to make that move. I submitted dozens and dozens of applications to places like Refinery29, Conde Nast and other publications. I even had a few interviews, but sadly nothing panned out, most likely because editorial fashion is one of the hardest industries to break into. So I switched my focus into internal communications and found the perfect job for me then at ANN INC., the company behind Ann Taylor, LOFT and Lou & Grey. Nearly an entire year and half of working at a job I hated, patiently and persistently applying to other jobs, finally paid off.

Office Style Inspiration: Fuschia Shirtdress

Working at ANN was a dream — I got to flex my creativity, was exposed to the business side of the retail industry and worked with a tight-knit team that I really love. But by second year, I started to get the feeling that there wasn’t a growth opportunity for me there and I started to casually search again. This time, my job search felt a lot different from when I moved to New York and from when I was trying to desperately escape my first job. I wasn’t in a rush. I had the luxury of being a job that I actually enjoyed, which allowed me to really reflect and be picky about what my next move would be. That’s why it took me an entire year to land at JetBlue. During that time, I only applied to one other job — an internal communications role with Spotify (who I never ended hearing back from). It’s a stark contrast from my two prior experiences, right?

How to Wear Color in the Office

If you’re in a position to take your time with your job search, do it. Be patient, persistent and picky. You’re more likely to find a job that you actually love, instead of one that you’ll resent. Unfortunately, you might not always have that opportunity, especially if you’re right out of college. They you’ve got to start somewhere. Well, once you’re there, your next move will be up to you.

Click here to see more career-focused posts or let me know if there are any specific questions or topics that you want me to tackle!

Clare Vivier Leopard Flat Clutch

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