Traveling for the work the last few weeks, I’ve been sporting what Mr. Magpie usefully termed “The Entrepreneur’s Outfit”: blazer, button-down, jeans, loafers/flats. This is the look for the entrepreneur — male, female, young, old, East Coast, West Coast. (PS – This look will feel slightly dressed up on the West Coast, aka grunge central, and slightly dressed down on the East Coast, but it all works out in the end.)
To wit: start with a button-down ($78 for style shown below, or you can go with the classic Polo oxford, which always feels sort of like a throwback to high school for me but that I still wear; I also frequently wear blouses with this look: this J. Crew style caught my eye, $128, and you can’t go wrong with a classic style like this from Equipment, on sale for $110); add some dark-wash jeans (on sale for $152); and a blazer (I am obsessed with the standing collar and length of this J. Crew Regent style, $198):
I like to wear this look with my Tod’s ($425, a sweet gift from my amazing Mr. Magpie), shown above. Then I throw all of my necessities into a tote (Cuyana, $215 — not the gold foil monogram!):
I always have a Moleskine Volant notebook on hand ($18 for set of 2) for notes. I am an insane note-taker. I don’t think anyone would be able to make sense of them because I have strange, idiosyncratic shorthand that occasionally incorporates French; I draw a lot of arrows; and my hand-writing kind of requires a magnifying glass. But I need to write things down to really internalize them. Of course, Le Pens are my favored writing implement. I like to keep my loose items in separate pouches in my bag, so group my pens in a cute Kate Spade case ($30):
Post-its and Sharpies are also aplenty in my handbag, and I usually have a little bag of Cheez-its or gummy bears (my two favorite snacks right now). In terms of jewelry, I like a statement necklace; these pearls ($98) typically go along way and can be worn with anything from the outfit above to a wrap dress to a strapless cocktail number. I like simple earrings, like this gold Hermes studs ($225)
And then my standard arm party (a few bangles with sentimental value that my parents or Mr. Magpie have given me over the years). Et voila.
Love this look, especially those Tods!!! random question- what is your final verdict on the IRO booties? i love how they look, but i know you mentioned they were painful the first time you wore them…Happy New Year!
Hi Daphne! So, I love the IRO booties, but have to admit that they are incredibly uncomfortable. Because of the loose ankle opening, your foot has no support – and the heels are surprisingly high. So it’s sort of like walking on an incline with nothing supporting your foot in place. Ugh. I wear them only when I don’t have far to walk / when I know I can sit for some portion of the evening.