You know how people say "all dressed up with no where to go". Well that was has never been my mantra. There's that side of me that wants to wear tee shirts, jeans and sneakers (although most of the time activewear wins) and then there's the part that wished I could dress like the girls in a J Crew catalogue (part Parisian chic, part young working professional) and not look out of place in my casual wear work environment. Well the time has finally come.
A couple of weeks ago I started a new job (and I am beyond happy that I have found the career equivalent to 'the one') that actually had a smart casual dress code. So I spent the weeks leading up to the move revamping my wardrobe from street to smart, picking up pieces like tailored pants, blazers, pencil skirts and button up shirts (most of which came from Scanlan Theodore, Zara and Uniqlo). And I've stopped myself from buying tee shirts or singlets for a while. So here I am now dressing for the job that I have and it's starting to influence my choices on the weekends too. Last weekend I wore a blazer. On a weekend. Expect to see more young professional Mel on Flourished - but of course I'd never give up my love for sneakers.
On footwear (which I have also been panicking about), I came across the sustainable, eco-friendly and ethically made Alohas Sandals handcrafted in Spain with leather materials on the top and recycled car tyres on the sole (so you know it's durable). They make these great slides in a number of colours (white, beige and silver being my favourites) and despite being inspired by the Hawaiian lifestyle, I think I've figured out how to make them work for winter and for the office too. Check Alohas out and if they tickle your fancy, you can take 20% off on me. Just enter the code 'flourished' upon checkout.
Photography by Christine Ai
