Casual in Leopard

I’m in New Haven with my team this week – the home of Yale – for a team meeting. I got up early and went for a run and was greeted by gorgeous architecture.

The rest of the day, we are holed up in a meeting room so I wanted to be comfortable but still professional.  I went with denim trousers, a white blouse and a brown blazer.  I added the turquoise necklace for a pop of color and finally broke in my leopard flats!

Blazer and Denim Trousers : Banana Republic | Blouse : August Silk | Leopard Flats : Via Spiga | Necklace : Stephan & Co @ Nordstrom | Sunglasses : Tory Burch | Purse : Louis Vuitton Hampstead MM

What A Difference A Blazer Makes

Nothing polishes a look off, like a blazer.

Since I came to this realization, I’ve been trying to build up the blazer selection in my closet.  Yesterday, while at one of my favorite stores, Annie Sez, I came across this gorgeous Laundry by Shelli Segal bouclé blazer and was immediately in love.  The retail price was $245, but I was able to scoop it up (after many markdowns) for only $44.98!  Considering that I already put it to use, I think it was a great investment.

Now, the outfit on the left is from this post a few months ago, and today I pretty much took that exact outfit, swapped the opaque tights for textured ones and added the bouclé blazer.  What do you think? Big difference, right?

Blazer: Laundry by Shelli Segal (purchased at Annie Sez)

Textured Tights: Target

Note (1): For those of you in the northeast, Annie Sez is a goldmine and you should get to your local one right away. They have designer brands at discount prices and they constantly send out e-mail coupons for significant discounts.  I even spotted some Chanel purses at my local Annie Sez the other day — while still out of my price range, the discount was impressive.  (I’m mentioning this store because of my extreme love for it.  I am not being compensated in any way.)

Note (2): If you enjoy the occasional fashion faux pas — check out the pic below to see mine from today. Haha! I’m so silly.