Pleated Delight-Business Casual

Pleated skirts are a huge deal right now, and with good reason! They’re very versatile and you can put an updated twist on an elegant classic. Featured is a business casual perfect for the mild (almost) spring weather.

Hello Lovelies!

We’ve gotten over the hump & it’s almost the weekend! We’ve been lucky enough to have a very mild February here in Chicago so I’ve been peeling away my layers. As the weather gets warmer I tend to stray away from pants and gravitate toward skirts. When the weather breaks it’s time to show a little leg!

Top: Forever21 (similar) | Skirt: BooHoo | Bag: ShoeDazzle (similar) | Shoes: ShoeDazzle (similar) |Necklace: SheInside (Similar)

Pleated skirts are very on trend right now and I’m loving it! I know we typically advise against buying too many trendy pieces but pleated skirts are sort of a timeless trendy piece. They become very popular frequently and the look gets reinvented with varying hemlines, colors and fabrics. I got this khaki colored pleated skirt from BooHoo for less than $20. Now, I’ve been shopping on BooHoo’s site for a few years and I’ve known them to have inexpensive every day and going out clothes but they’ve recently started adding pieces that can be worn to work. For a bargain hunter like me this is a dream come true because they still keep the prices for these pieces low but the quality is still great!

The great thing about pleated skirts is that they’re another versatile piece for your wardrobe! You can easily dress them up or down depending on the top and shoes you choose. I wanted a very breezy, somewhat casual look so I reached for this faux chambray top from Forever21. It’s a cotton shirt but kind of has a light wash denim look that I think paired well with the color of my skirt.

As the weather gets warmer I like to let my hair down (no pun intended!) from my signature protective styles since my ends aren’t in as much danger of damage from harsh winter weather. I love to wear my hair in a curly fro look that I achieve with bantu knots (leave a comment if you want to see a post on how I achieve this look!).

Since my overall look is pretty simple and understated, I chose to take it up a notch with a bold accessory. I absolutely ADORE this beaded bib necklace from SheInside! I know I haven’t mentioned them in a while but they’re still one of my favorite online stores. You know, sometimes you have to take some time away from your usual faves and come back later. The beautiful blue and green beaded and woven detail of this necklace is bold enough to be a focal piece of my look but not so busy that it takes away from the elegance of my pleated skirt. I get a thousand compliments on this necklace every time I wear it & I spent less than $15 on it!

Sooooo my new work bag is bae! This is yet another bag I got from my ShoeDazzle subscription and I love it so much!. I knew I wanted a nice brown bag to take me into spring and I love how simple and structured this bag is. You can carry it as a tote with the handles and it also has a removable shoulder strap. I carry my laptop to and from work daily and this bag is big enough to carry that plus my other necessities comfortably.

I bring up ShoeDazzle a lot and I’ve been part of their subscription service for about 6 years. I think it’s so cool to be able to get a new pair of shoes or a new bag every month for $40 and I’ve yet to get a piece that wasn’t of quality. Now I don’t get something new EVERY month & they do have the option the skip without penalty so it’s well worth it in my opinion. A monthly subscription service like this is an easy way to build your shoe and bag collection!

No look is complete without shoes! I love these studded pumps that have a cool gray-ish green tone to them. It’s another neutral tone that complements the green of my pleated skirt well. The key to creating a cohesive outfit is to not be too matchy matchy. It’s more important to build a pallet of colors that complement each other even though they aren’t the exact same color.