The Wear-To-Work 10x10

As the end of the school semester approaches, many are taking their first steps out into the real world - graduating from college and beginning their first full-time job. Unfortunately for most females, that means retiring the dreaded daily attire of Nike shorts, over-sized sorority tees and ugg boots for something a little more mature and well, attractive. Others of us have been apart of the real world for some time now and know that in the corporate world, it can prove a daunting task trying to figure out what to wear each day without looking like we're leaving a funeral. The words "business professional" or "business casual" can sometimes put a real damper on our dreams of hitting our favorite stores in search for some new pieces for that first job. Hey, we all need a good excuse to shop a little, right? However, there are ways to abide by the office dress code and still remain trendy and fashionable at the same time. Shocking, I know. So, on that note, I went through my closet and my go-to outfits for work and did some thinking. With that, I put together a 10x10 challenge. I found 10 items in my closet that I could wear to work and created ten different outfits with just those pieces. The results? Two weeks worth of cute, fashionable, appropriate work attire! Not only that, but these are pieces that I can mix and match with other items in my closet and wear outside of the office! There's no reason to splurge on pieces that you'll only wear now and then from 8 to 5..it's time to be resourceful, ladies! So, here are the 10 crucial items I put together (and luckily already had) in my closet. The great thing about these pieces is that most of us will have at least a few of them, so we don't have to spend a ton of money!

What You'll Need:

1. Colorful Pencil Skirt

2. Cropped Dress Pants

3. Neutral-Colored Cardigan Sweater

4. Button-Down Top

5. Dress Pants

6. Belt

7. Your Favorite, Modest Dress (let's hope you own at least one!)

8. Blazer

9. Girly, Lightweight Top

10. The Cliche Simple Sheath Dress

Here's how I styled my 10 pieces:

What I'm Wearing: Navy Pants: Gap; Pink Top: Banana Republic; Blazer: Gap; Skirt: J.Crew; Sheath Dress: LOFT; White Shirt: Gap; Grey Cardigan: Banana Repubic; Belt: Lucky Brand; Black Cropped Pants: J.Crew; Floral Dress: Chrome (Lubbock, TX); Black Shoes: Vince Camuto; Nude Booties: Nine West

As you can see, I took the 10 items I mentioned and mixed and matched them to create 10 very different looks. Yes, I incorporated some spring trends with the neon colors and floral cotton dress :) Each look is work appropriate and can be taken from day to night very easily for those post-office happy hours! By mixing your different tops with your different bottoms and adding the occasional belt, cardigan or blazer as an accessory, you can have multiple outfits and styles to support whatever look you're going for! So, whether you're starting that first job post-college or just looking for a way to re-vamp your current office attire, I challenge you to the 10x10! Grab the items I mentioned and play around until you find 10 outfits that you're comfortable in and proud of! You're sure to be a total knockout at the office!

DON'T FORGET IT'S THE LAST DAY TO ENTER THE J.CREW BRACELET GIVEAWAY!