Shift Into Gear

Lilly Pulitzer Layton Shift Dress for Work via @ DC Girl in Pearls | dcgirlinpearls.com

Lilly Pulitzer Layton Shift Dress (Similar, Similar) // Vera Bradley Tote (Similar) // LOFT Metallic Pointy Toe Flats (Under $20!) // Kendra Scott Elton Bracelet // BaubleBar Snowball Pearl Cuff

In my sophomore year of college, I was attending a public relations conference and was told that suggested dress was pantsuits. 😬🙈 There are certain people in this world who can totally rock a pantsuit but alas, I am not one of them. I feel more like a linebacker or cavemen in them than a powerful executive goddess. So like any mature college sophomore, I panicked and called my mom, hyperventilating about having to go find a college-budget-friendly pantsuit and then actually wear it in public. Where people could see me. Thankfully, my mom talked me off the ledge and assured me dresses and pencil skirts were more than acceptable. Maybe it’s because of growing up with a dress code of only skirts and dresses but that’s just what I feel most comfortable.

This Lilly Pulitzer Layton Shift has lately become my default Casual Friday dress, I love pairing it with my LOFT gold flats (which are currently on sale for under $20 so go go go!) and it’s so easy to toss a navy blazer over it if a meeting comes up. I think once summer kicks in, I foresee this Lilly shift becoming BFFs with my seersucker blazer. So it’s a pretty safe bet that if you saw me Monday – Friday, I’ll be wearing a dress and carrying a large tote. It’s just a fact of life I’ve made peace with. I walk to work and see other women carrying small purses and think, “What sort of Dark Arts do they practice to get everything they need that day into that bag?!” In a typical day, I need to bring along my breakfast, lunch, planner, barre clothes and occasionally my laptop and a pair of heels if my outfit doesn’t go with a pair already in my under-the-desk-shoe-bin (Who else has one? 🙋). So I need a large tote that’s dependable and won’t show wear and tear from having to go through a security belt every morning. My Vera Bradley tote is the answer to my work tote prayers 🙌. It’s material doesn’t show any abuse – and I toss my bags around a lot -, I love the bright colors and fun pattern and it has POCKETS. Including a ZIPPERED pocket!! That’s the dream, guys. Casual Friday, here you come!

Lilly Pulitzer Layton Shift Dress for Work via @ DC Girl in Pearls | dcgirlinpearls.com

Lilly Pulitzer Layton Shift Dress for Work via @ DC Girl in Pearls | dcgirlinpearls.com

Lilly Pulitzer Layton Shift Dress for Work via @ DC Girl in Pearls | dcgirlinpearls.com

Lilly Pulitzer Layton Shift Dress for Work via @ DC Girl in Pearls | dcgirlinpearls.com

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2 Comments

  1. 3.9.16
    Jess @ Just Jess said:

    That tote is adorable! I love shift dresses with cardigans for work-my entire summer work wardrobe. I am with you on a large tote for work. Currently my Longchamp from my junior year of college is starting to show it’s age (6 years) so I might have to grab that Vera Bradley tote.

  2. 3.13.16
    Jordyn Upchurch said:

    That tote is adorable! I’ve been searching for the perfect teacher bag that can take lots of abuse but still look adorable and I might just have to look into this one a little more!

    xoxo, SS

    The Southern Stylista