Black and White Dress for Work

Winter is coming… Sorry, I couldn’t help but say that with this look. But really, we have to get through Fall first. If you’re still craving some pieces of Summer, this dress is the perfect transitional piece. I really enjoy the way white pops against brown skin in this black and white dress. I’d been on the hunt for a white blazer for some time now. (As I type this, I remembered I’ve had a white blazer written on my chalkboard for the better part of a year and a half. I guess I can erase it now… Will it even come off?)

Anyway, can you guess where this dress is from? I’ll wait… If you guessed Calvin Klein again, you’d be correct! Ding ding ding! I don’t know if it’s just the way these pictures came out, but ya girl looks good. The body looks right. I originally felt insecure in all of the clothes I wore for the video lookbook I’ll be putting up on YouTube tomorrow. When I look back at the pictures, in this outfit, I feel powerful.

White Blazer

This blazer is from a store with which I have a strong like/dislike relationship, Zara. It’s obvious that there’s either no quality control or it’s reaaaal spotty over at Zara. The clothes can be hit or miss. It’s also fast fashion, which I’m trying to steer away from. As I get older and also as long as I continue to have the financial ability to buy from other (hopefully) more sustainable retailers, I try to patronize Zara less. Now, let’s talk about the pros and cons of this piece.

If I’m keeping it real, I like Zara blazers like this because I think they’re aesthetically pleasing and can be worn in a variety of work outfits. However, the buttons are always gutter trash. Complete plastic, cheap, hot garbage. They may look nice from afar, but once you’re up close they look cheesy and feel like budget plastic. I personally believe that buttons can make or break a blazer, and buttons are always the breaker for these blazers. If you replace those, you may be golden.

The material on this blazer feels more premium than usual for Zara, but it definitely doesn’t hold a candle to quality brands. It’s lined and warm, which makes it ideal for the fall/winter months, and cold offices. It’s also got two side pockets that are a decent size. I can’t comfortably fit my phone in there (iPhone 12 Pro Max), but if your phone is smaller, you might have a better experience.

The Black and White Dress

Okay, now for the deets on this black and white dress. This is a size 10 and miraculously still fits well. The material is somewhere between thin and thick, leaning heavily toward the thinner side. That said, it’s NOT breathable. It might be okay for a mild summer day but is definitely better worn in the fall if you live in a climate similar to the US Northeast. This could also be a winter dress if you wear a good pair of thermal tights along with the blazer.

I like the pattern on this dress because it’s simple. It reminds me of tiny, organized inkblots, unlike the typical patterns seen on most work dresses. These look much more flattering than say, a horizontal stripe. This one has a back zip similar to the other CK dresses I’ve featured. I find it simple to zip up and down by myself, but I think that depends a bit on arm flexibility and ingenuity when you’re having issues. Since I prefer gold and rose gold tones, I like the gold-toned back zip. I know that doesn’t matter much to most people since you, the wearer, can’t see it, but it’s the little things that matter to me.

There’s something about the way that this CK dress fits that leads me to believe it was made for me. It’s a perfect office length in my opinion, and with classic, neutral colors, and a beautiful, curve-enhancing silhouette, I highly recommend you add it to your work wardrobe.

Side note, Calvin, if you would like to sponsor me… I genuinely enjoy the products and have the receipts to prove it 😂. If you, reader, needed a sign to shoot your shot today, let this be it.

Black Pumps

These pumps aren’t new to the blog. They’re currently sold out. Aldo is constantly making new versions of black pumps, though. In fact, if you’d like a more in-depth review of them, check out this previous post. Well, ya got me. It’s not really in-depth because I feel like there are much better alternatives especially if you plan on actually walking in these shoes at work all day. Don’t get me wrong, these Aldo ones are gorgeous and I used to constantly reach for them, but I know that most people are looking for practical shoes that also look good.

A Moment of Transparency

Over the past year and change I, like most people that were stuck in the house for long stretches of time, gained quite a bit of weight. Even though I’m currently working on losing it, in editing the video is when I realized just how much weight I gained. I can see it in every part of my body and feel it in the fit of my clothes (or lack thereof :/). I worried that this outfit especially since it’s a black and white dress, would be extremely off-putting. Mainly, because white is the least forgiving clothing color.

I know I don’t necessarily look my best. By putting this post and that lookbook up, I hope that you’re inspired to put yourself out there too. I don’t know what you’re working on or want to start, but just do it and keep showing up. There are so many different standards, expectations, thoughts, and opinions placed on Black women that may make us feel like our backs will break. Sometimes we feel alone, but I hope you can find a tribe here.

I’m still building and working on consistently putting myself out there. Hopefully, you find some posts that resonate with you and want to stick around. If not, that’s cool too. I hope you find your tribe and share your voice and stories in these internet streets! 💜