How many of us work a typical "9-5" job, sitting in an office, with business casual attire? Anyone? Well I am one of those people.

Prior to graduating college I always worked in positions that allowed more casual clothes. I could wear leggings, uggs, jeans, sneakers, or whatever. Sometimes I was color constricted, or brand restricted, (you know how working in retail can be) but for the most part I was pretty free with my work outfits. Therefore, making the transition to a "big girl job" was quite the closet shocker.

I personally love bold and exaggerated clothing, I swear if I could walk around with a tutu on, and tons of sparkles I would. So when I found out I had to dress business causal daily, and could only wear jeans on Fridays my heart hurt. And to top it all off, no legging allowed! Ummm what??? I hate that professionalism is often judged by what we wear. Professional doesn't mean boring! No matter what role I hold I can't lose my fashion creativity. There just has to be a little bit of Shamira in everything.

Now, contrary to what I just said, when I wear a blazer it does makes me feel like a little boss. As soon as I slide it on, it instantly makes me feel empowered and like I'm a little CEO, and can just handle anything. But, that doesn't mean when I'm rocking jeans and a tee I can't handle things either! But, there is something about a blazer that is just so professionally satisfying.

This red one in particular, gives me intense vibes. There's something about the color red that is both powerful and eye catching. When you pair red with brown and gold it's just a whole entire LOOK! This is my favorite blazer, besides the color, the shape is amazing. A lot of blazers will have rounded edges, but this one comes to an angle, which creates a great shape for my body. The length of the blazer goes to about my hip, so it pairs great with pants. Have you ever noticed that a lot of women's blazers stop closer to your waist? This is due to the assumption that they will be paired with a dress or skirt. I personally love to pair blazers with pants, so the fact that I don't have to go searching for my high-waist pants is a plus! Lastly, the scrunched up arms and the single brown button, elevate the blazer even more creating such a perfect blazer.

This outfit is really simple, but the pop of red and accessories give it some personality. Dressing "professionally" doesn't have to be the simple black and white. Find pieces that capture your fashion sense and still meet the dress code! I can't wait to share with you more of my "business casual" outfits. Trust me my blazers get a lot more funky then just red!

The warm weather has come to an end here in Rochester. It was so nice while it lasted.

Now the leaves are changing, the weather is getting colder, and the days are getting shorter. I personally am not a lover of fall. I hate the smell and taste of pumpkin anything. I'm a big baby and afraid of all scary movies. I've never been to a haunted house, hayride, or any of that October stuff. However, I do love apple cider and donuts, and love seeing the pretty changing colors of the leaves. It's time to start unpacking all the cold weather clothes. Luckily we had one final warm day and I got to wear my open toe shoes and floral pants one final time.

My outfit consisted of black and white ankle pants with leaves that resemble palm tree leaves to me. The top was just a simple black top which had a wide shaped neck, adding a simple but additional touch. I scored the pants for just $8.00 at Forever 21. This is amazing because I really needed some more good work pants and that price is amazing.The top was also a steal at just $5.00 from Sears. A perfect little basic at a perfect little price!
I accessorized with simple pieces. I rocked my black Karl Lagerfield bag. For jewelry, I put on my nameplate necklace with a thin chain. I then wore gold earrings that mimicked the leave pattern on my pants. Instead of wearing all of my Alex and Ani bracelets, I just put on two, because the pants were busy enough.

The shoes are Steve Madden and just so perfect! I ordered like 5 pair of open toe suede shoes and each had subtle differences and these were the winner! These were perfect because the heel was thick enough to be supportive and easy to walk in. However, they still had a great height to them making them very fashionable. Often with this type of shoe you get a rectangular shape heel, but I don't really like that because at times it can look too boxy. However these were the shape of a semi circle, making them much more aesthetically pleasing to me. Lastly, sometimes when you get shoes, fastening them can be difficult!  Sometimes the straps are too loose or too tight. However, these were just right! They had multiple adjustments which made me feel secure at all times!

I'm not ready to let the summer go. This outfit was the perfect way to keep a little summer, but still make a great transition into the fall. Plus, the colorful leaves made a great background for my pictures. 😃

-FASHMIRA