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Did you know that St. John has jewelry? I didn’t…that is until now that I’m now swooning over “the St. John necklace”! I may have been living under a rock, or purposely avoiding discovering these items due to their statement appeal. Just imagine these baubles with a camel-colored or deep mahogany skirt suit, or that little black dress with the blazer during the day, and sleeveless at night. All I can think of is, wow! Oh, and all of the “wow”s below are on sale at Nordstrom’s. Just a little tip from me to you!

Happy Friday! We hope that your week is wrapping up well, and you’re gearing up for a fantastic weekend. Here is our weekly wrap-up and recap of what we’ve been reading on business and business fashion throughout the inter webs. This week I focused on inspiration. What inspires you at the office or in your personal life..or both!

We also share more reads each day through our Twitter feed and Facebook page, so if you’re hungry for more, you have even more places to check out! Have you read something you want included or do you have a theme you’d like us to feature? Let us know in the comments or email it to rachel@theworkingwardrobe.com. Happy reading!

Inspiration through Literature and Letters (TheWorkingWardrobe): What inspires your work-life? What inspires you as a person? This week let’s kick it off with those things that just…inspire us! For me, it’s the written word, and the letters that inspired them.

17 Inspirational Quotes from Entrepreneurs (SAI): Great entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs give us hope in the hardest of times. My favorite quote from him is “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” We looked on Quora, took quotes from Stanford’s ecorner, sayings from Startup Quote and listened to talks on TED to find the most inspiring quotes.

Martin Luther King Jr.: Inspirational Quotes from Tumblr (Mashable): Many in the United States got the day off work Monday in celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights leader and minister credited with bringing equal rights to African Americans, and tangentially, many other minority groups. Even after his assassination in 1968, his legacy as well as his moving speeches have inspired people to follow in Dr. King’s path. In honor of Martin Luther King Day, we collected some of the most widely shared MLK quotes from Tumblr, where they have been posted as uplifting messages to others.

The Golden Globes at the Office (TheWorkingWardrobe): This week’s selected look from TheWorkingWardrobe Polyvore Group was inspired by this amazing red carpet look worn by Zooey Deschanel at the Golden Globes. See how the Polyvore group member, professionality, took the look and brought it to the office!

Inspirational Office Space (Vogue and Coffee): How fabulous would this work space be? So much inspiration! (We at the TheWorkingWardrobe agree!)

Sunflowers Inspire a New Innovation in Solar Power (Fast Company): What knows best about getting energy from the sun? Flowers. Now, using some inspiration from nature, massive solar power plants can get a little smaller and a lot more efficient.

The Working Man: Inspiration (TheWorkingWardrobe): This is a lovely article from our men’s editor, Alan Neff, on the people and art in his life that truly inspires him. Read on for a touching account.

By Emma Pretto

Bring a little bit of the outdoors into the office with these landscape inspired prints! The Torn by Ronny Kobo silk tank and the Clover Canyon blouse would pair nicely with a blazer and trousers. Since the kudzu pattern on the Anthropologie skirt is pretty dominant, stick with a simple neutral top. The Robert Rodriguez and Black Halo dresses have especially flattering silhouettes, and the prints will work for any season. No matter which field you’re in, you’ll find these landscape inspired prints bring life to a cubicle near you!

By Brooke O’Neill

Recently, a very stylish friend of mine choose peacock for her wedding colors. The celebration—a sea of lush blues, greens, purples—was inspired, and I’ve been obsessed with the bird ever since.

I notice peacocks everywhere: on T-shirts, on tote bags, on scarves. Peacock earrings, bracelets, headbands. Last night I dreamt a peacock showed up in my living room. Clearly, it’s time to dress like one.

So how to make those bold plumes office-friendly? I’ve got a few ideas…

1. Start with a sleek, solid-colored shift dress like this $27 steal from Dorothy Perkins. I’m privy to green, but if you prefer a sea blue or even a deep purple, go for it. Any bright hue from the peacock palette will do the trick.
2. Add another splash of color—and cover up those shoulders—with a delicate cardigan or shrug. Two possibilities: this cropped turquoise cardi ($42) from Australia’s Witchery or the very appropriately titled peacock shrug ($56) from Monsoon.
3. Tie the ensemble together with a nod to this ornate animal: jewels. Keep things simple with an utterly affordable peacock necklace ($5.80) from Forever 21, or, if your workplace is a bit more free-spirited, go for the fun feather earrings ($5.99).
4. Keep the whole look grounded with a pair of your favorite brown pumps, and, voila! Proud as a peacock—all for less than $100.

By Alan Neff

Yes, I know this is a site about fashion.  I write for it from time to time and help edit its copy.  The Publisher, however, invited me to write about “inspiration,” without any qualifiers, so I thought about what – and who – came to mind when I focused on that word.  It was a revealing exercise.

The first person who popped into my head was my spouse. Here we are at my Publisher, Rachel’s house during a fête a few years ago.

She founded and runs a theater company that works with at-risk youths and young adults, teaching them to make musical theater from their experiences.  Young men and women in the state’s correctional facilities share their stories with each other, stories filled with abuse and neglect, and – still, somehow – hope.  Stories that become the books and lyrics of musicals that these young people perform, taking each other’s roles, so they get outside themselves and into the heads and hearts of their peers.  My spouse works long hours with other passionately committed artists and arts administrators.  You can find her work HERE.

Then I thought of writers and other artists: Joseph Heller (Catch-22), John Barth (The Sotweed Factor), Nathanel West (Day of the Locust), Raymond Chandler (The Long Goodbye), Mark Twain (everything he ever wrote), Ludwig Von Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Rembrandt, John Lennon, Joni Mitchell…well, this list could get very long, so I’ll just break it off here.  These people wrote or sang or painted stories and images I’ll never forget. They inspire me to try my hand at art, however modest the results.

Laura Galindo L. van Beethoven Sonata 17 Op. 31 N.2 Mov.III by MariaElisaAyerbe

And then I remembered Rosa Parks.  She stands at the head of my list.  Reflecting on her decision, she later wrote this: “People always say that I didn’t give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn’t true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”

“…the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”  Coincidentally, Ms. Parks’ birthday is February 4.  I invite you to celebrate it with me.

And while you’re celebrating Ms. Parks’ contribution, think of Ansel Adams, the pre-eminent outdoors photographer of his generation.  His photos of Yosemite and other natural sites are breathtaking.  During World War II, Adams photographed Americans interned at Manzanar because they were of Japanese descent.  The photos are collected in “Born Free and Equal.” This fusion of art and humanism inspires me.

The word “vest” implies an added layer to a business ensemble, usually worn with a blazer over it or on its own to give shape to a tucked-in button-down shirt. Now put the adjective “denim” in front of it, and you get a separate image altogether. Or do you? Introducing a new concept: The denim vest at the office.

This denim vest designed by Micamade out of Germany, would be ideal for a working day say paired with a red knee-length, long-sleeved vintage dress with boots? Or with a pair of high-waisted white wide-leg pants and an elbow-length sleeved long tunic and round-toe pumps? It’s fashionable, it’s business appropriate (depending on your business of course), and it’s *gasp, denim!

By Jenn Bussell

Anticipating what’s ‘office appropriate’ for your first job or internship is challenging. Doing it on a budget? That’s downright nerve-wracking.  You’ll read articles and hear presentations telling you to spend wisely on ‘investment pieces.’ I disagree as these pieces tend to run you between $200-$800 depending on where you shop. The real tip to stretching your sartorial savings is the concept of season-less style and spending on pieces under $100 that you can mix and match year-round. You want to be fashion-forward and professional at your first job – you don’t want to be broke before your first paycheck.

Taking a cue from Mademoiselle Chanel, I suggest building a work-ready wardrobe with basics in black and white, or cream, depending on your skin tone. Tip: The more fair your skin, the creamier the white.

Peruse retailers like asos, Victoria’s Secret, The Limited, eBags, Top Shop, and H&M for wallet-friendly, trend-worthy separates. Check out this this Limited tailored blazer for $88:

… or these kick-flare black trousers for $44.76 from asos:

… and finally this vegan-friendly black woven tote on eBags for $79.99:

You want to look for fabrics that blend natural and synthetic fibers like wool-rayon, and cotton-viscose. Stay away from 100% silks as they aren’t summer sweat-friendly on hazy, hot, and humid days. Likewise 100% wool will have you baking on the A train in August.

A pop of colorful accessories will lend an element of sophistication to your workaday basics. As shown in the fashion spread below I am a fan of neutral reds layered onto a canvas of black and white, but lapis, apple green, and fuchsia also do the trick.

After a week or two, when you’ve decoded the office style vibe, you can dress up or down accordingly. Think: Winsome wedges vs. funky flats;  a structured button-down vs. a casual Breton striped sailor top; or a simple scarf vs. stacked bracelets. Express your personality through your accessories – and your professionalism through your clothing. After a few paychecks, then you can see where you want to splurge on those said ‘investment pieces’.

Happy shopping!