If you looking for a great item to layer over your Spring & Summer dress, tanks &  blouses, and you’re tired of wearing the same cardigans, try a a lightweight jacket.  My favorite jacket for Spring & Summer is a stylish crop  jacket. I love throwing them over feminine dresses.

Army jackets over a floral blouse are a great way to mix styles.  A Jackets can be a great transition piece that can be worn inside and outside of the office.  Just remove the jacket from your dress and throw on some strappy sandals for a great night-out look.

The trench coat is another classic jacket option that adds instant chic to almost any outfit. Motorcycle jackets and non-traditional blazer are also great options.

Quick Tip: Want to buy different styles, but don’t want to break the bank? Try going to sites you love and filter for the price point that fits your budget to find the best jackets that are right for you.

The post 10 Great Spring & Summer Jackets Under $150 appeared first on Career Girl Network.

Oh boy, do I ever need a makeover. I’m down almost twenty  pounds from the last time I went shopping, so my clothes are too big. I haven’t bought a new pair of shoes since I-don’t-know-when, and my hair is growing like a weed. I’m not particularly in a mental funk, but I’m stressing over buying a house and being busy at work while everyone else is walking around in their cute spring clothes, looking fresh. I need a makeover, inside and out!

Being a strategic Career Girl, I thought I’d develop and share my plan of attack just in case readers are finding that they also need to slough off the winter blahs and put a fresh face forward! Here are the steps I’m going to follow for My May Makeover.

1.) Contact a professional. Am I the only one who has a really hard time finding someone who knows exactly what to do to their hair? Mine is super thick, kind of coarse, wavy but not curly, and a huge pain, but I love it when it’s done right. I’ve found a stylist that I like here in the city, but I’m going to schedule an appointment with Trudy, the amazing woman who has given me the best haircuts of my life. The 30 minute drive out of my way is totally worth it. Sometimes you just plain need to seek the help of a professional.

2.) Shop. I bought some pants a few weeks ago and didn’t really go for anything particularly special because I figured I’d be down another size in a few months. They already feel big. I need to suck it up and buy some new professional gear. Other than clothes being too big, I’m just outdated. Everything I own is gray. I have five pairs of gray pants that are almost identical. Why!? I haven’t bought warm-weather clothing for more than a year, and it’s starting to show. I’m not bad at picking snappy outfits, I just need to do it. And I need to totally restock the undie drawer, too. I’m not a nun!

3.) Go to the eye doctor. Ugh. I hate making appointments like this. It’s hard to find time to go see someone in what little off-time I have, and to devote an hour to something as seemingly small as getting a new pair of glasses. At the same time, these frames are tired. They’ve been from Michigan to New York and back, and are now in their terrible twos. I need something sharp to go with my new hair.

4.) Re-read favorite books. Remember the first time you read a book that was so riveting you had to stay up late at night to finish it? And when you put the book down you kept thinking about the characters? I need to pick one of those up again. Now that it’s nice outside, I’ll be reading a lot more and have many suggestions from friends for beach reads. I’m going to visit my local book store and make some much-needed reading purchases, and I’ll have to unpack the books that I still have in boxes. Look out, The Perks of Being a Wallflower!

5.) Have a me-day. Okay, so this probably won’t happen for a little while. All of my spare time is spent looking at house listings, scheduling times to see them, and getting ready to move. Oh, and working two jobs. Once I have a grip on the timeline for moving into my awesome new place that is close to work and will free up the ten hours per week that I currently commute (BOO), I’m going to take a day off for myself. It can be whatever I want, but it needs to be out of the ordinary and absolutely cannot include cleaning, running any of my usual routes, or being on my computer. Not allowed!

These kinds of things are normal for some Career Girls, but I usually prefer a special workout, a casual lunch with friends, or getting dirty in the garden (and I’m super-thrifty) over pampering, so I have to go out of my way to make sure I get in some refreshing image updates and relaxation days every now and then. My May Makeover starts now! Time to call my stylist.

The post 5 Steps to a Refreshing May Makeover appeared first on Career Girl Network.

There has long been a notion in the world of women in business that if you want to look and feel powerful, put on a great pair of pumps. They make you taller, improve your posture, and can improve your confidence. Unfortunately, though, not every woman can rock those pumps comfortably. These days, even the likes of Kim Kardashian in her pregnancy is reverting to flats! But she’s not alone. Our friends at The Jane Dough recently credited Tory Burch with the the invention of the original “power flat.”

What is a “Power Flat”?

It’s the kind of flat shoe that does for a business woman exactly what a great pair of pumps does – they make you stand a little taller, put your shoulders back, and get ready to take on that meeting! You don’t need a 3″ heel to get that feeling, you just need a fabulous pair of shoes, flats included.

Flats to Replace Your Nude Pumps

• High End
  Even Valentino is jumping on the flat bandwagon. Dress up a pair of nude flats with this incredible stud detail. Sure, they’re $695, but that’s ok, right?
  

• Mid-Priced
  Brian Atwood is the hottest thing since Manolo in the world of shoe design, and his flats are literally drool worthy. Pick up this pair of Avignon Flats for $192.50 from ShopBop.

• It’s a Steal!
  These peep toes from Nine West are nondescript and easy with any outfit, and for $59.99, they fit almost any budget.

Flats to Replace Your Black Pumps

• High End
  If you don’t believe us yet that designers are making flats powerful, this pair from Tom Ford will teach you the lesson. They’re a HUGE splurge at $650 from Neiman Marcus, but gorgeous nonetheless.

• Mid-Priced
  You can’t go wrong with a great pair of shoes from Kate Spade. These cutout flats are spectacular for Spring and Summer and a good mid-priced pair at $228 from Nordstrom.

• It’s a Steal!
  The incredible Ivanka Trump makes this simple, classic and beautiful shoe for just $80 from Nordstrom.

The post The Rise of the “Power Flat” appeared first on Career Girl Network.

The simple question, Are you a feminist? never occupied much space in my mind. Of course, I am. What woman isn’t? would have been my spontaneous response.

It never occurred to me some women might posses a different opinion, or need to explain their version of feminism. However after a few weeks of discussing this topic at women’s networking events and with friends over dinner, or drinks, I learned a valuable lesson:

Some (in fact, many) women are uncomfortable answering ‘yes’ to the simple question. Most often, I listened as women qualified their answers, or tangoed around the perceived issue:

1. Well, I’m not one of those radical lesbians, if that’s what you mean! (No it’s not what I meant, but thanks for sharing.)
2. I’m lucky, I’ve never felt discriminated against. I’ve always earned the same as my male counterparts. (Translation: Feminism is about equal pay for equal work. I’m good, so can we change the subject, please?)
3. Maybe I was years ago, but things are different now. Men pitch in with the chores. (As if household chores was the original rallying cry for feminism.)

I quickly discovered I KNEW NOTHING, when it came to understanding women’s complex feelings surrounding the word, ‘feminist’.

So,I ask you Career Girls: Are you a feminist? If you’re confused as to how to answer the question, let me provide you with a few options:

Naomi Wolf,

For I conclude that the enemy is not lipstick, but guilt itself; that we deserve lipstick, if we want it, AND free speech; we deserve to be sexual AND serious–or whatever we please; we are entitled to wear cowboy boots to our own revolution.

Louisa May Alcott, An Old Fashioned Girl,

The emerging woman … will be strong-minded, strong-hearted, strong-souled, and strong-bodied…strength and beauty must go together.

Caitlin Moran, How to be a Woman,

We need to reclaim the word ‘feminism’. We need the word ‘feminism’ back real bad. When statistics come in saying that only 29% of American women would describe themselves as feminist – and only 42% of British women – I used to think, What do you think feminism IS, ladies? What part of ‘liberation for women’ is not for you? Is it freedom to vote? The right not to be owned by the man you marry? The campaign for equal pay? ‘Vogue’ by Madonna? Jeans? Did all that good shit GET ON YOUR NERVES? Or were you just DRUNK AT THE TIME OF THE SURVEY?

Don’t see your version of feminism articulated here? Then tell us yours! Are you a feminist? If so, why, or why not? 

DISCUSS!

The post Are You a Feminist? appeared first on Career Girl Network.

This tragic disease strikes 1 out of every 3.8 women between the ages of 11 and 67 in America. On any given day, 10,982,120,596 trillion women and girls are plagued with this debilitating disease. And, the saddest part? No real statistics exist on it! I had to make these up!

Hell, the syndrome doesn’t even show up in a Google search!

Go ahead, Google “FOYOC Syndrome” and see what happens. See — told you! Nada, Nothing, ZIP.

Why the cover-up? Because most of us don’t realize FOYOC afflicts us until it’s too late. When we finally piece together the symptoms, we’re left with a painful secret that silences us. Simply put, embarrassment floods us and we refuse to tell anyone else, so we live in silence.

It’s time for the syndrome to come out in the open and reveal itself for every guilt-provoking, please-don’t-let-it-get-warm-yet,  how-the-hell-did-I-ever-fit-into-this, thought we’ve had. Ladies, your read it here first! A CGN exclusive just for you, FOYOC Syndrome defined:

Fear Of Your Own Clothes (FOYOC) Syndrome

Sound bone-chillingly familiar? Read on to learn the 4 ways to diagnose yourself:

1. Unusual fear of the warm weather — While others are donning short sleeves and shorts, you relentlessly hold on to your sweater dress/ tights/ boots ensemble insisting that it’s not that WARM OUT YET!
2. Your pulse races and you break-out in a sweat when you walk near your closet — A classic symptom that manifests when you contemplate trying on something from last summer.
3. You refuse to send any of your ‘current’ outfits to the cleaners — If you do that, an outfit comes out of the rotation leaving you with a gap. A gap which must be filled by a visit to your closet. (See #2 for further information.)
4. You start to isolate yourself — Social invitations overwhelm you. A simple lunch invitation reduces you to a babbling idiot. I’d love to, but I can’t possibly accept any invitations until we get our national debt straighten out! What you’re really thinking is, Are you insane? Then I not only have to deal with what to wear, but I need to order food! Are you some sort of freaking lunatic? Is this some sort of sick joke? You bitch!

Suffer no more! I finally admitted my FOYOC syndrome a few weeks ago at a networking lunch for the SBAC. I just blurted it out! I‘m currently afraid of my own clothes. And, then I waited for the inevitable backlash.

To my surprise and delight my friend answered, Me too!

Since then, I’ve been sharing my experience with everyone! It’s so freeing to come out of the closet….no pun intended!

The post 4 Ways to Know if You Have FOYOC Syndrome appeared first on Career Girl Network.

Has your pencil skirt and blouse combo got you in a rut? This pencil skirt from J Crew is flexible and stylish. Pair it with the right accessories for instant updates. Here are 3 ways to wear this chic skirt:

The post 1 Item 3 Ways: The Pencil Skirt appeared first on Career Girl Network.

The post How to Wear Chambray to the Office appeared first on Career Girl Network.

You know this person. They’ll say or do anything to make you happy. They probably agree with whatever you just said. They go out of their way to fit into your group or be like you. It’s annoying, because you know it’s fake. They are the ultimate People Pleaser. Is this you?

People Pleasing is an interesting addiction. The truth is we all have a bit of this tendency. It can consume us as we try to win over the attention and admiration of others. We shift, twist, and bend into all sorts of forms in order to please someone else (or maybe one particular person) based on a projection of what we think they want us to be.

Why do we do this?

We want to be loved and accepted. We want to belong. We want to feel comfortable and at ease. Sometimes hiding behind a fake persona is easier than being ourselves. That way when judgment does come it doesn’t hurt us as deeply. Or so we think. We slip into the crowd, and blend into the herds. We are, after all, evolutionary beings built knowing that when we blend in we are safe from danger. It was the animal that stood out from the pack that was hunted and killed. We fit in to stay alive.

Staying alive is obviously important. But don’t you want to move beyond just living? Following the pack isn’t going to take you to a new level. Blending in makes it impossible to thrive. Fitting in will keep you in your comfort zone, but it will also deny you the ability to reach your highest potential.

It’s not always easy. In fact, it’s the person who stands out and speaks their mind that is the most criticized. When Greek Pythagoras first suggested the world was round, it was thought to be preposterous. It is the artists who go beyond what has been done before that end up making the masterpieces, but not without hearing how stupid, strange, or crazy they are first. Being resilient to naysayers’ judgments is one of the biggest hurdles in moving beyond people pleasing.

We want others’ approval, and will often do whatever it takes to get it.

We wonder what other people want. It can consume us. What our boss wants. What the guy we’re dating wants. What the world wants. Unfortunately we’re terribly poor judges of what others want.

Because of this we live behind these masks: the pretty girl, the funny one, the quiet helper, the smiling health nut. We hide our real selves behind these labels. We allow a job to define us. We let other people tell us who we are. It seems necessary. We let the world tell us our place in the world and the path we need to follow in order to be successful and happy.

And we wonder why we are so bored, unfulfilled, or exhausted.

When we live in a perpetual state of hiding or holding back, it’s draining. It takes more effort to be someone else than to be you. But it’s scary, sometimes terrifying, being all of who you are. There is no “how to be you” manual. We’ve all been given our DNA, a unique personality blue print, as well as our individual gifts and purpose to express. It’s your job, your destiny, to figure out how to be all of you and use your life for some greater good.

Do you want to know what the world really wants?

You.

Your supervisor, your family, your lover, your dog, your yoga teacher, that guy sitting across from you at Starbucks… what everyone really wants is for you to be your most authentic self. I know this because deep down we all want the same thing. We want the freedom to be ourselves, and we want that for everyone else, too. You are your best when you are real and raw. It’s a vulnerable place to live, being all of who you are. But it’s where the goodness in life lies.

In Japan they have a term Wabi-sabi, which is the art of discovering beauty in imperfection. Authenticity is what the seeker is looking for. Not a copy-cat of some definition of perfection. It is said that Wabi-sabi celebrates “the human not the machine.” We are humans, perfectly imperfect. We naturally inherit these cracks and dings throughout our lives, and they make us more beautiful, more ourselves. “Wabi-sabi nurtures all that is authentic by acknowledging three simple realities: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.”

What if we embraced those three statements as truths about ourselves? We are impermanent, we are continually evolving, and we are humanly imperfect.

Steve Jobs reminds us: “Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Embrace your own personal Wabi-sabi. Be the crazy one. The world is waiting for you to be all of who you are. If you want to create change, start by being authentic. Start by standing for what you believe in. Go after what your heart deeply desires. It takes courage, so muster it up right now. Let nothing stop you, this is your purpose. Live it.

The post Embracing Wabi-sabi: Be a Little Crazy appeared first on Career Girl Network.

My mother is my fashion icon and I definitely get my sense of style from her. I’ve always been in awe of her extensive jewelry collection and still “borrow” some items from her today.

If you’re having a hard time finding a great Mother’s Day gift, try chic accessories like sunglasses, a watch, earrings, or a purse. I’m sure you’ll find one that is perfect for her. Check out some picks below:

The post Chic Accessories That Make Great Mother’s Day Gifts appeared first on Career Girl Network.

For years, the “old wives’ tale” says that chocolate makes you break out, or greasy food, or stress. Is it true? It turns out what’s going on in your life can absolutely affect your skin. This is an ancient Chinese medicinal theory called “Face Mapping.” Check out the face map below:

What does it mean? ULookHaute.com writer Alex Gariano tells us how to de-code your breakouts:

• +
• +
• +
• +
• +

Fresh Face: What Your Acne Is Telling You

Jun 8, 2012 by Alex Gariano

Have you ever heard of face mapping? If not, it’s pretty much the key to unlocking the mysteries behind problematic skin. Thanks to the combined knowledge of dermatologists who have analyzed skin behaviors and ancient Chinese medicinal methods there is a smarter way to interpret and treat skin imperfections by way of “face mapping.” Face mapping is a type of skin analysis that explains why and how certain areas of your face are connected to other parts of your body. If you ask me, it’s pretty amazing stuff…

Why do you break out in some areas and not others?

Think of your blemishes as X’s on a map that is your face. Different zones correspond to different problems. With this “map” as your guide, you can address the underlying causes of blemishes and correctly determine how to prevent them from recurring. (Don’t you wish you know about this in middle school?)

So, what are your breakouts telling you?

Using the face mapping method to decode what’s going on with your body is both incredibly informative and very extensive if you ask me. Here is an overview of the basic areas and what breakouts or abnormalities in those areas mean:

Zone 1 & 3: Bladder & Digestive System — Improve your diet and drink more water.

Zone 2: Liver — Try cutting back on alcohol, heavy food or dairy. This area can also indicate a food allergy.

Zone 4 & 10: Kidneys — Make sure you’re keeping yourself hydrated with water and cut back on liquids that dehydrate you. This means nix the soda, coffee and/or alcohol.

Zone 5 & 9: Respiratory system — Those who smoke or have allergies tend to have acne here.

Zone 6 & 8: Kidneys — Dark circles are usually a result of dehydration. Drink up!

Zone 7: Heart — Check your blood pressure and make sure you’re not using makeup that irritates your skin.

Zone 12: Stomach — Consider a detox or adding more fiber to your diet to help with digestion.

Zone 11 & 13: Hormones — Stress and hormonal changes can sometimes be alleviated with more water and a few extra servings of dark, leafy greens but if breakouts in this area persistent, make an appointment with your doctor to look into a possible hormonal imbalance. Additionally, breakouts in this area also indicate when you are ovulating (and which side).

Zone 14: Illness — Can be a sign of your body fighting bacteria to avoid illness. Take a breather and drink plenty of fluids.

The post What Your Breakout Says About Your Life appeared first on Career Girl Network.