- rachelvallozzi
- Jan 26
- 3 min read
Corporate to Casual Chic
Age: 50s
Year: 2026
ABOUT THE CLIENT/ client back story
This client reached out to me after a post-corporate and post-pandemic phase of life. She had been getting by on clothes she found here and there, but was finding herself constantly frustrated with the churn of purchasing and returning when clothes didn't fit right. Her closet was still full of her corporate clothes, which made getting dressed confusing because she could not clearly see what options in her wardrobe matched her current life.
Before Danita and I arrived in her closet, she weeded out a stack of the clothes from her corporate life and had them ready for us to pack up to donate to Dress For Success.
She also identified garments she really loved, but was struggling to understand how to use them in complete outfits. Two of these pieces were:
this gorgeous pleated olive midi skirt
a very cool, perfectly fitting buttery-to-the-touch leather jacket
At first, we tried a black cashmere turtleneck with the skirt. It immediately read as too conservative and too matronly for her personal self-expression. We then moved to the split neck johnny collar sweater, which instantly played as younger and hip - this look was a winner.
Next, I married the leather and the skirt, completing the looks with baby tees, chains, and knee boots. She loved the blend of femininity with an edge and exclaimed that these were perfect looks for her upcoming trip to Boston!
We then discussed two other jackets - a vintage suede olive option with some Edwardian detailing - a back peplum pleat and horizontal forearm seam with stacked buttons (minus the strong pleated shoulders) and a menswear oversized navy blazer. She loved both of these very much, but wasn't sure if the suede was still relevant and didn't quite know how to style the navy blazer so it felt personalized and current.
I love reviving a vintage garment and this color was lovely on her. I brought in the warm-brown studded clogs and belt with a metal buckle - two of her favorite new purchases - to modernize the outfit.
We kept both jackets fresh by grounding them with a crisp white menswear collared shirt. To complete the navy blazer look, we unearthed a couple of treasured necklaces, gifts from her husband, that she had been hoping to find new ways to wear.
Next, we moved on to cardigans. She had recently purchased fun and fresh light wash denim with embroidered stars. The white textured knit cardigan and adidas with embroidered flowers provided a clean feel and gave her a template for transitioning into spring. I repeated the pattern with her darling vintage sage cardigan. We completed this trio by talking through the unstructured nature of her fuzzy light blue cardigan. By buttoning the top button only, we gave the garment structure while keeping the layered look.
In these last two outfits, we learned two important things. The first is, both of these tops are lightweight and drape beautifully on her body. By styling with a front tuck, it gave her a waist and silhouette she loved. She now has the knowledge to hone in on weight and drape when looking for other tops and sweaters.
The second is the open necks. The combination of the open neck with a slouchy front tucked garment provides that casual cool, easy breezy look that immediately felt like a perfect reflection of her day-to-day lifestyle.
I love discovering patterns in client's wardrobes. Themes that revealed themselves were:
feminine touches like embroidery
vintage toppers like jackets and cardigans
various tones of greens and blues
open necks
baby tees and other fitted base layers
chains, hardware, and other edgy moments
Now that we have identified these styling and wardrobe elements that this client is naturally drawn to, they provide clarity and confidence as she moves forward, refining her authentic style for this current stage of her life.
