There are a ton of wardrobe philosophies out there these days, most of which concentrate on how to declutter your closet through wearing only what makes you feel happy and axing excess to hone in on your personal aesthetic. While closet detoxing — and more mindful shopping practices — are important aspects in your relationship with clothing, so is knowing when to not focus on sartorial limitations. For me, that means never labeling my clothes.
Lee Schellenberger, Kit Designer
Tell me about your scandalous piece.
“This scandalous piece comes from American Apparel… so scandalous! It’s a fun palm print, a banana leaf, which is everywhere, and I like it. ‘Cause I’m very picky about prints. It’s good because I have high-waisted everything in my closet. So, with crop tops, you can change around high-waisted skirts, high-waisted pants, high-waisted whatever, so yeah, it’s the way to go.”
How do you usually wear it out when you don’t have to worry about HR?
“When I don’t have to worry about HR, I usually wear it with a high-waisted circle skirt. I would wear it to bars, like out-out. Or maybe on a really nice sunny day.”
Was it difficult to hack it for the office?
“Finding the right high-waisted dress pants to go with a crop top was the hard part, but once you do that, it was easy. High-waisted slacks, a cool jacket — the jacket has to look trendy enough to go with a crop top. It can’t just be your grandpa’s cardigan.”
Cortney Clift, Associate Editor
Tell me about your scandalous piece.
“It’s a simple black dress with low-cut sides from Reformation. I got it because you could wear it with a bunch of different things and it’s easy to put on — good for summer.”
How do you usually wear it out when you don’t have to worry about HR?
“With a bra that won’t show when I want to look really elegant or with a lacy bra that shows a little bit on the sides for fun. Or just like that with a denim jacket to the park or for brunch.”
Was it difficult to hack it for the office?
“No, it was easy to put on a collared shirt on underneath.”
Marisa Kumtong, Junior Designer
Tell me about your scandalous piece.
“It’s a really great crop top from Forever 21. I love it and I feel so good in it. It makes me feel really good when I go out — it fits my body well. It shows just enough, not too much.”
How do you usually wear it out when you don’t have to worry about HR?
“I would wear it with heels. It’s pretty simple so you don’t really have to mess with it too much; you just wear it and that’s all that needs to happen. That’s all the flair; it’s already all there. I don’t really like accessorizing too much; I keep it pretty simple.”
Was it difficult to hack it for the office?
“It was not difficult. I put on a blazer and I put my backpack on and I put a longer skirt on so it doesn’t show as much. Instead of making it look like a two-piece, I can pull it up to make it look like a one-piece so it’s more conservative for work. It’s so versatile; I love it.”
Katie Bukstein, Director of People
Tell me about your scandalous piece.
“My scandalous piece is a dress from this great boutique in NOPA. It’s great for a sunny day — you can dress it up or dress it down and it’s flowy, so you can wear it in warm weather or you can layer.”
How do you usually wear it out when you don’t have to worry about HR?
“Either wearing some sort of cool bra in the back, sort of open or depending on if it’s really warm, leaving it open entirely with heels to dress it up and some funky jewelry because the front is pretty covered.”
Was it difficult to hack it for the office?
“It was super easy to change it up for work. I just added a cool pop of color with a little tank top for a more conservative, fuller coverage. Throwing on a blazer, a vest or even a leather jacket would work, too.”
Beth Wischnia, Editorial Intern
Tell me about your scandalous piece.
“I got my scandalous dress at Nordstrom. I love the cutouts and I love the bright color, and I love how that’s it. I like things that are very simple with just one thing that makes it cool.”
How do you usually wear it out when you don’t have to worry about HR?
“Just like this! It’s something I would wear in Vegas or I probably would wear it to a very big night out. This is a little bit dressy and scandalous for me for going out here in the city on a normal night.”
Was it difficult to hack it for the office?
“It was difficult before I started. Once I put it on, it was so tight that I was like, okay, I can put a lot of things over it or even under it —I like the idea of a collared shirt under too; it looks much more conservative, which I tend to gravitate toward, especially when it comes to dressing for the office. I like the juxtaposition of the cutouts with the collar. The hardest part was covering the waist cut-outs, but I think it would work with a lot of different high-waisted skirts in neutral colors. So it wasn’t that difficult once I opened my mind to the idea of wearing it to the office. I‘ve never actually worn this dress, ever, so I had to kind of think how this would work!”
Kate Puhala, Style Editor
Tell me about your scandalous piece.
“I’ve had a really hard time finding the perfect jumpsuit. They’re always either too dressy or too casual or too patterned — I really like wearing black. So, this one from American Apparel just fit the bill for me. It’s plunging (front and back!) is really hot but not too racy, especially since the fabric and cut is so drapey. It’s really well balanced (and nice to give my butt a break from my skinny jean-only denim rotation).”
How do you usually wear it out when you don’t have to worry about HR?
“I keep it simple: a charm necklace or choker, a patterned clutch, some open-toed sandals, a pop of color lipstick and a good mani/pedi to round out the elegant feel.”
Was it difficult to hack it for the office?
“Not at all. I toss anything cropped over it. I’m obsessed with this ADAY crop top — it has totally replaced my need for a white work button-up, plus its sportier vibe suits my style better anyway. When the two pair together, it’s like a minimalist girl’s dream. Or for a more casual approach, I’ll wear a tight, short-sleeved crop top underneath — that was my uniform at BeautyCon this year.”
What are your style hacks for transforming your most scandalous clothing into everyday duds? Share your secrets in the comments below.
It can be intimidating to step out on your own and build a business from the ground up. As part of our collaboration with Office Depot, we're talking with Selfmade alum and solopreneur Colette Lawrence, the faith-based motivator and relationship builder behind The M.E.E. Movement, about ways in which women in business can find success.
B + C: How did you know M.E.E. Movement was your business to start?
The M.E.E Movement represents motivation, empowerment, and encouragement for women. It is what represents me. I did not know at first that it was my business to start, but then the thought of monetizing what I loved came to me. It scared me, however. I registered the business in July 2020 and have been slowly building my wings since.
B + C: What's one strategy that's helped you start your business?
Thinking through and researching what the requirements are to start my business, and then asking questions of people who are in the business. Not all advice worked; however, it helped me to figure out what I needed to do and not to do.
B + C: Did you always know life coaching would be your entrepreneurial path?
(Smiles) No, I did not. I 'stumbled" on it. I knew that people were always coming to me for advice and I found that I loved having conversations with them, especially with women, young and old.
B + C: What was your most valuable takeaway from Selfmade?
My most valuable takeaway was the first day of training: Get out of your own way. There were a lot of great moments and important takeaways from every presenter. However, getting out of my own way, pushing past doubts, was for me my most valuable takeaway. Doing something that I had never done before took courage. If I do not focus on what is happening with me mentally then I cannot deliver to my clients successfully.
B + C: What's one piece of advice you would give to female entrepreneurs on the brink of starting?
Get out of your head. You have something to offer. You have what you need to succeed so go ahead and do it.
B + C: How do you stay motivated?
I stay motivated by listening to music and listening to motivational speakers, and sometimes someone will just reach out and talk about the impact that I made in their life. That adds the extra juice or sauce I need to pummel through the day.
B + C: What's your best organizational tip?
Keep a diary and journal. It's the best way for me to keep organized and it also provides a source motivation as I record not only my "losses" but my wins as well.
B + C: Who inspires you in the entrepreneurial space?
Shirley Toliver – She motivates and empowers and makes me always want to show up.
B + C: What has receiving the Office Depot scholarship to Selfmade done to help you start or grow your business?
The scholarship was a blessing in that all the areas that were covered offered valuable information that I needed, from social media to HR. As a new business owner, I needed to know this to increase my own personal awareness in what it takes to run a successful business. The candidness of the presenters made it easy to see myself in their shoes and helped me to realize that I can also get there.
Thanks Colette! You can follow The M.E.E. Movement on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Want to feel motivated to take the next step for your business? Let Office Depot OfficeMax give you the confidence you need with a suite of business services & solutions to help you put your best foot forward. Make a good first impression with business cards & build the business pitch of your dreams with custom presentations. With Office Depot OfficeMax you'll find the tools to reach new customers with confidence.
Head to Office Depot's Selfmade page to check out even more amazing business resources (and discounts!) to help you accomplish more on your entrepreneurial journey. These offers are available for a limited time only, so be sure to take advantage of all this goodness while supplies last. Want to join the next Selfmade cohort this summer? Check out all of the scholarship details right here.