shirt: Old Navy ($7) ~ skirt: Atelier via Nordstrom Rack ($20) ~ boots: Chinese Laundry via Macy's ($65) ~ belt: Target ($15) ~ necklace: Free People (gift)

Date: January 9, 2012
Ensemble message: Hi, my name is Nicole, and I'm addicted to stripes.  Except, I don't really want to overcome this addiction.  There are few prints that I find myself turning to over and over... actually, stripes are the only print that I can wear multiple days in a row.  And stripes are the only print that I don't mind buying multiple of in one shopping trip.  So, I'll stay addicted, thank you very much :)

If you know me in the workplace, you know that I tend to come across as reserved, polite, and PC. This may even come through in my blog posts as well. Some might even label me as boring, unless I open up and we start talking about my hobbies or vacations. But even then, my personality comes across as… vanilla. It’s really no surprise that I’m like this – besides being an introvert, my dad is the epitome of politeness, and I was raised to be concerned about what others thought (early personal branding??) I have thrown some of that concern aside with my taste in music and clothes, neither of which can be considered to be mainstream. But overall, you can be sure that I will not give anyone the impression that I’m anything but a nice person and overall good citizen. I've even gone to the extreme of running to the other side of a grocery store when I saw a colleague on a Sunday morning… because I was hurting bad from a large number of cocktails the evening before.

However, I do have a different side that I don’t really let shine outside my circle of friends and family. It’s kind of weird, being so straight-and-narrow at work and then letting loose at night and on the weekends. Don’t misunderstand – the reserved, PC side of me is authentic. I just do a better job of balancing the niceness with the sarcastic jokes when with friends.

Since I started supporting the sales team, I’ve realized it’s important for the team to get to know the real me – not because they care (some might), but because they want to know that I’m human, that I make mistakes like them, and overall so they can trust me. So, I’m trying to be more comfortable being my authentic self while at work. I’m more open about my personal plans on weekends, I’m not shy about ordering an adult beverage while at a work dinner, I’m letting my snarky side make appearances as appropriate, and I’ve let a few curses slip here and there (fact: I actually have a really bad potty mouth!)

But I am sure to draw the line somewhere – which is what originally inspired this post. I often haul ass out of the parking lot at the end of the day, music blasting. I have to keep reminding myself to tone down my typical aggressive NJ driving near the office, because it would be pretty embarrassing if I got caught cutting off a co-worker!

dress: Spotted Moth (gift) ~ sweater: Express (gift) ~ boots: Steve Madden via DSW ($120) ~  cuff & necklace: gifts

Date: December 30, 2011
Ensemble message: Hey guys!  I was so lucky to be able to travel to Orlando last week to help facilitate a training seminar... I'm still a bit tired and getting used to being in cold weather again ;)  I thought I would have had more time for personal stuff (ie. blog) but I was kept busy all week.  But now I'm back, and happy to start the week with this outfit - it's one of my faves!  The oversized sweater layered on top of a dress is such an easy and fun look... I have to restrain myself from creating the same look with the variety of other dresses in my closet ;)  On this particular day, I had a half day at work and had plans to meet up with some friends... so easy and fun were right on target.

cardigan: Banana Republic (gift) ~ cami: Target ($9) ~ pants: Calvin Klein via Filene's Basement ($24) ~ scarf: Express (gift) ~ shoes: Mia via DSW ($60) ~ watch: Fossil (gift)

Date: December 29, 2011
Ensemble message: Pretty simple message here... it was post-Christmas and I wanted to wear a couple new items I had received as gifts.  I was also going to be moving offices that day, so a skirt or dress wouldn't be the most practical.  And done.
But seriously... this faux fur scarf is ah-mazing!  My secret santa (aka my younger sis) bought it for me, and it adds the right amount of fanciness to every outfit ;)  What accessory adds fanciness to your outfits??

cape: made by me! ~ shirt: Old Navy ($8ish) ~ corduroys: Gap (gift) ~ belt: Anthropologie (gift) ~ shoes: Nine West (super old!) ~ necklaces: gifts

Date: December 22, 2011
Ensemble message: So after recovering from a long busy period at the Day Job and prepping for the holidays, I was itching to let the creative juices flow and make something with my hands.  The work I do is so intangible, that sometimes I crave projects where I can physically see my results.  Luckily, I had recently found this link through Caitlin's blog and knew it was something that I could make... I mean, it's a cut-only, no sewing necessary project - perfect!  I found this thick, gorgeous flannel on sale at Joann Fabrics... I originally wanted to go with something more wintery (brick red, forest green, etc.), but the orange was so different and pretty, I just couldn't resist going with autumn colors!

I ended up using Stitch Witchery to clean up the raw edges... but that just employs an iron, a piece of machinery that I can operate without too much trouble ;)  Did anyone else see this article??  I'd love to see photos of your capes!!

dress: Fossil (gift) ~ shirt & scarf: Target ($14 & old - $8ish) ~ tights: c/o We Love Colors ~ shoes: Mia via DSW ($60) ~ cuff: gift

Date: December 21, 2011
Ensemble message: Looking for something comfy for work, so I grabbed this Fossil dress that I got as a gift a couple years ago.  It's a grey sweatshirt material, so it's nice as is, but can be difficult to layer in cold weather.  This time I went for a simple striped shirt, and mixed things up with a printed scarf.  This is probably my favorite way of wearing this dress, and I would totally wear a similar ensemble on the weekends - but maybe with bolder colors and prints!

Hey everyone!  Time for just a quick post tonight announcing the BeKnown giveaway winners.  Soo, here they are:



Congrats to both of you!  A rep from BeKnown will contact you shortly :)

sweater & shirt: Gap (gift & $13) ~ skirt: Target ($23) ~ shoes: Marc Fischer via Macy's ($36) ~ necklace: gift

Date: December 8, 2011
Ensemble message: So in case you were wondering, this is what I, as an HR person, chooses to wear as an interviewer.  Less formal than being the interviewee, but I still like to wear traditional office pieces (pencil skirt, trousers, cardigan, blazer, etc.) to show respect to the candidates.  Now, I wouldn't suggest going overboard as an interviewer... afterwards, you want to properly reflect your company and team's culture.  So, in some cases, jeans might be appropriate!  As always, remember that the clothes you wear to work are a reflection of you as a professional and also your company.

sweater: JCrew ($21) ~ shirt: thrifted via Goodwill ($4) ~ jeggings: Target ($20) ~ boots: Chinese Laundry via Macy's ($65) ~ necklace: gift

Date: December 1, 2011
Ensemble message: On December 1st, I was counting down the hours of when my super, crazy, insane schedule would go back to normal.  Between long meetings on team performance for the year and multiple recruiting events, I just wanted to be done.  This was the day before that last recruiting event, and while I was attending to last minute details during the day, I had to be ready to wine and dine the candidates that evening.  I personally love the dinners because you can get to know the candidate on such a personal level, which in turn can help them score a position down the road.  So I went with an outfit that was a little younger but still professional, comfortable yet polished.

brrrrrrrrr.......

Hey everyone, have you heard about BeKnown yet??  It's a professional networking tool created by Monster.com to operate as a Facebook app - in other words, BeKnown helps you build your professional network with your existing Facebook contacts!  While there are other professional networking sites out there, let's be honest... you probably check Facebook more throughout the day than those websites, right?  I know I do!

Ok, I know what you're thinking... why would you want to use another networking tool, especially one that is connected to your (most likely) unprofessional and/or very personal Facebook profile?  First, it never hurts to network everywhere - you just never know what opportunities may come up!  Second, BeKnown allows you to create your own professional profile that is not linked in any way to your Facebook profile on the reader's end.  So, you can post those all those crazy party photos for your Facebook friends to see, but your BeKnown contacts will only see the professional profile you set up through the app.  Pretty cool!

Also, you can connect with current Facebook friends, people on Facebook that are within your extended networks (schools, companies, etc.), Twitter connections, and e-mail contacts.  This is truly an all-encompassing networking tool!  With so much emphasis now on first impressions through social media, BeKnown is a powerful way to connect to a broad range of people while also staying in control of what you want them to know.  In fact, I know a number of people who won't connect to their colleagues on Facebook, but now you can without revealing the details of your personal life.

BeKnown is a new app, so to kick things off, they want to offer 2 Employed Panache readers an interview survival pack!  This includes a limited edition beauty kit by Benefits cosmetics, a professional (and cute!) business card holder, and a $10 Starbucks gift card (total $70 value).  Wow!  To enter, all you have to do is sign up for BeKnown and leave a comment below telling me that you did so. For additional entries, leave separate comments telling me how you follow Employed Panache (Google, Bloglovin', Twitter, and/or Facebook). You can also tweet about this giveaway - just link back to me @EmployedPanache.



* Please note: Please use Disqus to leave a comment. Make-up kits may vary from the sample pictured.  This giveaway is open until 11:50pm EST on Thursday January 19, 2012. I'll pick a random winner on Friday January 20, 2012.

Get networking and good luck!