Since I have recently gone back to work part time... the type of clothing I now find myself sewing has shifted a little bit.  It used to be nothing but leggings and hoodies for this girl, but I am now drawn to more versatile pieces that I can wear to work.  Thankfully, I haven't gone back to a stiff corporate job that requires suits (bleh!), but I do still like to look professional at the office.  Which is why I am super excited to be a part of this blog tour that Made for Mermaids and Patterns for Pirates is putting on!

My office is far from fancy. In fact, its quite old and dingy and connected to a warehouse... I'm also the only female that works there, so for the most part, skirts are out for me, and I also don't like to wear anything too dressy either.... This is why the SOS pants are the perfection work bottoms for me!  They are still super comfy (shhh they are almost as comfy as leggings!) but look a lot more like "real" pants thanks to the pockets! I made this pair in a beautiful wine colored crushed velvet from Hobby Lobby.  I was a little nervous this would be a little too far outside of my normal comfort zone, but these look fantastic and are so comfortable to boot!  I wanted to keep the top sort of simple since the bottoms are a little wild, so I chose to make a Mama Tara top. It has simple lines, but a little bit of added interest with the front drape.  I didn't want just a solid top though, so I used this slinky black fabric I had in my stash that has some amazing raised gold pin dots on it.  Its still a subtle pattern that it doesn't compete with the texture of the pants. I had gotten this as a remnant at Hancock Fabrics years ago (well before they closed, sniff sniff) and had never found the right use for it until now! I did modify the sleeves to be above the elbow by taking 1.5" off the length of them, and I also made the neckline slightly narrower to give it a more dainty look.  I cut my neckband at 1.75" instead as I thought a narrower neckband would pair well with the dressier fabric.

I only work 2-3 half days a week, so I don't need a "full" professional wardrobe, and the best part of these pieces is I can totally pair them with other items in my closet to tone them done a bit and wear them for every day wear!  The top works just as well paired with jeans, and I've already worn the velvet pants with a more casual cardigan for every day wear too!

I hope you've gotten a little inspiration from my outfit for your own professional-wear looks! I plan to build on these pieces to create a work clothing "capsule" all centered around burgundy, black and gold. I love how the rich patterns and textures of these particular fabrics really dress up my very comfy outfit!

Be sure to stop by the other bloggers posts this week to see what all they have made. So many inspiring ideas! Find the blog post for each day below, which contains links to each bloggers site!

Day 1 : Day 2 : Day 3 : Day 4 : Day 5

Please note that this post contains links.  Some of these may be "affiliate links" which means that if you decide to make a purchase I get paid a tiny portion of whatever is purchased, but at no additional cost to you.  Affiliate payments go directly to my fabric fund to continue the cycle of sewing up or testing more patterns so I can share the love with you!