Business Casual and my Not-So Camera Shy Dog

A few years back my office changed our dress code from Business Casual to just plain casual.  Sometimes it's really nice to not have to think about what to wear in the morning and just throw on a pair of jeans and some tennis shoes, but some folks at my office have taken "casual" way too far.  Like, people are passing off pajamas and track-suits as "work appropriate" too far.  I've heard rumblings that they might reinstate our business casual wardrobe because it's gotten so out of hand.  Secretly, I hope they do.  Then I won't feel so out of place when I wear outfits like the one I wore today.

Weird sweater button gape aside (that I didn't notice until I started uploading these pictures - I should tell my photographer what to look out for), I was feeling pretty good in this today.  Putting together something cute is one of the few things that makes waking up at 5:45 and enduring 3 hours of commuting on my office days almost worthwhile.  But still, I'm glad I only have to do it 3 days a week.

There's so many things about this outfit that I love.  For starters, I didn't pay more than $20 for anything I'm wearing.  The 3/4 sleeve cardigan sweater from Target that looks so much nicer than what I paid, and honestly, nicer than I used to expect from Target.  I love how cute some of their clothes are these days!  I've had this sweater for a while, but never thought about pairing it with a belt.  I added it on a whim this morning, and it's amazing how one simple change can totally alter an ensemble.  As for a necklace, I went with a somewhat large triple strand beaded black necklace to go with the bold pattern and the big black belt.  All in all, I think the outfit came together nicely.

Since Jude, my camera-hog of a dog, tried to sneak into the first picture so I'll dedicate the rest of this post to him.  He's very stylish and put together, as you can see.  He's black and tan - two neutrals that go with everything!  He's wearing a green striped nylon collar by Top Paw (although I came very close to buying him a nice leather collar at Embellish the other day).  Perfect for attaching the leash that he'll nearly rip your arm off with while out strolling around the neighborhood.  He also has lots of bling attached to his collar because, like me, he loves shiny things.  Not only does he always look this cute, he knows it.  And although the vet said he could stand to lose 10 pounds, he's comfortable in his own skin (fur?), no matter what size he is.  I could learn a lot from him.

Polka Dot Cardigan Sweater: Target.com - $20
T-shirt: Old Navy - $7
Belt: NYandCompany.com - $11
Pants: NYandCompany.com - $20
Necklace: NYandCompany.com - $10
Boots: Macys - $75 (but to be fair, they were a gift so I didn't pay more than $20 for them)