As summer is winding down, my kids are gearing up for another school year. I’ve mentioned in the past that I stopped working full-time to stay at home with my children while they were young. I wanted to be present to fully enjoy their babyhood. With my youngest now starting kindergarten, I’m ready to re-enter the workforce.

I’ll be honest, the last time I had to interview for a job was well over 10 years ago. Since that time dress codes have become more relaxed, and it’s more acceptable to not dress like Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl. I’m all for a well-designed business suit, but I’d honestly be bored to tears if I had to wear one everyday.

So, I’ve been trying to figure out how to I stay true to myself and still look professional. Last year I found this adorable button-down dotty shirt dress at Target. I really couldn’t resist the back and white polka dots; it’s a cute print that’s not totally obnoxious.

The dress came with a tie belt in the same fabric that I removed and replaced with a contrasting tan stretch belt. Adding in the tan and brown opened up my shoe choices, so I continued with the brown by pairing the dress with brown kitten heels embellished with flowers and studs.

Since I’ve already got loads of pattern and contrasting colors, I kept the jewelry to a minimum to avoid overload. Just a gold cuff on my wrist and delicate earrings help keep the look simple and clean.

Moral of the story: Don’t be afraid to be unique! Wow them with who you are; you can mix professional with personality!

Like this look? See more:

dress: Target (similar) // heels: Isaac Mizrahi (similar) // belt: Target (similar) // clutch: Charming Charlie // cuff: old (similar) // sunglasses: Charming Charlie (similar)

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