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If you’ve been keeping up with me on the ‘gram, you’ve seen that I’ve been showing my love of power outfits. I couldn’t resist sharing this look with ya’ll in full blog post. Be prepared to get hit with all the great outfit deets, fit, styling tips – and a code for $50 off!
Dress: M.M. La Fleur // Trench: M.M. La Fleur // Belt: Amazon // Bag: Tumi // Necklace: Banana Republic Outlet (old) but similar here // Sunglasses: Madewell// Shoes: M.M. La Fleur//
You guys – I am almost bursting at the seams with excitement about this outfit. It’s not just any outfit, it’s my power outfit of the season! Just as an FYI, this look was a gift to myself for surviving Tax Busy Season (dun dun dun!), and it was so worth it.
What I look for in a power outfit is something that is equal parts professional, smart, and classic. And with a dash of edginess. The hardest thing about being in my early 30’s and a business woman is finding clothes that look professional and age appropriate. Too often, I’ll find a nice skirt suit, but it looks dated and makes me look like I’m trying to look 20 years older than I am. Or, I’ll find trendy business clothing but the skirts are WAY too short, or the pants are too snug in the bum. I’ve got serious Goldilocks issues when it comes to finding work clothes I love. Especially ones for the many client and business pitches that lead.
THE CONCEPT
I started hearing about M.M. La Fleur around the interwebs (read: Facebook ads – they know me too well!). Even friends would text me “What’s the deal with M.M. La Fleur?”. I didn’t know much, so I hit up their website, and tried to learn a much as possible about this brand. M.M. La Fleur is a clothing retailer and manufacturer for women’s clothing, specializing in work wear, but there are a ton of elevated casual styles for going to a nice dinner/special event. Their concept is unique in that they have a website and brick-and-mortar “showrooms” (in major cities) but don’t stock items to purchase from the Showroom. Everything is ordered and shipped right to your house (which comes in a couple of days). They pay shipping both ways.
The Showroom is an experience in itself. You book an appointment, and once you arrive, you’re offered coffee, tea, water, or champagne 🍾 and paired with a stylist. Your stylist works one-on-one with you to find exactly what you’re looking for and you can try everything on in the store. Once you know what you want to buy, you tell your stylist and they zip their fingers around their laptops quickly and have it ordered!
MY FIRST EXPERIENCE
My first showroom experience at the DC Showroom was during their Pack a Punch event to showcase their new packable suiting line. Which first, can I just give a big “YAAS” for packable suiting? I travel a lot for work, so this is a big deal for me. Walking through the showroom, I saw the dress, booties and trench modeled throughout different parts of the store. My mind instantly formulated my perfect power outfit.
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| Me concocting the perfect outfit |
MY POWER OUTFIT
Dress
My dress is The Constance dress in spruce. I’m wearing a size 6 and fits perfectly. Form flattering, but not too tight. It also has two large pockets on the sides and looks amazing with a wide belt (this one is a great one from Amazon!). Also, this dress is machine washable! I find that M.M. La Fleur’s pants and dress sizing run pretty true to size in number sizing (they also have plus sizes), and their tops (XS, S, M, L) run large.
Tench
My trench is The Jensen trench. Here, I’m wearing a size XS and it has a slightly over-sized (but not swimming in it) fit. The material is a water resistant wool-blend. This coat is magnificent. That is the perfect word for how I would describe it. When I buy anything, I always think of at least 2 outfits that I could wear with the item. If I can’t, I won’t buy it. When I saw this trench, I also knew it it would look so classic with jeans and booties. It’s also the perfect accessory for a full pants suit. What I also love most about this coat is that it has this tailored neck strap that snaps across to keep wind and rain out. It really adds that extra layer of warmth. I actually wore this out to a happy hour last week now that it *finally* feels like fall in DC and it kept me toasty.
Boots
One of my favorite parts of this look are The Lana boots. Made from a 3D knit (no seams), the boots are complete with a rubber heel. I know at first you might be thinking ‘so what, a rubber heel?’. To which I will say – how many work shoes have you ruined because you scuffed the leather or wood heel? The rubber heel lets you scuff away and you can just rub it off, or it won’t show as much as it would if it were leather or wood.
The level of thinking that goes into clothing is total hook-line-and-sinker for me as a consumer. That’s probably why I also own a lot of Lululemon. I normally wear an 8 in boots, but I’m wearing a Size 37 here. I tried on the 37s in the store and they were a perfect fit. But, admittedly, brand new they are a little snug. So if you are an 8, I would order the 38s.
QUALITY
If you’re wondering about quality – it’s definitely there. I even had my mom inspect them for every pleat seam and lining and she agrees that the pieces are nice high-quality items. The seams were nicely sewn with tight stitching, and the tailoring is well done. I was a little surprised that the trench coat wasn’t fully lined. It’s partially lined in the arms and the top of the back. However, after wearing it a bit I realized that this was probably intentional. The jacket wouldn’t have as much movement and would feel too constricting and stiff if it were fully lined. Also, it would be heavier to carry and take up more room when packing.
OVERALL
Overall, the styling and quality are on point. It feels so good to find clothing that is not only professional, but age appropriate for me. I also like the care that goes into making each item regarding comfort, travel-ability, anti-stink technology, and machine wash-ability. I heard someone mention during the Packing Party that when they design shoes they want you “to be able to run through an airport to catch your flight and be comfortable”. That is a very real scenario for me. Ultimately, the pieces look good and are easy to wear.
Their prices are on the high end, and while I day dream about a full wardrobe of M.M. La Fleur work wear – it’s just not in my current budget. So I personally treat each item as an investment piece that I will wear for at least 5 years. For me, I can be 150% mentally prepared for that 6-figure pitch meeting, but that boost of confidence I get from when my boss outfit matches my inner boss-self goes SO FAR.
ABOUT THAT DISCOUNT CODE
Ok, so I’ve told you so far about this love story between this outfit and I. But I wanted to take it to the next level. I wanted to collaborate with the brand. So I reached out and pitched my story of how I love their clothes and want to share it with all ya’ll because I really can’t keep a good thing all to myself. They agreed, (eee!) and we collaborated on another amazing Fall look . As part of our collaboration, they gave me a discount code to share with you!
Use katyforakermm50 for $50 off your first purchase. And if you know me, I’m not normally one to pimp a discount code. In full disclosure, I do not receive any commission through the discount code. This is just a brand that I’m really smitten about – not just their clothing but also their message and ideals. I’m sharing this code with you because I hope you to love M.M. La Fleur as much as I do! And if you don’t, you can return it and don’t have to pay shipping.
So I’ve gushed about my power outfit this season – what does yours look like?
