Recently, a friend of mine (Mary from A Fab Life) introduced me to Wrapped LA and their insane line of papers (that are actually made for wrapping, as opposed to the wallpaper I have been using).  Wrapped’s entire premise is that wrapping paper should be a work of art (preach!), which inspired prints from paint splattered floors to exotic animal hides (the zebra is a personal favorite).  If you have time you should head to their blog to read about their design process.  The whole concept is pretty amazing.

Anywho, Wrapped LA is currently hosting a holiday pop-up in Nordstrom (through November 15) where you can get your hands on their assortment of gift bags, boxes, gift tags, a wide assortment of papers, animal print notebooks (for all of the gift tracking) and file folders (for all of the receipt holding). Personally, I am fully stocked with both holiday themed and designer papers and am ready for some gift-giving action.  Now if only I knew what to put inside…

You see, everyone needs a thing. Having a demanding career and spending the majority of your week working in an office can take its toll if you let it.  Hell, forget the demanding career, life will take its toll if you let it. Which is why, despite all of our best efforts to forget ourselves and focus on everything around us, we have to make sure we have a thing. You know, something you do only for you.  Something that is not materialistic. Something you can stop and do no matter your financial situation or where you are  in life.  It should be something that makes you feel good about yourself and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Something that is all yours. Something you have absolute control over.

One of my friends, after battling his own sense of discontent with the state of his life, recently took up running. In ten weeks, he is now running half marathons and has never been happier. In his words, “I am in a really good place.” His state of mind did a complete 180, and yet nothing in his life had changed. That is, nothing apart from his decision to start focusing a part of his week on himself, on something he wanted to do.

Running is so not my thing (clearly). I am not an artist, a photographer, a weight lifter or a golfer. And despite all evidence to the contrary, posting ridiculous images of myself all over the internet isn’t it either. My thing has always been writing. And as seems to be the universal case, I lost sight of my love for jotting down my thoughts (and, more importantly, all it did for me mentally) when I first started working. I struggled to find balance between my life and career and to find some place where “Lynsey” wasn’t synonymous with “attorney.” I searched for an outlet for about a year before I found my way back. My view on life, my career, and even Los Angeles has been better for it. It is amazing what a little self purpose can do. 

So what is your thing? What do you do to focus on yourself in the midst of the craziness that is life? If you don’t have a thing and you have yet to discover what your outlet is, I challenge you to find, and more importantly commit to, one as soon as possible. I promise you will be better for it.

In monochrome suits or in the form of over-sized coats, I love the put-together look of it all.  Power women who are power professionals in power…suits.  Thus, my continued obsession with shaking up work wear has brought me to this – overlapping fabric, multiple buttons and double-breasted construction.  But it doesn’t appear that I am the only one – everyone from Miroslava Duma to Hanneli seems to be dipping their toe in the double-breasted pool.

And last and most certainly the least, there’s this bozo.  You see, this isn’t just preaching but practice my friends. In a vintage Dior blazer that I would chalk up as perhaps my most prized under-priced find, my obsession comes full circle.  Happy suiting.

Anyway, not only is this costume hilarious and, dare I say it, witty (get it: you are wearing gold and you have a shovel = gold digger!), the best part is that most of it can be found in your (or someone you know’s) closet.  Once you put on all the gold you can find in your closet, all you need to locate are some gold tights (here or here) and you are in the money…literally.

Start digging, lady…

It is a lose, lose situation.

Second reason?  I will admit it.  I am a fall/winter kind of girl.  There is nothing I love more than piling on as much of the clothing I have in my closet at one single time.  Bag lady chic, I like to call it. 

I am sure the hus wants to die for as many times as the words “I really need more sweaters” have come out of my mouth.  I lurv layering.  Point being?  Summer dressing is just plain miserable for me because I always want to put on something else.  And that something else is usually an over-sized, double weight, furry, fuzzy, weigh-you-down and warm-you-up, angora sweater. 

You starting to see the problem?

And the last and FINAL problem with summer office dressing?  You guessed it.  The flippin’ dress code.  Which brings me to my point with all this.  I vividly remember working in my father’s office when I was fourteen for a week one summer, and getting scolded by one of his colleagues for wearing a sleeveless shirt.  “You have to dress professionally here.”  So, for the rest of my life, it has been clear to me that sleeveless garments were a no, no at the office.

Until recently….  

I have seen women of all types (assistants, associates, managers, partners,  etc.) running around the CC office park with naked arms out for all of world to gawk at.  Exposed.  Granted, they all are doing it in classic Banana Republic shells, but that is neither here nor there for me.  I am more interested in the very idea that the exposing of the arm is now considered business casual…..  Is it?

Now, for just about the first time on LAW OF FASHION, I actually did not wear this to the office.  Please do not hold it against me.  Instead, I am  offering this edgy bohemian nonsense up as a conversation starter.  Mostly because I am thinking about wearing it to work….and also because I won’t  pass up the opportunity to stretch the rules.  Because if naked arms are OK, then…….. so is this?

What do you think?  Are bare arms an office no, no…..or a yes?