that 9 to 5 {join me at express!}

I consider myself pretty fortunate in that my office environment is a pretty creative and open space. For ideas. For thought starters. For taking a crazy-outside-the-box-whim-of-an-inkling and turning it into reality. 

So when it comes to dressing for the office, I'm always a little stumped. Because anything goes. Literally anything. You've all undoubtedly seen the Silicon Valley poster child. Hoodie. Jeans/khakis. Free t-shirt from a conference they attended last year. And don't get me wrong. I think this uniform works and I have lots of great coworkers who rock this most days. And a lot of coworkers who dress to all different types of drum beats. We're a big melting pot of style, culture, values and ideas. And I love it. 

But it usually means, for me anyway, most days I'm a little overwhelmed by all the possibilities I could wear that day. Polished and professional? Casual? Minimalistic? Borderline on my way to the gym? (I don't do that last one very often, I promise.) Of course, a lot of what I channel into creating that outfit largely depends on what I have going on that day. A huge meeting or presentation? Brainstorm sessions that involve a lot of white boarding and running around time? Sitting at my desk and cranking out ideas? Or maybe I just woke up in a certain mood or have cocktails with a few girlfriends back in the city after work? 

More often than not, I usually default to a blend of polished casual -- and I blame my reporting days for this. I loved feeling put together but needed the flexibility to run to my next interview. And while there's a lot less running at my current job to make deadlines these days, I still gravitate toward a certain aesthetic. Cropped ankle trousers are no stranger around here. I could create a flip book of just my outfits from the past 5 years that involve cropped ankle trousers. And these editor pants from Express are quickly joining the ranks of my MVPs. Top if off with a few more menswear inspired pieces, like this suit vest and understated blouse, with killer heels and I suddenly feel both chic and comfortable enough to hop onto a bike for my next meeting, if I need to.

Blouse, vest and pants all via Express; Shoes: Manolo Blahnik (crushing on this pair hard); Bag: Saint Laurent; Sunglasses: Ray-Ban; Cuff: Hermes

What's your work environment like and how do you dress for it? And while we're at it, are you free on March 3? Great. Join me at Express in downtown San Francisco for their Spring Fling party (if you recall, I helped host last year's even and it was a ton of fun!). The party kicks off at 6pm and lasts until 9. (Plus, a certain Kate Upton will be there.) 

One last part to sweeten the deal? One lucky person will win a shopping spree with Kate Upton and a select group of Express customers the day of the party between 7:15-8pm at the downtown SF store. Travel isn't included. To enter, follow @expressrunway on Instagram and comment on my Instagram post from this morning so I know you've entered. No purchase necessary. Winner will be chosen at random. Open to legal U.S. residents and 18+ only. Void where prohibited. See official rules here.

Good luck and hope to see you there! 

Photos by Aaron Shui

This post was in collaboration with Express. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!