I’ve been so impressed with Express lately. When I first entered into adult life, some 5 years ago, and went shopping at Express for my very first trendy work outfit, I only found neutral-colored business wear. There was a plethora of black, gray, dark gray, heather gray… basically every shade of gray… business slacks and pencil skirts. We’re talking real fun and limit-pushing clothing, and since they were the only major store selling professional workwear, it was such a bummer. However, in recent months, I’ve seen a variety of fun colors and styles in their seasonal catalogs, and my fanaticism in their previously predictable stash has been revitalized.

Unless I’m in a time bind, I steer clear of plain black pants. They’re a staple; I’d never argue that. However, they’re kind of boring, for lack of a better word. I found these amazing tile blue Express Ultimate Double Weave Ankle Columnist Pants, which I also purchased in red, and instantly fell in love with the vibrant color. They’re surprisingly versatile, but my favorite match thus far has been with this elegant ivory lace blouse. You can find full trendy work outfit details at the bottom of this post.

Oh, and who could forget my new boyfriend– my precious Tory Burch Robinson Pebbled Open Dome Satchel? I’ve been on the hunt for a staple dark brown bag to hold all my Mary Poppins-esque girlboss essentials, and the Lord answered my prayers with this chestnut Tory treasure.

Shop the Look:  Top: Express | Pants: Express (available in 9 different colors)| Coat: Express | Shoes: Vintage, Similar Linked | Bag: Tory Burch | Necklace: Cache (No Longer Available), Similar Linked | Watch: Michael Kors (exact style out of stock, so a similar and comparably-priced item is linked)| Bracelet(s): J. Crew (Out of Stock), Similar Style Linked | Sunglasses: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Oh, and Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! If nothing else, try and do at least one random act of kindness today– and every day— in Dr. King’s memory. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”- Dr. MLK