Welcome to the Casual Smarts blog which aims to provide workwear inspiration for the style conscious professional woman. Professional image and personal style are becoming more important and what you wear to work is often the first thing which a colleague, client or boss will notice about you if you are meeting them for the first time. I started this blog through a genuine passion and love of dressing for work, which when you consider that we spend the majority of our week at work why wouldn’t we want to look good and feel confident!

A little information about me……

I graduated from University in 2002 receiving an LLB (Hons) Degree in Law and European Languages. Whilst studying for my undergraduate degree I undertook a placement within the legal department of the SNCF in Paris for a year before working for the EU Commission and the UK Civil Service. I speak five languages English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese and would one day love to master another language , perhaps Mandarin! I currently work in professional services at a University and I am part way through an MBA. For all those out there who have studied for an MBA and survived, I salute you!

My passion for style and fashion began many years ago when I was looking through a copy of one of my mother’s glossy magazines, I remember saying to myself (aged nine) that one day I would create a business which would fill the gap in the beauty market by selling products for women of all ethnicities. At the time there were a limited number of products on the market for women of colour and I thought that when I was older I would be the woman to change that. Yes I was a dreamer…… and a number of decades later the Bobbi Browns, Macs and Nars of this world have filled the gap, freeing me up to indulge myself in fashion.  But my love affair with fashion and accessories was a slow burn which developed overtime and came to a head during my internship in Paris and I defy anyone note to fall for fashion in the city of light.

After years of working and endless comments like “that’s a great dress, where did you get it?” I decided to finally answer the question in the form of this blog which I hope will serve as a style guide for working women and a place to share stories and experiences.

I hope you enjoy the Casual Smarts

Paloma Medcalf