Putting her stamp on the business casual look
When Toni Shelton went back to school to study public relations a few years ago, she stocked up on an oftoverlooked business necessity: business casual clothing.
The term “business casual” as a dress code can take on different meanings depending on the office and environment in which a person works. But Shelton wanted to cover all bases so she dove right in, loading up on suits, blazers and dress pants. It was a look that didn’t feel quite natural to her, she says, and so she searched for ways to try to make it her own.
“While I do like wearing a blazer, I struggle to get in that world of style because it feels like I just don’t know it very well,” says Shelton, 26, who went on to work internships with the Hamilton Bulldogs and the YMCA. “So I did struggle to feel like I was stylish when I was trying to dress business casual. I always felt like I might be crossing the line — is this too casual? Or if I tried to dress it up, I felt like I might be going the other way.”
But when Shelton landed her current job as communications manager at Collective Arts Brewing two years ago, everything fell into place. Not only were suits not necessary at the Hamilton-based company that merges craft brewing with innovative artists and musicians, the corporate look is not in line with the company’s image.
“I think it’s important at Collective Arts, for me at least, to dress professional,” says Shelton, who is shown in her favourite Levi’s 721 High Rise Distressed Skinny Jeans with a black Aritzia tank and a Topshop faux leather moto jacket with floral appliqués. “But it’s such a creative and cool culture that we have here that it’s awesome I can dress how I want and be creative in that.”
Shelton says that most days she’ll reach for her most-loved Levi’s High Rise Distressed jeans and will pair them with a black top or blouse that has a little detail to make it stand out — like a scoop back or an off-the-shoulder neckline. When she wears jewelry, she keeps it fairly minimal to maintain an overall polished but lowkey look. Here she accessorizes her outfit with silver midi rings she bought on a recent trip to Mexico, silver triangle studs from Forever 21 and a pair of black mules from Nine West. Most eye catching piece:
That (Topshop) jacket … every time I wear it someone is like, where did you get that jacket? Or that’s so Toni, like kind of crazy, out there ... I like to have fun and I’m outgoing and that jacket is kind of both of those things. Quirkiest wardrobe item:
I do like looking nice — I just don’t like wearing flashy things. I don’t like jewels and that kind of thing. But my grandma gave me a TAG watch for
when I graduated university and it’s just covered in diamonds. And it’s got a pink band. And so that’s the only thing that I wear that’s totally off my radar … like, normally if I was to wear a watch, it would have to have zero diamonds or bling on it and it would have to have a leather band and be very simple. But this watch, obviously, because it means a lot to me. And it’s one of those things that if I wear all black or wear very simple other things, I feel like I can get away with it. Wardrobe must have:
My Levi’s (721 High Rise Distressed Skinny Jeans). They’re all the same style, just different colours. Best purchase:
I think probably these Nine West shoes. I have spent a lot of time in Florida, and there’s a Nine West outlet there that pretty much constantly has a buy one, get one 50 per cent off sale going on. So most of my shoes are from Nine West because of that. These sandals, as well as another pair of Nine West sandals … they’re strappy, so there’s one strap at the front and one strap on the ankle and they’re very simple. And they’re so reasonable to walk in — they have only a 1.5-inch heel and they’re just so comfortable. So I think between these two shoes … these are my staple sandals. Regrets buying: I have a pair of pants that I bought from RW & Co and they’re this beauti that ful purple silk colour and they have a tie around the waist and they’re cuffed. They’re like jasmine (harem) pants. And they look great on the hanger but they just definitely didn’t look good on me and they were $80 and I don’t know why I bought them. I must have not had my coffee yet or something. So, they’re still hanging in my closet and they’re $80 that I never will have back. There’s all the tags on them — that’s how I remember that they were $80. Loves to shop at:
Zara, Aritzia and The
Bay are probably my go-tos. The Bay is underrated … I feel like most people my age don’t go to The Bay … and I feel like it’s been given a bad rap for being too expensive but it’s really not. You can go on a sale day. Ridding your closet of:
Hoodies. I love hoodies because I love being comfortable when I’m home. But I have too many of them and I really only need a few because I don’t need to wear hoodies that often. Splurges on:
Jackets. I love jackets. I have a million jackets. A good leather jacket, a denim jacket, a cargo jacket, I love Lululemon jackets. I have a raincoat
I’ve had for, like, seven years from Lululemon and I definitely splurged on that. Yeah, so price is not an (issue) when I’m buying a new jacket. Beauty item you can’t live without:
This is probably strange for someone my age but I’ve been wearing anti-wrinkle moisturizer since I was, like, 16 ... I wear Olay (Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Daily Face Moisturizer) every day.