Style Success: Baby B's All Grown Up

It's a curse a lot of us fight in this town. We're smart, attractive, well-educated, and good at what we do.

And we happen to be under 30.

Ok, so I'm a little past that, now, but I distinctly remember turning 30, and being thrilled. (And no, it wasn't just my bash in New Orleans with friends & family.) I was excited that, if anyone asked - customers, colleagues, etc., (they do - it's odd) - I could finally say, 30. It sounds so much more grown up and professional, somehow. I felt like one of my birthday presents was credibility. Silly, given that the day before I was just as intelligent and well-qualified as on my birthday, but true.

So when Baby B was selected to our company's group of elite "up and comers," she made a decision. She decided she was going to dress for work from now on. Our company is, for the most part, a business casual place - except for the execs. Most days, you'll find them in suit & tie (they're all men - but we won't get into that here). The few women towards the top are, at minimum, in slacks & a jacket. The rest of us schlumps dress up or down accordingly. But to suit her new status (pun mildly intended), Baby B went shopping, looking for pieces to step up her wardrobe into "take me seriously" world. She scoured Filene's, Loehman's, and TJ Maxx to find her new duds.

And clearly came out with a few winners. Now, Baby B's got style. It's not infrequently I stop in the morning and compliment her. But yesterday morning, I was positively gushing. She was truly put together, and in a way that reflects her sensibilities and style. Modern, ladylike, and professional - and absolutely not boring.

Her teensy babydoll jacket over a camel turtlenck struck just the right note. She kept it simple with black slacks and tied the whole thing together with dainty slingbacks. The best part? Not a single thing is "brand name," and cost her next to nothing.

Way to represent the "younger set," Baby B.