Halloween - to costume or not to costume

It's been years since I wore a Halloween costume, especially to work.  Although we don't have an office policy about wearing costumes that I'm aware of, there are always a few of my co-workers, usually the younger women, who get adventurous and dress up.

So I got to thinking today what I would wear as a costume to the office.  I started poking around on the Internet and came across a 2013 article on Babble.com called "10 Halloween Costumes You Won't Be Embarrassed To Wear To Work" and loved the first look I saw - a spy or secret agent.

I could actually pull this off and wouldn't feel too self-conscious (I think).  It's basically a trench coat, sexy boots, leather gloves, and some dark sunglasses.  This happens to be one of my favorite fall/winter looks!

The writer of the website actually got her inspiration from a fashion blogger whose site I haven't visited for a long time, lovemaegan.com  Besides being a gorgeous blonde, she has a great fashion sense and puts together some incredible looks!  To say I'm envious would be an understatement!  In addition to the photos below, you can see her incredible look here, although I don't think I could wear the coat as a dress like she does!  And those boots are a-mazing!

That said, I'd have to have another great "costume" look underneath, which also happens to be featured in the article.  This time, it's Bonnie Parker of the classic bank robber movie, "Bonnie and Clyde."  This look basically involves a short-sleeved, sweater, pencil skirt, scarf, and beret (gun optional).  Another classic look and the only things I would do is to update the look with a leather pencil skirt and an infinity scarf.

My Favorite Pages - ELLE - November 2012

It's not saying much when the "leather highlight" in ELLE consists of a series of fur ads that have a great vintage 1980s look to them.



A knee-length fur coat paired with a turtleneck, wide black leather belt, and nicely matching leather skirt makes for a very sophisticated, luxury look. All that's missing is the knee-high boots!



Bare shoulders and arms stay warm with this nice pairing of a fur stole and opera-length leather gloves.



Again, a very nice pairing of a fur stole withlong leather gloves. The jewelry (big bracelet and pinky ring) worn over the gloves is also a nice touch.




This black leather shirtdress from Michael Kors is anything but basic. The goldtone buttons on the shoulders as well as the optional goldtone belt accent it very nicely. This piece would look great worn in early fall with strappy sandals or later in the season with some sexy over-the-knee boots.



This Hollywood edition of ELLE featured this one photo of actress Susan Sarandon in a Valentino black leather trench coat. The coat appears to be floor length and I wish we could have seen more from this photo shoot.

My Favorite Pages - ELLE - September 2012

Great Gucci ad featuring some very nice tall black leather boots!



There's lots of leather to like on this page! It also shows how much of a trend black leather will be this fall fashion season.




And if black leather is too tough a look, both jackets and pants come in a range of beautiful colors.



These leather pants appear to have been styled after your favorite sweatpants...and just as comfortable!



The detail work on this Ralph Lauren leather jacket is stunning. And to me, "price on request" means it's going to be unaffordable for most people.



Leather tops, like this one from Banana Republic, appear to be a prominent trend this season, along with leather dresses.



The black leather trench coat and tall black leather boots are one of my absolute favorite fall / winter looks. The only thing missing is matching gloves!



The wide black leather belt and shiny gauntlet gloves make this outfit a little too "superhero" for me, but I do like the style of the gauntlet gloves.



Like the Gucci ad at the beginning of this post, this leather purse is almost upstaged by sexy long black leather gloves, leather pants, and tall boots!