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In the summer months we live in constant fear of air conditioning.   Whether we’re on the subway or at the office, we’re always freezing thanks to the pumping A/C. That’s why we can never leave the house without a topper of sorts.  But for years we’ve been struggling with what sort of cover up to stash in our bag.  A cardigan seems too Gossip Girl.  A black blazer is just way too corporate for summer.  And a pashmina is too late 90s for us.  So when we spotted a few celebrities making the rounds in white blazers, we knew we instantly had a solution to our cold air woes.  Both Kate Moss (at the Mango F/W 2011 show this week) and Blake Lively (at CinemaCon in March) topped off their outfits with a clean crisp white blazer, similar to the one shown at Balmain’s Spring/Summer 2011 show.  This year we’re taking a page out of Kate and Blake’s book and combatting the A/C with a pearly white blazer!

You know a trend is …

Working in the fashion industry, we have the luxury of taking a few risks with our everyday office attire.  In fact it is expected of us.  However having quite a few friends who work in the corporate sector, we are quite familar with the “nylons and no open toe shoes” rules that many offices enforce.    When it comes to dressing for the office, we think you can still show off a little bit of your personality in your outfit choices while still following the corporate dress code.  Dolce & Gabbana’s ladylike look from their Fall/Winter 2010 collection is a prime example.  Now, we wouldn’t recommend wearing a bralet or crop top under your blazer if you work on Wall Street or Bay Street, but we do think its a great idea to change up your regular black 2 button blazer for a Chanel-inspired (or in this case Dolce & Gabbana-inspired) boucle or tweed collarless blazer.  When you’re dashing out to grab lunch, ditch your briefcase or tote and put your cash, lipstick and iPhone into a sparkling mini purse.  As much as we love Dolce & Gabbana’s designated iPhone case (REAL: $545), we think we’ll save a few hundred dollars and opt for Badgley Mischka’s equally adorable sequined mini bag.   And lastly, even though you may not be able to show off your pedicure in anything open toe, we suggest trading in your go-to black pumps for something with a little color, like a pair of satin pumps in a soft pink or a rich, saturated jewel tone.  Click through to find out how to score Dolce’s office look for less.