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Mixed race woman working in shoe store

Source: Peathegee Inc / Getty

Dressing cute for work doesn’t have to stop at your clothes. You can flourish even more by doing things like swapping your boring laptop case for a fun leather one from Etsy or investing in a beautiful fountain pen to ink your contracts and deals. Here are some easy ways to liven up your work accessories.

Carry It All
Finding a bag to accommodate all of your stuff is clutch (pun intended). Some people like a good old fashioned tote bag which is great if you don’t plan on lugging around too much stuff. For me, the uneven distribution of weight to one shoulder or the other when carrying a tote is uncomfortable for my back. So, my carry all of choice is a backpack. In an effort not to look like a 3rd grader with a Land’s End or Jansport, I had to find something something in a knapsack form but grown enough for the office. Ultimately, I settled on the Marc by Marc Jacobs “Domo Arigato Packrat” Backpack, which I get a ton of compliments on as it is sleek and lightweight. I love this bag because it is so versatile. Not only can I use for work daily, it can also serve as a gym or weekend bag. Also, check out the “Little America” Backpack from the Hershel Supply Co. and the Hari Backpack from Grafea.
Typecasted For Cuteness

One of my coworkers showed up to work one day with THEE cutest rose/blush colored leather Macbook cover and I shamelessly bought the same one for myself. I already have my little backpack which I can use to carry my laptop, but sometimes I don’t want to carry all of that to meetings. I may just want to have my purse and computer with me. Etsy has a great variety of sleeves for your laptop depending on whether you like cloth, a hard cover, or leather. Be sure that you look for a case for your specific computer. Many Etsy products are made to order, so it would suck to order a sleeve that is much too big or too small for the computer you have!
Laptop and coffee cup on old wooden boards. Computer technology concept

Source: Getty

Desk Werk
Ever since I saw Clueless, I have always loved the idea of cute pens (as a prop to attract the attention of cute boys a la Cher). As an adult, feather boa pens aren’t something I would use at work. So, my grown up version of this is a fountain pen. Of course, most notes that I send and receive now are via email, but when I do have the opportunity to write something by hand, I feel as though I look extra fancy and sophisticated when I do so with a nice pen. When I think of fountain pens, I automatically think of $500 plus Mont Blanc pens which are gorgeous. Seeing as how I tend to lose things, I don’t feel as though this would be a smart investment for me. I found a great site online, xfountainpens.com, with affordable options so that if and when I do lose one, I won’t be sick about it.
What are some of your favorite accessories to keep you looking fresh and current at work? Hit Tiffany @thewerkplace and Lana @lemonherbert on Twitter and Instagram to tell us all about it!

The grand return of the Melanin Awards amplifies and honors the finest Black-owned beauty brands with honest reviews, and discusses the evolution of beauty in Hip-Hop culture.