Takeover Tuesday: Danielle Fielding

Business CasualCourtroom ProfessionalTakeover

May 11

Let’s welcome the fun and fresh Danielle Fielding to takeover today. Danielle is a top plaintiff’s attorney for medical malpractice in Oklahoma City, co-owner of Martin & Fielding law firm, and recently expanded her business to real estate as a Realtor. She’s energetic, optimistic, a great judge of character, and I admire how she balances the demands of being a good mom with taking care of business. In fact, I recently hired her to take care of a personal injury case for me which yielded great results! Danielle is definitely someone I’m lucky enough to call a friend in the local legal community and she definitely undersells her fashion sense because she always looks great. With that let me pass the mic to Danielle Fielding a trusted advisor both in the fashion world and the legal field.

Unlike most of the Maz Modern guest contributors, I have not always been into fashion. I've always liked clothes, shoes, and jewelry but was intimidated by fashion. For many years, I bought into the misconception that to be fashionable, you had to have a certain body type, shop at certain stores, and have a much bigger budget than I had. So I wound up doing what was easy and comfortable. For a lawyer, that was the basic suit. I'd find a suit I liked, buy it in every color and switch up the blouse for "fresh" looks. When I was a "TBL" (tall building lawyer), this suited me just fine, pun totally intended. We had a corporate atmosphere with a dress code and regular court appearances or depositions so the look, albeit boring, worked. But once I took the leap to leave the TBL life and opened up my own firm, I realized that my wardrobe wasn't practical or comfortable...and was boring! Most of my day was spent behind my desk doing the "grunt work" that's involved in starting a new business and, most days, the only person I would see at the office was my law partner. While it was tempting to just start wearing leggings and a hoodie every day (and there were certainly days that I did!), I realized that wasn't practical either. Being newly self-employed, I had to figure out how to look cute, feel confident, and be comfortable on a budget. It was then that I realized that you don't have to spend a ton of money on clothes to pull off a look. I started hitting up outlet stores, clearance racks, and online sales to find versatile pieces to work with. Before I knew it, I was having fun and gaining confidence in my style. And confidence, my friends, is the most important (and affordable) accessory you can have!

Look #1:
Business as Usual

On a normal day in the office, my go-to look is my favorite jeans from Abercrombie & Fitch (that I have in multiple colors and fits--some habits die hard!) and a cute, fun top to dress it up a bit. Throw on a blazer (this cream blazer from H&M is my current season fave) and it's dressy enough if a meeting pops up but comfortable enough to be in all day. As most working moms are, I am often rushing from a work thing to a kid thing or vice versa and this look easily covers both. Importantly, to me anyway, this look doesn't break the bank! Buying the jeans, heels, and belt on sale and the J. Crew top being from the outlet store, this outfit comes in under $200, win-win!

Look #2:  Suitable for Court — Look #2: Suitable for Court

There are still days when I have to put on "lawyer clothes" and make the trek to the courthouse for a hearing, but those days no longer involve my boring basic suits. I now feel comfortable mixing and matching suit pieces and adding color with blouses or accessories. This look includes these flattering high waisted wide-leg slacks from Dillard's, another J. Crew Outlet top, basic nude heels, and the same cream H&M blazer from the previous look (I told you it was my current fave!). This look was also obtained on a budget, put together for less than $150.

Look #3: Professional and Playful

Why limit casual to Friday? This casual look is chic enough to wear to the office any day of the week and relaxed enough for whatever else my day may bring. In staying within my budget, it's important to buy versatile pieces that I can style for different looks. Here, I've put the same black A&F jeans and Sam Edelman belt from the first look to work. Adding a casual black blazer maintains professionalism for the workplace, while pairing with a basic white tee and Golden Goose sneakers exudes a more playful look.

While I've come a long way from my boring basic suits and pumps, I am always on the lookout for new tips and trends and love experimenting with different looks, which is why I love following Maz Modern! Thanks, Katherine, for nudging me all the way out of my comfort zone and allowing me to contribute to such a fun, uplifting, and empowering space! —Danielle