TBMD

There's definitely a correlation between age and skirt length -- the older one gets, the longer the hemline. If I hadn't come to this realization myself, I may have fought harder to hang onto my youth. As it is, life's too short, and changes are to be embraced. That is one lesson I've learned this year and will continue to carry with me onto the next. Hope everyone have a safe and happy new year! See you in 2019!

The first time I wore this pink outfit [left pic below], something felt "off". After perusing through the photos, I had one of those aha! moments. The accessories I had chosen completely gave off a different vibe than the one I was going for -- (hard)working* and fashion-conscious girl in a sea of stodgy government workers.

That saying, "accessories make an outfit" completely applies in this case. The purse I had chosen works well for business casual environments given its tote style, but is a bit fancy for the rest of the outfit. On the other extreme, the ankle boots are a tad too casual for the rest of the outfit. I think the three mis-matching shades of neutrals in the bottom half of the outfit didn't help either.

For the second go-around [right pic above + pics below], I deliberately chose accessories that were not at either extreme. The purse can pass for casual (worn with the long strap) or dressy (when hand-held). The biggest adjustment though are these pointy, rich suede ankle boots! Love. I think they completely elevated the outfit. (Side note: Boots are TTS and required no breaking in). The matching brown shades also ended up working well together.

The one accessory that I didn't change between outfits was the fun colorblocked stole. Every outfit needs a statement piece, and this was mine.

Unlike the last outfit (definitely an out-of-the-box experiment), today's look is totally all me -- or rather how I see myself. I'm comfortable, in casual attire, and have mastered the art of mixing high-end with low. When an outfit resonates with you, it's meant to be worn multiple times throughout a season. For me, that means turning regular weekdays into casual Fridays. <Runs and hides from upper management>

I wore this same sweater + skirt combo earlier this spring. Fast forward to now... you name the winter accessory and I'm wearing it. Scarf? Coat? Gloves? Tights? Check, check, check, and check! Did I feel a little bit ridiculous? A tiny bit -- it certainly was a chore getting ready. But I also felt glamorous -- because a fur stole and ladylike purse will do that to ya.

My office's holiday potluck party was today and there was a host of activities -- from ugly Christmas sweaters to cubicle decorations to spreading positivity through Post-it notes. My excuse for being the Grinch? I don't own any ugly sweaters... anymore? But I added my own twist with a fun (and stylish) winter accessory, a fur stole with a ribbon tie. I remember falling in love with this piece last year and still love it just as much to this day. J.Crew, please bring it back!

Two fleece outfits in the span of one week? You can now add fleece to my list of obsessions for this year along with the color green. Unlike the first look, today's is appropriate for weekends and casual Fridays at the office. I wore the blanket scarf mainly for added visual interest, but without still looks just as put-together.

'Tis the season for cold weather accessories! I'm so late to the game, but where have collarless coats been my whole life?! They are great to wear heavy scarves with. Nothing is in the way and scarves can be wrapped completely snug around the neck. And here I thought I was done with my coat collection...