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.