TBMD

I swear it's completely unintentional that every time I wear this particular white blazer, I gravitate towards this same spot for photo ops (example 1, example 2). Perhaps my subconscious loves the way white pops against the bright green leaves...? What is deliberate is how much I choose to wear white this season! The color has always been a favorite of mine to wear, but lately I've been loving it in life too. Taking more care to keep white furniture at home clean. While developing a new UI feature at work, I'm paying more attention to the amount of used and unused white space. Those couple random thoughts may not seem like much, but I found myself stopping and smelling the roses, so to speak. And in my book, that's always a good thing.

Classic is a term I definitely overuse on this blog *ducks head* Am I referring to something that stands the test of time? Often repeated? If so, that also begs the question -- does that make it boring? How about all of the above? I've definitely harbored these thoughts, so do try to inject something fun/trendy/new/different (take your pick) into "classic" outfits. Today's such item is the wicker basket that I'm sure will be making numerous appearances throughout the year.

Today's outfit is a contradiction. The weather was freezing, hence the reason I'm wearing an oversized down parka (and gloves to boot). But what's with the bare ankles?! There's no logical explanation other than fashion over function.

As I was trying on a white cardigan with today's outfit and debating whether it's a good addition, I heard DH say, "That's an interesting... leisure suit?" Guess it wasn't a hard decision to leave off the cardigan after all.

Today's look is inspired by the French soccer team. I think they have the best jerseys kit (that is the correct term, right? soccer noob here) of all the teams at the World Cup -- classy in both style and colors (examples: one, two). Of course, the outfit wouldn't be complete without accessorizing with a scarf somehow.

The "neutral, business casual" theme continues with today's look. Also being carried over from the last post is my love for unique skirts. Awhile back, I pretty much wore the same outfit. I changed up the skirt today, and as a result, received a myriad of comments ranging from, "My daughter would love your skirt!" to "Your skirt looks warm... does it keep you warm?" It's funny how one small change can make such a big difference.

I went with some friends for afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons recently. I may have been a tad overdressed (we decided on cocktail attire, just because), but I was oh-so-comfortable while helping myself to a variety of desserts, sushi (from their Cherry Blossoms set), and tea. I love white dresses, but the color is limited to pretty much non-wedding dressy events, of which I don't partake much in. So I'll take any excuse to wear (white) dresses that are just collecting dust in my closet.

Let me present my favorite new skirt.

I know, this sounds trite -- especially coming from bloggers, who shop more than most and are probably sharing something new every week. But hear me out!

This skirt drapes beautifully and moves like a dream. I already experience slight movement issues in pencil skirts that hit at the knees or above, so anything longer would be almost impossible to walk in unless I take teeny tiny steps. I had no such issues with this skirt because of the high slit. Showing too much leg? Simply shift the waistband a bit to the right. If there's still paranoia, wearing biker-like Spandex shorts is always an option.

After finishing this spiel, I have to revise my first comment. Not only is this my favorite new skirt, I felt amazing in this outfit. It will definitely be in the weekly rotation until sweaters become unbearable.

We went to a wedding over the weekend at the historic Belvedere Hotel in Baltimore. The architecture style of the venue plus the formal dress code immediately made me think romantic, tulle, embellished dresses -- like BHLDN.

I've never really had a good excuse to wear tulle... until now. I was thinking a Thread & Needle blue/gray tulle maxi skirt with a J.Crew bow top. I loved the swishy-ness of the maxi skirt, but never truly found a top I loved -- one that was dressy enough and went with the skirt. I think subconsciously I knew I would be "settling" so I never completely stopped the search.

Lo and behold, the perfect dress appeared when I was casually browsing Bloomingdale's sale section one day. There was only one problem -- because the color I wanted (navy) was on sale, size selection was limited *cue crying emoji* Reviews were mixed regarding the fit, so I kept debating whether I should give the larger sizes a try (definitely runs small through the ribs). I ended up sleeping on it. When I woke the next morning and refreshed the page, smaller sizes magically appeared -- yay for overnight re-stocks!

I loved this dress even more in person when I tried it on. The color (navy is the new black), the heavy fabric which created the beautiful voluminous high-low skirt that swished as I walked. The only negative was the strapless top -- never been a fan only because I don't have much to hold it up. In all honesty though, a non-strapless top would've made the dress look busier, and I probably would've passed. The simple strapless top balanced out the full skirt.

When I showed DH the dress, he immediately said, "You look... loud." What? But I'm not wearing a bold color! I definitely don't want to stand out and upstage the bride. So he clarified with, "You take up a lot of space." I chalked this up to another example of how guys view things differently -- all my girlfriends gave their thumbs up approval. I know I look good, so he'll just have to deal with me invading his personal space, hahaha. I recounted this story multiple times throughout the night of the wedding because I got so many compliments (pockets were a huge hit!) from other girls.

It's funny how I was so sure of the vision of my initial outfit, only to end up wearing a dress that is a complete 180 -- structured, plain, heavy fabric. I accessorized with a statement necklace to add interest up top, but chose simple nude heels to keep the attention on the full skirt.

Today's outfit is what I dub my "ladies who lunch" look. I've been playing the housewife for a couple of weeks before starting a new job. Unlike the last time, this change is on my terms (my 1099 dreams are finally coming true!) The only downside is the state of this blog. I'll be taking the Metro to the new job, so that means I won't be lugging my tripod and camera along. I'm not sure when I'll find the time and place to take outfit photos... weekends? Should I just stick to iPhone photos? Everything is up in the air right now, so just a heads up that posts will be very sporadic while I figure things out.