In the last week or so, temperatures in the mornings have cooled considerably. I've already reached for my stash of jackets and am just starting in on my pile of sweaters. I can now officially welcome fall with open arms.
Just a quick post today. Have a great weekend, everyone!
I dressed up today's black outfit with gold accessories. The chunky chain necklace had been sitting at home unworn, so hey, why not pair it with a simple black dress? Oh that's right, Elle had already worn this necklace + dress combination last winter! I'd like to thank my subconscious for remembering in time so I can give Elle proper credit.
There's a lot going on in today's outfit -- patterns, sequins, embellishments, so I tried pulling them all together by choosing colors adjacent to one another from the color wheel. The resulting outfit is bolder than what I normally wear (no wallflowering for me on this particular day), but I really like it.
I'm sitting in my cubicle this morning wearing practically the same outfit as the one below, but without a jacket. So my concentration is currently split between translating requirements to code and keeping the shivers at bay. It's actually a bee-yoo-tiful day outside, so I figured the office would be "warmer" than usual. No such luck.
I first wore this outfit last year but never took proper photos. So when I finally got around to it four months later, I'm ecstatic to find a gorgeous backdrop with the last of the spring blooms. A "pretty" outfit deserves a pretty setting, don't you think?
I've worn this sweater many times, but not once have I worn it as a tunic (which was its billing on the product description, I believe). The intentional half-side-tuck shortened the sweater and just looked more casual to me. Like with most pieces I own, it was only a matter of time before I'm tired of the same old look. I think wearing the sweater untucked dresses up today's outfit a bit -- or perhaps it's due to the jacket and/or heels. As an added bonus, the tunic-length also hides the unsightly denim creases at the top of my thighs. Win-win, if I'd say so myself.
Just a simple, no fuss outfit to start off the new work week. Have a good one!
Another Monday, another snow day. Hope y'all have a good one!
I'm a huge fan of making the most of my wardrobe by looking for versatile ways to wear items, thus giving outfits a fresh look. Past examples include: wearing a dress as a skirt/top or a button-up shirt as a jacket. And the list grows with the addition of today's outfit. I started with an open cardigan, crisscrossed the sides, then tucked the ends into my jeans for a faux-wrap sweater look.
Today's outfit features the same neutral color scheme using some of the same items as another outfit from warmer days. I wish I could say that I simply added some layers to transition the outfit from fall to winter, but nope, the outfit only came together after I stumbled across a J.Crew collage (bottom left outfit).
I pretty much stand in front of the "blazers + lightweight jackets" section of my closet every morning and just go down the line. Wore that jacket yesterday, so today will be a blazer day. The weather is perfect right now where I don't have to worry about how bulky they'll feel under outerwear, so I'm determined to wear them as much as I can. I'm thinking... at least two full rotations through before winter hits.
The more I re-wear items from my closet, the less I have to write about. Even when I am wearing new pieces for the first time, I still find myself at a loss of words sometimes. Perhaps this is just an excuse to ramble less and post more photos. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?
There are some color combinations that I instantly associate with random things. Black and red remind me of checkers (which I don't particularly have fond memories of), so I prefer not to wear just the two together. Brown and red on the other hand, I love, which makes brown an easy choice as the third color option for today's outfit.
Finally, a reprieve from stripes! The next item on heavy rotation this summer has to be this chambray shirt. I've been loving the baggy fit, which works well unbuttoned as a jacket or buttoned up like a tunic. I try to keep proportions in mind, whether it's covered on top with bare legs (or vice versa), or in this case, a looser-fitting top with skinny jeans on the bottom.
The AC at work has been wonky for awhile, so even though I've enjoyed the warmer temperatures indoors, some coworkers can't say the same. Unfortunately it's been fixed now so I'll be bundling up until my body adjusts. Bummer.
I was all set to write about how today's look is what I call my Charlie Brown outfit. Then I googled for Charlie Brown images... and it turns out his shirt is dark yellow with black zig zags! Not the brown shade that I was envisioning in my head. Cartoon knowledge fail.
My main focus for today's outfit was on color pairings. I wanted a palette of more camel/brown than dark yellow, so that's why I went with a longer wool coat, even though it looks at odds with bared ankles. With moderate temperatures for this time of year (40-50s), unclothed extremities are less of a concern.
Have a good weekend, everyone!
I'm going to ramble a bit today...
I've never been low on confidence when it comes to dressing myself, even in my pre-blogging days where I mostly walked around in a combination of tshirts, sweatshirts, jeans, Uggs, and the like. Sure, I own nicer things, but I've just been lazy about putting together outfits in the mornings, so it's easier to fall back on what's routine. I've always felt that if need be, I'm capable of making myself presentable.
This self-confidence is twofold. The first part is believing in yourself. The other is being comfortable in your own skin and not caring what others think (as much as possible anyway because we're human after all). I'm speaking about life in general, but it translates over to the fashion side too. Enjoy the hobbies you like, even if it's not "cool" in society's eyes. I get surprised looks whenever I mention that I eat at restaurants and watch movies by myself. It's not because I don't have friends (though I am an introvert) but if it's something I want to do, I'll do it. Other people coming along is a bonus.
On the fashion side, I'm still a bit surprised when people in real life offer a compliment. I remember when DH and I took my parents' friends out to dinner to celebrate our marriage, one of my mom's friends wanted to know every detail about my outfit (Zac Posen for Target dress, Valentino shoes, and gold jewelry). After the initial surprise, we chatted about where I bought the items, how much they cost, etc. She then turned to my mom, nodding her head and said, "C really has an eye for fashion." Her reaction stayed with me, but when I think about all the other times she's seen me in ragged jeans and a shirt, I can see how dressing nicer is a huge improvement. I may not have cared what others thought, but that won't stop them from noticing and judging.
When I started blogging, life was simple. I blogged about what I liked without a care in the world. Once I started getting followers, I kind of freaked out. Do I need to buy what everyone else is buying? Do I need to share outfits, fitting room reviews, and everything else under the sun? For a short time, I did it all (or tried to). It was during that time when I realized, what the hell am I doing. Whatever happened to being yourself even if it's not what everyone else is doing? This whole blogging experience has been an adventure, of self discovery, having fun, and spending money. If interested, I'd be happy to talk about personal finance. I lead a rather boring and simple life, so probably can't offer helpful advice.
After three years, I still haven't fully wrapped my head around blogging... and probably never will. What I have realized is that I may have finally found my niche. Constantly buying new things isn't me (though I can see how compared to an average person, I buy a lot). Neither is high fashion. I also still have lots to learn about fit and proportions. But what I am decently good at is mixing and matching items from my relatively normal-sized wardrobe (see examples). Re-wearing the same red turtleneck in consecutive blog posts? You bet. In a way I've come full circle. The self-confidence I've always felt I had is now just documented on a public blog.
Now on to more vain pursuits...
Use code GOODNEWS for an extra 30% off final sale items at J.Crew until 3/15. Items I've worn recently that have popped back in various sizes are:
- lustre lace mockneck tee (worn here, here, here) is now $69.99 with code
- collection circle skirt (worn here, here) is now $97.99 with code
- perfect shirt in ivory tartan (worn here, here, here, here) is now $48.99 with code
- tissue turtleneck tee (worn here, here) is now $6.99-$13.99 with code
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
Leopard heels have become my go-to pair of neutral shoes. I treat them like a pair of brown pumps (of which I do not own) and have been wearing them with colorful outfits, neutrals and everything in-between. Even a furry vest pairing today didn't stop me... though I did feel like I could've blended right in with all the wildlife nearby.
