TBMD

Hello again! I took a mini hiatus to spend time with family, but am now back on the wagon with blogging. Hopefully I can keep it up without too many work distractions ;)

Today's outfit is from... oh gosh, perhaps early August?! I'd describe it as a little business mixed with a whole lotta casual. I see women all.the.time pulling off chic looks with white sneakers (and not just for commuting purposes either). I think choosing the right type of sneakers is essential -- too clunky and they just end up looking like clown shoes; too worn and they ruin the whole look. The pair I'm wearing skews more towards the clunky side. I have fairly small feet for my height and they do not look dainty in these shoes at all (especially standing still). The crisp white leather is perfection though. And the touch of blue stripes at the heel? Love.

I'm showing my age again as I find myself gravitating towards another "long" dress (especially compared to my last t-shirt dress which was well-above the knee). I previously gushed over the weighted and drapey material and am so happy to find an equivalent fabric in this midi version! I feel like the longer length shows off the fluidity of the fabric even more without hindering movement. This dress is definitely an easy one to toss on and be instant chic. In fact, I feel like I'm not doing the dress justice in these photos -- way over-accessorized!

This wicker basket elicits comments everywhere I go. Exhibit A: at work. The other week, my manager asked if it was my lunch bag? If it was anyone else (we have a tenuous relationship), I would have LOL at the randomness. Exhibit B: standing at the hostess stand waiting to be seated. An older lady was so happy to share her bargain hunting find, which meant she is now also part of the straw basket club. Now this was a much more pleasant encounter.

What's your one piece of clothing that instantly elevates an outfit from drab to chic? For me, hands down, is a leather jacket. Leather jackets have that way of upping the coolness factor for an outfit (do I sound like a dork right now?) and it works in almost every situation. When I'm unsure of an outfit -- too sloppy? too matronly-looking? too anything, I grab a leather jacket of choice, and voila, I'm ready to head out the door.

A few years ago, Burberry released these black equestrian rain boots that my preppy heart fell in love with. I wasn't able to track down any in my size, so simply resolved to keep my eyes peeled for dupes. When I came across the Banana Republic version, I couldn't help but be excited that my search could potentially be coming to an end! I say "potentially" because I'm picky about the fit of rain boots. Now that I've experienced the perfect fit with Hunter Tour rain boots, I just can't go back to shorter and wider boots.

The BR boots turned out to be perfect in person. They are TTS, the same height as my Hunter Tours, and are snug against my small calves -- I'm wearing my usual tall boot socks over jeans and there is not much of a gap. The buckles are what initially sold me on the boots, but I have to say they are a bit disappointing in person. The straps have a tendency to uncross, whereas I'd prefer if they remain criss-crossed. I've yet to explore solutions, but have a couple in mind that I plan to try (double sided tape, tighten the buckle), so fingers crossed on that front.

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.

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.

This has been my go-to weekend outfit for the last 8 consecutive weeks (no lie, DH can attest to this). It's perfect for all the times we go out to eat at restaurants where the grease just embeds into your pores. I'm looking at you, Vietnamese pho (edit: phodor!), Chinese beef stew, Korean soondubu -- all of which I love too much to give up, so instead fashion is sacrificed in the process. I used to wear a holey sweatshirt (literally multiple holes at almost every seam) and baggy jeans, so this sportier outfit is a slight upgrade. It's so easy to just toss every item into the wash and not have to think about dry cleaning.

Happy Sunday! I haven't been posting too many casual outfits lately, so here is one with all old favorites (some of which has been re-stocked for this season!)

After I mentioned long cardigans paired with dresses in the last post, I realized I haven't worn that combo myself in awhile. So to the back of my closet I went and out came today's outfit.

After my red rain boots ripped, I didn't rule out Hunter boots completely. I love the light weight of these Tour boots, so figured I would give them one more try. If the new pair also rips, then well, fool me twice shame on me. I thought about getting the same red color again, but decided I liked this mustard yellow just as much. Life is too short for regrets.

Keeping plans simple on this rainy weekend: eyes will be glued to the TV all day long. On the schedule will be catching up on Suits (I kinda stopped watching shows the last couple of years, lol. My attention span is not what it used to be) and hoping the Capitals do not give me a heart attack. Hope y'all have a good one!

There are so many cute ways to wear a scarf. The simplest might just be draping it over the shoulders. It doesn't add warmth (not necessary this time of year anyway), but it does add visual interest. Simplicity at its best.

Stripes, oh how I love thee. It's a pattern that suits any occasion -- work, dressy, weekends, just to name a few, and one that I can't get enough of. Oh, periwinkle blue? Don't mind if I add that to my growing collection.