Black and Blue All Over

Last night was the first time in a long time that I went to a performance and was able to enjoy it. As part of a four-part concert cycle, the School of Music's quartet in-residence performed four of the Shostakovich quartets; the rest (there are 15) will be performed at 3 other concerts throughout the season. Now, I realize this might not mean anything to many of you, and that's totally okay, but I can't tell you the last time I was able to take full advantage of my comp tickets at one of the many exhilarating performances that we hold. If I'm in the building, I always feel like I'm working, or at least should be. But I've finally come to a point that I can let things go a little bit, and knowing that, even though it was going to be an important performance, it wasn't going to be full house or even a terribly busy night, so I knew I could confidently hand over the reigns to my more than competent staff. More importantly, however, this concert made me start thinking about music again, about the importance of making and talking about music, about the fact that maybe I do want to write my dissertation. It won't be on this composer, of course, but I feel like I have things to say, and that they will be worth saying. I still love this new career path I'm on, and I do want to continue to explore it, but I think I do want to write the damn thing after all - for me.

As for my outfit, I wish I could say I wore it all day, but I didn't. I more or less slummed it in the earlier part of the day, knowing I would find something better to wear to the evening's concert. I won't lie - this outfit was something of an accident (or a stroke of genius), but I'm thrilled with how it all came together. I can't tell you how much I love the tweed pencil skirt juxtaposed with the edginess of the tee and jacket. My BF said it was a little too incongruous, but that's exactly I why I think it's so fabulous! What an unexpectedly delightful way to wear tweed!

Black cropped jacket - Maurice's / Blue screen tee - Lane Bryant / Tweed Pencil skirt - Lane Bryant / Boots - Nine West (via Zappos) / FURLA!!! / White belt - LOFT?

The tee has actually hung in my closet since the summer. I didn't want to return it, but I was having serious trouble finding the right outfit for it. I wanted to be able to wear it with something other than jeans, and it is now long past white pant season. Even so, all those options just seemed too boring. I wanted to try to mix patterns, but I didn't know how or with what. So, it wasn't until I brushed past this top while digging through my closet, and then eyed the skirt hanging there too (one I hadn't worn yet, either) that the lightning bolt struck. Right away I knew my black boots would be involved, that I'd wear one of the zillion black jackets I owned - preferably one with lots of details - and that I'd throw on a belt to break up the pattern and define my waist under the jacket. Done and done.

Gunmetal earrings - The Limited / Hammered metal disc ring - The Limited / Sterling silver loop necklace - Kohl's

I think Shostakovich would have been totally all over this look. An edgy look for a bunch of edgy quartets.

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