(No Costume for Me)

Saturdays are wonderful, aren't they? I love being in a place in my life where, even if I'm working on a weekend, it's still a good weekend. I'm sure that has more to do with the job itself, but that's all the more remarkable. 

This outfit* was the result of a late night "shopping in my closet" adventure inspired by my first forays into the fashion blogosphere (and before I started this blog). It's also one I've been jonsing to wear for a while. The dress is a great printed sheath in dark colors (good for Halloween, too!), but its cap sleeves really limit how often I can wear it, especially since the color palate mainly reads fall/winter. Because it's a sheath, too, I need to be sure to define my waist - if I layer anything over it, my waist is lost. I've also tried layering a long sleeved shirt underneath the dress, but that never looks quite right on me either.

So, after giving myself lots of time (really, that's all you need), I put together this early fall-appropriate look.  I utilized this great drapey cardigan and, you guessed it, a belt - underneath the cardigan, though. I love this particular cardigan because it sweeps back, allowing my shape to still shine through. Regular cardigans, be they v-necks, crew necks or the like, aren't built for that at all, and when I wear them I almost always need to wear a belt on top of them. But here, I could wear the belt underneath the cardigan without fear of a boxy look.

Printed sheath dress - Banana Republic / Black cardigan  - Maurice's / Black leggings - Lane Bryant / Wide belt - Banana Republic / Taupe boots - Impo (via DSW) / Tan pleated bag - Steve Madden (via Endless.com)

Brown and blacks abound in this outfit, so it was fun layering on neutral accessories. My one regret is that I didn't have a lighter colored tight. I like how the black tights looked with the dress, but not necessarily with the boots - it's just too stark of a contrast to keep the look cohesive. But, the boots work well with the dress itself, and since the dress is just a wee short on me, there was no way I wasn't going to wear a tight. I needed to work with what I had, though, so I went with it. I do think that the handbag helps mitigate all of that in this particular picture, but it's not like I can wear the handbag the whole time! =7 I did also try this look with black booties and tights, which I also really liked - it's a definitely more streamlined look (and perhaps one more appropriate for a conservative event night). But in the end, I really like what the boots did for my silhouette (and my BF insisted on them as well), so they won out. When I wear this again, I'll be sure to have a better color of tight in my arsenal.

When even cooler days come, I have a nice steely-grey blazer to wear over it, but I'll definitely need a belt to keep it from looking too boxy on me, and to keep proportions in check. I'll have to experiment with other shoe options, as well.

Necklace - LOFT / Earings - Banana Republic

This last picture is my attempt at playing with post-processing inspired by Sydney at The Daybook. It's kinda fun turning pictures into something artsy! Now if I can just work on those poses...

*P.S. I know it's Halloween weekend, but I don't really do Halloween. It's just not something I've ever been into. I think the last time I dressed up for Halloween was in 4th grade - I was a gymnast, complete with legwarmers. Aside from that, costumes aren't typically appropriate when a well-known orchestra comes into town and we have over 2000 patrons in the building... So, yes, I've opted out. I did allow my staff to come in costume today, though. I went in to work just to see them, and deliver candy, of course. Totally worth it - their creativity and commitment never cease to amaze me. 

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