Wing It

In an attempt to get caught up here on the blog, I had intended to re-wear old favorite outfits for the next few weeks. Instead, as I often can't help doing, I started experimenting with some casual outfit options for a what was going to be an usually casual Friday. What inspired me was this past favorite outfit (one I considered re-wearing), but I wanted to incorporate my mint ankle pants - as of yet unworn - instead. Stripes, jacket, belt, heels - it was a combination I really liked and thought I wore well! So bring on the mint ankle pants.

Jacket - Lane Bryant / Striped tee - H&M / Ankle pants - Talbots / Belt - eloquii /
Handbag - Furla (via Filene's Basement) / Sandals - Nine West

The striped top has great button detailing along the sleeve, so I simply couldn't allow the jacket to cover it up! The cuffs of the jacket look a bit exaggerated, but I kinda like the effect. I also thought I wouldn't like the very pale, washed-out color palette, but once I tried on the whole outfit, I was surprised by how much that was exactly what I liked the most. The whole look is a clean, minimal one, and it's pretty much my favorite way to wear, well, anything.

I must admit that I continue to feel little self-conscious in these light-colored skinnies, but as I walked passed a entire wall of mirrors at work, I forced my thoughts from "Ew" to "This is my body, and I'm just gonna work it. And like it." I'd like to think it wasn't a fleeting thought.

Around the Block

So I do have another maxi dress outfit to share, but I thought I'd interrupt the maxi-mania with not only more pencil skirt love, but bright yellow and happy green color-blocking love. (Also, I can't seem to not wear this denim jacket now. You've been warned.)

Denim jacket - Theory (eBayed) / Green tank - Old Navy / Skirt - Talbots / Belt - LOFT
Handbag - Urban Outfitters / Shoes - Bandolino "Moderngirl" (Endless)

It should not be surprising, but I'd been contemplating (read: obsessing over) the idea of a yellow pencil skirt for a little while now. I mean, 1) it's a pencil skirt and 2) it's yellow. I figured experimenting with brighter colors would be a good way to wear the wardrobe staple in summer off-season - having more fun with them than I might during the regular season. I liked all the bright color blocking I've been seeing on Pinterest and various blogs, too, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to try my own hand at it. Pretty much love it.

Lemony yellow meets kelly green, who run into summer white for a day of colorific fun. Sounds like a good short story. Maybe? Title forthcoming.

Ring - Trina Turk for Banana Republic / Earrings - Banana Republic

Better Than Average

I continue to be mildly obsessed with coral. Coral shoes, coral pants, coral pencil skirt (on its way), coral nail polish... I know the color of the season has been mint, which I haven't been able to get my hands on in anything but some fabulous nail polishes, so maybe shades of the color of the year have had better luck with me.

Cardigan - LOFT / Polka dot top - H&M / Camisole - Anthropologie /
Coral ankle pants - Talbots / Handbag - DKNY (via  TJMaxx) / Wedges - LOFT

I'm still a little self-conscious in these pants, though. However, the more I wear them, the less potent that is. And I do like having some colored pants in my arsenal. Aside from them being such a huge trend, it's a great way to get some mileage out of my otherwise well-worn tops. And to think that, after my first wearing, I wasn't going to be able to find much use for them!

I also like how these - and any ankle pants, I think (my black pair is really my only other) - helps me hit all the right notes with casual dressing. There's something about ankle pants that says you've put thought into the outfit but don't wish to overdo it. Yes, it's a day at work and you want to be noticed, but there's nothing special going on. It's an average day, but you just wanted to do one better.

Ring - Banana Republic / Belt - eloquii / Necklace - Banana Republic /
Earrings - Banana  Republic

I clearly need to get more!

Leap of Faith

A leap year outfit (yes, I'm a little behind) has to be something out of the ordinary, I think - or at least out of the ordinary for the wearer. Thus, colored ankle pants!

Jacket - LOFT / Striped top - Banana Republic / Ankle pants - Talbots / Heels - Banana Republic

In truth, I've worn the pants before, feeling somewhat uncomfortable in them at the time. But I really wanted to celebrate the unseasonably warm springtime day with something nautical and colorful, so I lept for it. I love the coral and navy combination so much that I might have to do it again! Thanks to the longer lengths of the jacket (one of my favorites) and top (stripes!), I felt a little more covered and therefore more comfortable this time around.

The weather had to be out of the ordinary as well, I guess. Windy as hell and a balmy 68 degrees surely qualifies as such, no? I definitely wanted to take pictures outside, but the wind just didn't want to cooperate. Sure, the effortless windblown look is nice on occasion, but these gusts could have knocked me over if I let them. Perfect hair shots are replaced by goofy outtakes with me holding hair in place.

Rather than default to a white belt (and I really wanted a belt), I aimed to incorporate a third color - something on the darker end (it looked better with the jacket), but something that looked just as good with the color of the pants. Green? Not dark enough, and I wanted to save that for my handbag. (See below.) Teal? Teal! I was surprised how much I liked it against the navy, especially since it's not a typical combination.

Ring - Ruche (gifted) / Belt - The Limited / Necklace - Banana Republic (eBayed) /
Earrings - Ruche / Nailpolish - "Cute as a Button (Essie)

As if the wind wasn't enough, the sun/shade ratio in my usual photo locations weren't cooperating either, as you can tell by the shadow of my tripod and camera. Classy, eh? Oh leap year, you got me.

Handbag - Banana Republic

Shiny Happy

After a few weeks of (increasingly boring) casual dressing, I finally get to break out the fancy again! The regular performance season resumed last Friday and with it all the best reasons to wear pencil skirts and, that's right, sequins. Many argue about the place of sequins in the workplace, but my workplace is no office and this sequined top is no pushover.

Sequined top - Banana Republic / Pencil skirt - Simply Be / Black tights - LOFT /
Black heels - BBCG (eBayed) / Belt - Talbots

Oh, and it's yet another Banana Republic steal. I'm getting so good at this I can barely stand it! To be honest, I normally wouldn't even go for such a bedazzled top, but I loved the cut (elbow sleeves! wide scoop neck!) - not to mention the price ($30!) - so I couldn't really think of an excuse to not take it home with me. I loved it just with the jeans I tried it on with, so I knew wearing it with nearly any of my pencil skirts would be even more fabulous.

Handbag - Furla Carmen Shopper Grande Handbag (via BBOS)

I went for quiet class with a black pencil skirt, but for fear of being too fancy, I added colorful coral accessories in some hopes to bring it down just a notch. I really love the outfit, though. I just love being able to dress up, period.

Necklace - Anthropologie / Ring - Banana Republic (eBayed) / Earrings - The Limited

Exposed

So I survived Nutcracker weekend. I came out of it much better than I expected, so that's good, but I also went into it with much less holiday cheer than I usually do. I'm not really sure why, but I'm just not feeling the holidays yet, despite all my best efforts with Christmas decor, watching The Holiday almost every other night (as I write this, as a matter of fact), playing nothing but "Swinging Christmas Radio" on Pandora at work, and already having all my Christmas shopping complete. It's weird, but perhaps I can blame the fact that it hasn't snowed yet? Maybe that's the last piece of the puzzle - a blanket of snow to quiet the earth and brighten the night sky, bringing only the warmest thoughts to us inside. <Sigh>

Decidedly without snow, the big holiday weekend at work has come and gone, and with it a weekend I relish getting all fancy. Last year I wore two of my all-time favorite outfits (both with pencil skirts of course): this one and this one. I felt I had a lot to live up to this year - both of those outfits included beautifully unique tops and special accessories that spoke for themselves. I did plan to wear some other favorite pieces of mine, and of course my preferred silhouette, so I think I did okay. =) I'll post the outfits from the rest of the weekend tomorrow and Wednesday, of course...

Craftmanship Capelet - Anthropologie (gifted) / Cream tee - LOFT / Grey pencil skirt - Talbots /
Burgundy pumps - Charles by Charles David (via Zappos) / Handbag - Furla

This plaid capelet, purchased last year on a birthday shopping spree, is one of my least worn but definitely prized pieces in my wardrobe. I've never been able to figure out how else to wear it other than with skinnies and boots; though, it's certainly a great wear to wear it! When in doubt, pair with pencil skirt, duh. (If anyone's keeping track, maybe it's time to rename the blog to that?)

I'm really missing my camera, though. These pictures, taken with the wonderful light from my south-facing windows, came out over-exposed with Bob's iPhone, when I know they'd have been perfect with my camera. Boo hiss. Ironically, the best shots with the iPhone have been at night! (I shall keep that in mind nevertheless.) As a result, I've decided to purchase a refurbished model of the same camera from B&H as soon as my paycheck allows. After much research, it's the cheapest and probably the most reliable/comfortable option right now. And the one that will prevent Bob and I from killing each other the soonest... =)

Ring - H&M /.Necklace - Banana Republic (eBayed) / Earrings - The Limited

And hey, let it snow!

Reese's Pieces

I'd been itching to wear this Tracy Reese Anthropologie sale find again for a while now. I really wanted to pair it with some white ankle pants over the summer, but I never managed to find a pair I liked on this bod of mine. I gave up that particular search, hoping I'd get some wear out of it in the fall. Since I'd already done pants, I decided to try one of my ever-faithful pencil skirts for its second outing.

Draw the Line Cowlneck - Anthropologie (Tracy Reese) / Pencil skirt - Talbots

Ironically, I didn't initially think a pencil skirt would work with the top. I just figured that the top was so voluminous that the proportions would be off. However, its exaggerated wide waistband really keeps those proportions in check - it brings up the waist up and lengthens my lower half, while also managing to camouflage and smooth out my midsection. Besides, when has a pencil skirt ever done me wrong?

Handbag - Furla (via Filene's Basement)

I thought about incorporating bigger pops of color (yellow? cobalt blue?) in other accessories, but I couldn't quite come up with anything other than these albeit amazingly comfortable brown faux-suede pumps. I just love how turquoise looks against the oranges and dusty browns, though, so I made sure to wear my favorite turquoise pieces.

Ring - Banana Republic / Earrings - Dress Barn / Brown gold buckle pumps - Christian Siriano for Payless

Coral Relief

I honestly don't know how to begin this post with something other than "Holy moly stripes are neat" or "Stripes! Yahoo!" So, there. I think maybe, just maybe, I have enough of them now. No promises, though.

Black cardigan - LOFT / Striped top - Dorothy Perkins / Beige wide-leg pants - NY&Co.

To continue my week of "five easy pieces" I thought I'd go with pants today. I'm not always a lover of pants because I have such a hard time getting a good fit, but once in a while I can at least get them to photograph well. I figured these beige wide-leg basics would be a great pairing with my new charcoal striped goodness from Dorothy Perkins. (And they just launched their new US site, too!) Throw on a cardigan and a colorful belt and I've got a stripetacular version of a pretty classic ensemble.

Have any of you checked out Dorothy Perkins yet? I've heard good things from other bloggers, so I thought I'd give them a try with some casual pieces for my first go-round. (I pretty much entered "stripe" in the search bar and found this top. It's best to just cut to the chase, you know?) Also got the black & white version and a few cozy infinity scarves. (Yes, I have a problem.) I'm excited that they now have a US site, which tempts encourages me to try out a few other items. Any suggestions?

Handbag - Furla (via Filene's Basement) / Boots - Laundry by Chinese Laundry

Coral belt - Talbots /  Ring - Banana Republic / Earrings - LOFT

Felicitous 100

I came across this outfit yesterday and was reminded that I needed to find another way to wear this amazingly unique top of mine. So I thought I'd go easy (and I definitely need easy this week) and pair it with a grey pencil skirt instead of the pants, and some equally awesome shoes. I'd wear anything with a pencil skirt, wouldn't I... (Yes, yes I would.)

Neo-Refinement Pullover - Anthropologie / Grey pencil skirt - Talbots / Handbag - Furla (via Filene's Basement) 

I started watching Felicity from the beginning the other night. THIS is how I remember college, and I'm quite certain I had my very own Ben. I've been watching a few episodes each night while I blog before bed (replacing my nightly relationship with Frasier), but that really only stretches out the blogging much longer than necessary, and keeps me up much later than intended. It also wreaks havoc for any train of thought I might have had for a post (hence this particular topic). Maybe I should start a Felicity critique blog while I watch, and maybe Kimberly (who I know has also returned to the series) will join me? (Cue maniacal laughter.) I just hope our wardrobes don't become overrun with sad oversized sweaters as a result. My psyche will be overcome with all that angst and insecurity I'd be reliving as it is...

Ring - Banana Republic / Earrings - LOFT

But back to this blog: I have 100 followers! Thank you dear readers old and new! While I know that number reflects only a portion of the success of this blog, it does mean a lot. Thank you for reading, for commenting, and for just being here! You have definitely become one of the reasons I get dressed everyday. =)

Pumps - Nine West (via Zappos)

Bluebell

You may have noticed, but I haven't had to get dressed up nearly as often as I did last year. With fewer events I need to attend, there are simply fewer reasons to don the pencil skirts and heels! So while I've had to flex my causal dressing muscle more than ever, and I think I've done pretty well, I sure do enjoy putting together fancy when I can.

Blouse - Banana Republic / Skirt - Talbots / Belt - Lane Bryant

This blue top has a sister in green, which was last worn here with lovely greys and tans. I really liked that particular belted/pencil skirt look (what a shocker, I know), so I wanted to reproduce it. I went with caramels, golds and tans for the blue version, introducing this new pencil skirt from Talbots in a delightfully well-below-knee length. It should not be at all shocking, either, that I have the skirt in charcoal as well.

Handbag - Furla (renting from BBOS)

But let's not ignore the obvious, now: yet again I wanted to "pump" of the volume with some fabulous animal print heels. And not just any animal print, the perfect leopard print! Since it's been all the rage this season, I was most certainly on the hunt for a pair of my own. I knew that I didn't want a pointy toe; I knew I didn't want a contrast platform pump. What I wanted was a larger print and rich camel background, a never-out-of style almond toe, and a conservative but still sexy heel (3" is conservative for me these days). What I really, really wanted were these gorgeous babies, but I just couldn't justify the price, no matter how hard I tried. Enter the Max Studio Marais from DSW and lots of rewards certificates. Though they were uncomfortably narrow when I first received them, they've stretched out nicely and are most definitely everything I wanted. And hot damn, I love them with this blue!

Leopard pumps - Max Studio (via DSW)

Ring - Banana Republic (eBayed) / Necklace - LOFT / Earrings - The Limited