Hound's Tooth

This combination of colors and print - oh-so-perfect for fall - was pulled right from this outfit from the Banana Republic Fall Campaign. I swear there were even more images on their website at one time, but since this color palette has already been replaced by their push for teal (wha?!), I can't find them anymore. Harrumph. But anyway, houndstooth and mustard. I knew I could totally replicate this mash of wonderful textures and I wouldn't have to buy a thing. (Spoiler alert: none of it is from BR!)

Pumps - Charles by Charles David (via DSW) / Handbag - Tano

Houndstooth pencil skirt - Lane Bryant / Cardigan - Cable & Gauge (consigned) /
Camisole - eloquii / Belt - Lane Bryant

The skirt, a somewhat recent acquisition from Lane Bryant (and apparently no longer available!), is a kind of oversized houndstooth, and I was admittedly reluctant to keep the skirt on account of it at first. The pattern is normally kind of loud, but to enlarge it - uffda! So thank goodness texture and pattern is all the rage for fall... I actually want to hunt down more seasonal ways to wear the skirt, because until I landed upon that BR campaign, nothing was really striking me. Share your suggestions, if you please!

The burgundy accents were my one personal contribution, of course. As obsessed as I've been about the color, I figured it would make a great accent for the ensemble. All my fall favorites in one place!

Ring - The Limited / Earrings - Lane Bryant / Nails - Essie "Wicked" (via Ulta)

Visions and Revisions

I don't really thrift much - I just don't have the patience for it. But once in a while I give it a shot and I happen upon a few gems. This brown houndstooth skirt, a Banana Republic skirt from back in the day when they made longer hemlines (Fall '06, to be exact), found its way to me from my local consignment shop. Seeing as all my favorite pencil skirts are from that time and place but no longer fit, I was pretty ecstatic to be able to thrift one in my current size.

Cardigan - Banana Republic / Tank - Anthropologie / Houndstooth pencil skirt - Banana Republic (thrifted)

This outfit did go through a few revisions today, though. At first I had on a purple/green/brown/grey printed top in a funky butterfly cut, but after seeing the first round of pictures, I realized how horribly unflattering it was on me. I loved the concept of the top, and the pattern mixing that resulted, but just not on me. I felt as grateful as Cher in Clueless for taking photographs of outfits. So I ran inside, quickly thumbed through my closet for a colorful top (wanting to stick with my fabulous new-to-me skirt on bottom) and settled on this (also new) cardigan. Its bright berry color was just what my fall-loving heart was after.

Handbag - Furla (via Filene's Basement)

I felt super vampy in this outfit, but that's what an animal print skinny belt, cardigan, pencil skirt and round-toe pumps will do to a curvy girl, eh? Move over, Joan.

Ring - Ruche / Necklace & Earrings - Banana Republic / Belt - The Limited /
 Brown buckle pumps - Christian Siriano for Payless

P.S. For all you literary lovers out there, my title for today's post comes out of probably my favorite poem of all time, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot.