I Dream of Purple

The past few summer wedding seasons have been pretty uneventful for us. I've taken the relative inactivity as a good sign - it means most everyone I know is already married! Hooray for everyone! Come to think of it, Bob and I are probably the last couple left in our circle of friends. We'll get around to it, I promise! I see a delightful elopement in our future...

Happily, however, we did have one lone summer wedding to attend - a close friend of Bob's from college. And it meant a trip to Boston! We saw his family and lots of mutual friends, and we even managed not to kill each other on our drive - yes, you read that right, drive - out there. In fact, I quite enjoyed the 17 hour trip (gratefully split up in Ohio with close friends). We had ideal driving weather, and the scenery in New York State is second to none. Even better, our I-Pass worked for all the tolls out east! (Call me dorky, but this really excited me.)

Julia Pleated Dress - c/o Kiyonna

Ah, but what to wear, what to wear. Between packing on the pounds this past year and leaving my job, finding something in my closet was not only my only option, but it was a daunting one. So I was thrilled when I decided to poke around Kiyonna's new arrivals and found their new Julia Pleated Dress. Even more thrilled, I was, to have Kiyonna send it to me! This dress is PERFECT. Perfect for my body, perfect for the occasion (a conservative Jewish afternoon wedding), perfect for all the things I want it a great cocktail dress. Elbow-length sleeves? Check. Knee-length or longer? Check. Flattering but not too revealing v-neck? Check. Slimming, concealing, and feminine design features at the waist? Check! PRETTY, VIBRANT PURPLE COLOR?!? CHECK CHECK CHECK!!! (It reads bluer in pictures - blurple? - but it really is a gorgeous shade of purple.) On top of all of that, it's made of an easy, comfortable material that drapes flawlessly and doesn't wrinkle. I did wear the dress with Spanx, but I could have easily gone without - it fit that well! Seriously, as soon as I received the dress, I emailed Kiyonna to tell them this was my new favorite dress and they need to make it even more colors, STAT.

Necklace - Banana Republic (old) / Ring - Banana Republic (old) / Earrings - anniversary gift
Nails - No More Film by Essie (via Ulta)

The wedding was indeed lovely, as was the rest of the trip. And we got home just in time for me to start freaking about the fact that I'M TEACHING MUSIC HISTORY AGAIN AFTER A 5 YEAR HIATUS! And maybe working at Sephora. One week down and already exhausted! It'll make for an interesting year, to be sure!

Shoes - Audrey Brooke (old, via DSW) / Clutch - gifted

Honestly? I'm just happy to have things to dress up for again. =)

Side of Eggplant

What better way to end the night than with a little blogging, tea and The Holiday? Now if only it was snowing outside and I had hot chocolate. (Instead, it's a balmy 63 degrees and windy. I neither understand nor like this weather.)

I'm so glad that I decided to splurge on these (sale) tops from Anthropologie. They're just the kind of pieces I like to have in my wardrobe: unique, feminine and flattering. I first wore this top with my favorite jeans (not yet blogged), which itself has become one of my go-to night-out outfits, but I love it just as much with a pencil skirt. Come to think of it, imma wear it again with jeans this week.

Side-Gathered Cowlneck - Anthropologie / Pencil skirt - eloquii / Shoes - Nine West

At first, I was worried I didn't have a good pencil skirt pairing for the top as I did for its sister, in part because there weren't as many colors to work with this time. I hesitated against browns or tans for fear of blandness, but once paired with the brown, I realized I had just the pair of shoes to draw out all the lovely purpley eggplant tones. (Oddly, the Anthro description once again calls this colorway gray. It's just not so!) And I sure do loves me some purple.

Ring - Banana Republic / Earrings - Lane Bryant / Nails - Essie "Wicked" (via Ulta)

This was the outfit I wore for my guest lecturer stint last month, by the way. I just knew the outfit I wore needed to involve a pencil skirt, the one article of clothing I always feel confidently myself in. The modest coverage of the top was a plus, but the overall look was exactly what I wanted - eye-catching, but not overwhelming. A successful day in the classroom all around.

Handbag - Tano

Double Duty

Oh, hello there! Once again, an extended vacation gets the best of me. Also, weekend 1 of 2 of Nutcracker madness. As far as events go, this one is so aptly named - we never get through unscathed... But here I am! The first half of the season is winding down, and so am I. In spite of 70 degree weather today...in December...I have Christmas decor up and have already watched my favorite holiday movies a few times. Now if temps could just drop back to the 30s and, you know, it would snow. (I'm not hopeful.)

When I rotated my closets for fall, I decided I would keep a couple of my favorite maxi dresses on hand and challenge myself to style them for cooler weather. Since one of my favorite layering options for a maxi was a belted cardigan, I knew where to start. Add a scarf and flat boots, and done! It's so easy, so cute, and so shamelessly comfortable, that I plan to find a few permutations of it with the many cardigans/belts/scarves I own...

Maxi dress - Old Navy / Jackie Cardigan - J. Crew / Boots - Coconuts (gifted)

Scarf - Banana Republic / Belt - The Limited / Earrings - Ruche / Nails - Essie Smokin' Hot

I love the rich blues and purples of this rendition the most, though. (It even inspired my current blog template!) It feels autumnal all on its own.

Handbag - Steve Madden / Ring - H&M

Soft and Fair!

So I tried to write a post last night but 1) I was exhausted from election madness (and work) and 2) it felt odd to simply write about clothes after such a night. (I most certainly didn't want to get into any politics...) Maybe I could have just led with the adorable dresses that the Obama girls were wearing...?

Cuz I felt pretty adorable in this dress...

Whrligig Dress - Velvet (Anthropologie) / Cropped jacket - Maurices /
Sandals - Christian Siriano for Payless

I've actually been dying to wear this dress again for the blog. You can probably tell that it's a rather summery frock, and it was certainly best donned then. Gold sandals and belt always set the dress off nicely, and it happens to be one of those holy grails of summer dresses that are as comfortable as they are flattering. Oh, and it was a thrilling Anthropologie sale score to top all that off. But alas, two summers had passed (and probably at least four wearings) and nary a photograph was taken. So I challenged myself to find a few layering options for slightly cooler (though warm for early October) weather and finally photograph this lovely.

Handbag - Ruche

Dusty purple and olive make such a soft, pretty pairing (it reminds me of a favorite eyeshadow palette, actually), and a cropped jacket was just the thing to add a bit more coverage and casual flair to the look. Add a long necklace, a happy mint handbag and super nude strappy sandals, and I felt like I wouldn't ever have to goodbye to summer.

Ring - Ruche / Necklace - LOFT / Earrings -  Maurices

(Illinois Octobers are tricky that way.)

Gold Leaf

I'm feeling pretty good about myself right now. Apartment: clean. Groceries: shopped. Dinner: made (and eaten). Last week's clothes: hung. I promised myself I'd only get to sit and enjoy the evening (with windows open, I might add - it's supposed to hit upper 70s tomorrow!) if I accomplished all those things. And now I get to blog!

I'm still super behind on posts - there are about 10 unblogged (and mighty fine, if I may say so) outfits just waiting to be debuted to the internets. I'd like to commit to blogging daily so I can finally be caught up! Maybe this means I'll allow myself to re-wear outfits in the meantime... Like, outfits from years ago that I still think lovingly about, but opt not to wear again because I feel I should push forward with new closet permutations for the blog. This outfit and this outfit first come to mind. If they still fit. And if I can keep my burgundy obsession at bay for a while!

Side-Gathered Cowlneck - Anthropologie / Pencil skirt - eloquii / Heels - Nine West

But this outfit it easily a favorite, too. The top was an in-store Anthropologie sale rack find, and one I had been lusting after for a while online. Naturally, I bought it in both available colors (the other to be debuted at a later date!) since it was such a fabulous style and fit. The ivory/purple version was the main one I wanted, but this aubergine one (the online description says grey - ha!) really surprised me in the fitting room. The gold flecks in the leaves along the neckline, which you really can't see online either, looked so lovely next to my face. I really dug the asymmetry of the top, too!

'

Earrings - Banana Republic / Ring - LOFT / Nails - Essie "Wicked" (via Ulta)

I loved the idea of bringing out one of the multiple colors in the leaves, and teal struck me first - not least because of my favorite teal skirt! Tucked in and paired with light grey shoes, plus a deep wine manicure and current favorite "bordeaux" handbag, was just the way to go.

Handbag - Tano

In a Knot

I realized I threatened promised you lots of maxi dresses over the summer, but my lack of posting kind of made me a liar, didn't it? For better or worse, this is one of two more maxi dress posts I have to share, as I attempt to get caught up before the season explodes in my face. Bonus: the next one includes a hat!

Aztec knot maxi dress - Dorothy Perkins / Cardigan - LOFT / Cami - NY&Co.

This fabulously printed maxi, worn in mid-July for an outdoor work event, is actually kind of an oddity in my closet. As a lover of solid colors and classic patterns, I have few, if any, such outrageous patterns, but the symmetry and colors of the pattern really caught my eye. It is super low cut, though - a cami is a must. Fortunately there are about a zillion color options for that with this dress. I grabbed a little green cardigan for a easy (and optional, for once!) topper, too.

Ring - Ruche / Necklace - Banana Republic / Earrings - LOFT

In other news, today is the first day of classes! I welcome back my staff (I've actually really missed them) and lament the exponential increase of (usually idiotic) foot, bike and car traffic on campus. So much for the short lines at Starbucks and my easy commute to work!

Hangbag - Tano /  Sandals - Payless

Summer Lull

Summer brings so much laziness I can't even tell you. It brings many more days of unwashed hair, many days of outfits repeated in entirety or really just outfits comprised of pieces I only threw on so I wouldn't go out naked. I'm not even talking about the hot topic of "blog-worthy" - it's more, I'm barely tolerating this outfit and plan to change immediately into yoga pants and a tank as soon as I get home. And then there's the sitting down to edit/choose pictures and write. Clearly, I'm uninspired... Lately I'd rather spend the evening prepping my mise en place for dinner. (A rather relaxing activity, actually.) And then eating it. And then cuddling in my favorite chair or in bed with the Kindle I got Bob for his birthday. (I may have re-appropriated it.) Yep, that's my summer modus operandi, for better or worse.

But when I do put on clothes that I love and don't mind braving the sweltering heat for a round of pictures, this is it. It's definitey on the dressier side of my summer attire, though. My preference for maxi dresses as summer casual wear has already been well-documented, and a few cute little summer dresses have also made their way into my wardrobe, but they've yet to be photographed. (Laziness.) Ironically, this outfit would be on the casual side during the regular season. Such is the way of summer in the performing arts world...

Top - Dorothy Perkins / Denim pencil skirt - Dorothy Perkins / Sandals - Bandolino

I've had the top for a while, photographed ever-so-fleetingly a la Instagram quite some time ago. (Think I wore it with skinnies at the time.) Pastel birds make for a rather tricky print to wear without being too kitchy, though. Or elderly. Thank goodness for accessories and a denim pencil skirt. And purple. Of course, I love all the colors in the top - I'm pretty sure I have a pencil skirt in every single one, but lest I look like an Easter egg, I must choose carefully. Purple and maybe coral will be my first two once the season begins...

Clutch - eloquii / Necklace - The Limited / Earrings - The Limited / Ring - Ruche / Belt - The Limited

"Once the season begins." I find myself saying that a lot with potential outfits lately. This is rather revelatory in how I view my style during the course of the year: totally dispensable in the summer; center stage (no pun intended) during fall/winter/spring. During the summer, I see no one except a few office mates, and I rarely work an evening event. The idea of going to work on a muggy 97° day in a lined pencil skirt and killer heels, laden with accessories, makes me sweat just thinking about it. (Even though a pencil skirt is clearly my strike zone when trying to dress my body well.)  But it's summer. I'm, like, off-duty. Where the blog is concerned, this means far fewer posts, even though I have much more leisure time to write them. During the season, I have far less time to post, but I have far more to show and tell.  I'm constantly "on" - always dressing to be seen by a lobby full of patrons, bosses and even the occasional artist.  Working harder to look better pays off more. And there it is.

I'm clearly self-conscious about this, though, aren't I? Maybe I should just let it be how it is. At least for as long as I have this particular job, anyway...

Regalia

Of all the maxi dresses I've recently acquired, this one is my favorite. I liked the fit of its printed cousin so much that I couldn't help trying it on in purple on a subsequent store visit. I nabbed it as quickly the checkout line would let me. The regal, solid color flows over my curves with ease, making me look (and feel) like a tall drink of...grape juice? Welch's grape juice, of course.

Drawstring maxi - Old Navy / Denim jacket - Theory (eBayed) / Sandals - Old Navy

Soft, pretty draping in a rich, vibrant color is always good thing, anyway. Especially when it's as comfortable as this maxi is. I shan't lie: I've worn this outfit at least three more times after these pictures were taken. That's almost, like, daily.

Handbag - Coach (gifted)

I know that I've copped out and topped it with my denim jacket again. It was a cooler day, though, and the denim gave just the right casual vibe I was wanting. Plus, I really love the combination of blue and purple, so much so that I'm now desperately searching for a great navy cardigan. (Yes, believe it or not I don't have one.)

Ring - Ruche (gifted) / Earrings - Anthropologie /
Ginko and Gunmetal necklace - chrdesigns on Etsy

Can't Help Myself

So I broke down and bought this purple pencil skirt. I held off for awhile, believing I really didn't need it. You can imagine my pride that I could actually say no to a pencil skirt... Well, then 50% off happened, and I caved.

Top - LOFT / Pencil skirt - eloquii / Heels - Max Studio (via DSW)

I caved especially when I was pinspired by the combination of navy and purple in this image. I had practically the same top and knew it would pair beautifully with the skirt. The colors may read a bit autumnal, but I love the simple elegance that these colors create together.

Handbag - DKNY (via TJMaxx)

I was intrigued by the black accents in the outfit image as well, so I wanted to incorporate it similarly into my recreation, even it was just the handbag. I wasn't convinced that black shoes would be great, but the more I look at the image, the more I wish I had taken a chance with a pair. Black and navy might be one of those pairings that seem odd or clash, but, like brown and black or brown and grey, there's something about the combination that feels classic to me.

But, I mean, leapord print shoes seem like a pretty fabulous choice, too, no?

Ring - Banana Republic / Earring - Ruche / Nails - Love & Acceptance (Essie)

Rainbow Bright

Neither my usual color palette nor silhouette, I was drawn to this flirty little dress. What's not to love about a wide black waistband, navy scoop neck top, and vibrant, swingy skirt?

For a kid-friendly day of music featuring everything percussion, I figured I could step over a few lines of work-appropriate attire and really play with color for this outfit. Bring on the purple tights! I could have chosen navy instead, but I wanted to bring out more of the colors in the skirt, and this was perfect. I toyed with open toed sandals for the look, but nothing I had really worked. I needed to ground all that color with chunkier footwear, like a wedge or wood sandal, but alas, I had neither. Hmm, what about booties? Though rarely worn and something rather outside of my comfort zone, they seem to have been a pretty perfect option for the outfit.

Dress - Lane Bryant / Denim jacket - Theory (eBayed) / Tights - We Love Colors /
Booties - Payless / Handbag -  Urban Outfitters

The dress sleeves themselves are actually quite cute; a short sleeve with ruching on the top makes for something very easy to wear alone. And I could have - it eventually became warm enough outside to warrant it. (Yay for the return of outdoor pictures! My goofy facial expression simply belies a casual frustration with the shade/sun ratio at my usual photo location....) But, as always, I felt myself wanting an extra layer. Casual, easy - a shrunken, cropped denim jacket it was.

Ring - Ruche / Necklace - LOFT / Earrings - LOFT / Nail polish  - Haute as Hello (Essie)

How else I can possibly wear this dress, I really don't know. Bottom line, I definitely prefer tights with it - it is just too short on me and I know I won't wear it otherwise. Considering that it's a spring/summer frock, this is quite the conundrum...