Exclamation Necklace

I'm pretty sure I planned this outfit around this utterly gorgeous necklace. And the fact that I wanted to look fabulous for the last day of Nutcracker merriment, of course. Neither teal nor peach might be the first colors that jump to mind during the holiday season, but I loved how the the pretty peach tones of the necklace looked against the cool hue of the dress. Teal is so my color anyway, and the fit of the dress is pretty great too. Not a bad canvas, I say.

Dress - Ann Taylor / Belt - Banana Republic / Mocha tights - We Love Colors /
 Brown buckle pumps - Christian Siriano for Payless

Thanks to a run in my favorite Spanx sheers, I decided to go with tights for the ol' gams. Since I loved the unexpected combination of teal and brown the last time I wore this dress, I went with mocha tights and darker brown heels to create a nice tonal effect. A wide belt in a tan snakeskin helped define my waist and balance out the colors, but I wonder if I could have benefited from a more streamlined look without it. Next time, I guess. Besides, it was all about the necklace anyway, remember?

Necklace - Anthropologie / Ring & earrings - Banana Republic 

Handbag - Steve Madden

Quintessentially Yours

I'm sorry I've gotten behind, everyone. My laptop adapter died on Wednesday, and with it my laptop. I've been searching around for inexpensive replacement solutions, and I think I've found something, but for now I'm at the mercy of the availability of Bob's (enviable) Macbook. It's also been a very busy weekend, and I've just now been able to regroup and find some time to catch up on my posts! So, without further ado...

I love this outfit. It was one of those outfits that came together accidentally; a kind of unexpected perfection, if you will...

Black cardigan - LOFT / Animal print top - Ann Taylor / Pencil skirt - New York & Co. 

The top is, in my opinion, exquisite. It's a sort of abstract animal print in a luxurious color palate of slate blue, black and tan, and the pseudo-shawl neckline (or whatever it is) gave it such lovely structure. For that reason I would have preferred to wear it alone, but at the last minute, I opted for an additional layer of the cardigan not only for extra warmth, but also because I felt a little self-conscious in the top's body-hugging stretch satin. Once I had the cardigan on, however, I was struck by how the whole outfit became even more elegant, how the neckline became more delightfully pronounced, and just overall how much more shapely it made me look.

It is such a quintessential "Jessica" outfit, really...

Handbag - Tano "Minilisa" in Blue Marine

I preferred to go without a necklace, thinking that extra bulk at my neckline would take away some of the clean lines created in the top. The gold accessories I did wear gave added warmth and maybe just a little bling without going overboard.

Ring - Banana Republic / Earrings - The Limited

I had first thought I would wear a pair of embellished gold heels, but I chose these gorgeously classic suede high heels instead. Methinks they put the final stamp on the clean lines of the whole outfit.

Black suede heels - BCBG (eBayed)

And Bob liked it too. =)