Variations on a Theme

This outfit is not at all what I had first planned on wearing tonight, but I'm pretty thrilled with it!

Cardigan - LOFT / Spotted ruffle tiered shell - LOFT / Tweed pencil skirt - Lane Bryant /
Nude heels - Nine West (via Endless.com)

When I was picking out my work-wear for the evening, I initially wanted to keep it low-key and easy with a pants-jacket-embellished top ensemble. It was relatively boring, sure, but - thanks to cleaning all afternoon (and the effects of PMS) - I didn't have much energy or desire to put something else together. Once I had it on, though, I knew I could do better - perhaps a variation of my colorful cardigan-pencil ensem! So I thumbed through my (many) cardigans, and I pulled out this bright teal one to get me started.

I liked the idea of pairing this otherwise colorful cardi (heralding spring?) with this dark tweed skirt (last seen here) to give a more wintry, but still cheerful, feel. Where the top was concerned, I didn't want to wear just a simple camisole, so I dug around my closet for an embellished or even printed top to try a little pattern mixing again. My initial preference was stripes, but then I spied this dot-print shell, last seen here. I hesitated at first, thinking it was too much of a pattern mix considering how large the dots were. I scoured my belt collection to find one in grey or cream to help break up the two prints a bit more, but I just didn't have one that could sit at my hips. So, I convinced myself to just run with it. I mean, it's better than whatever else I was going to wear! (Which might be tomorrow's outfit, FYI...)

When Bob saw me, he ooohed a bit, commenting how "Mad-Menny" it made me look. (This is a good thing, of course.) He even approved of the pattern mixing! NOW I was sold. =)

The shoes had a moment of indecision. I went back and forth between these on-trend nude heels and a pair of grey faux-suede pumps. Bob voted for the grey pumps for obvious reasons, but I liked the look of the nude heels, pulling out the cream tones in the top, and really extending the line of my leg (as all nude heels so fabulously do). They're not great for being on my feet all night, but beauty is pain, people!

Handbag - Tano "Twiggy"

In the end, I adore the color palette, and I especially like the visual interest of the tiered ruffles. I might still try to find a belt for future (springtime?) wearings, but this particular pattern mixture is really growing on me!

Earrings - LOFT / Necklace - LOFT - Multi-colored stone ring - Banana  Republic

I leave you with this: When I arrived at work, my house managers were pretty excited that I was wearing ruffles. (My house managers are currently all fashion-conscious women.) Apparently we all were! This outfit was fated...

Featherweight

Shocking - I'm behind again! Tis the season, right? (I hope?) As always, I'll blame work - though, ironically work is the reason I dress half as well as I do. I'm not behind on pictures, though! Boyfriend has been working with me to diligently take pictures every day, which means I do have lots to blog about. So, I thought I'd post this real-time entry tonight, then tomorrow - since I'm off (and after working all weekend you better believe I'm taking off), I plan to play some bloggerific catch-up.

I love this outfit. I love how I feel in it. If you've been following this outfit diary of mine at all, you know my penchant for pencil skirts. I'll take any opportunity I can get to turn myself into a 40s bombshell. =) 

Top - Anthropologie / Blue pinstripe pencil skirt - Simply Be / Faux suede pumps - Payless

The top is actually the first item I've ever purchased from Anthropologie. A sale item, I found it in a size too small, but it was insta-clothing-love. This top has everything I look for in an article of clothing (hm, have I said that before?) - architectural but feminine detail, good color palette, interesting but simple print. Special. As my first Anthropologie purchase, too, it made me fall deeply in love with the store, and I've been mildly obsessed ever since.

This was in March, by the way - and today was actually my first wearing of the top. Why wait so long for its debut, you ask? Well, I really wanted to wear it with a pinstripe blue pencil skirt - and they are actually pretty hard to find! Thank you, Simply Be, for having one not only in my size and desired color, but having one that hits below my knees! Seriously, why is a pencil skirt of that length so hard to find!?!?  I honestly believe it's not only the most flattering length for my body, but that it tends to look fabulous on most women. When properly fitted, there's just something about the silhouette that highlights every inch of a woman's curves in the most wonderful way.

The occasion? A HUGE day of nonstop holiday festivities at work. Indeed, I'd been dying for the right time to debut this outfit, and I felt this was, but now that I have (and that I'm rockin' it so), I feel badly that I didn't wait to debut it for New Years. New Years also also happens to be our anniversary... Who knows, I may still wear it then, but the blog might not get to take part in the festivities. =) And, of course, the thrill of getting to wear it for the first time will have also worn off. (Er, hence my clothing addiction, eh...?)

Handbag - Tano "Minilisa" in Blue Marine

But, oh, this outfit also marks the homestretch for the holiday season in the performing arts. What a busy, busy weekend, but it was festive and exciting and joyful, and it's only downhill (on a sled) from here.

To a 'T'

I can't tell you how excited I am to be wearing this outfit today...

I've been building this ensemble for months, and I even created a Polyvore set to keep me inspired:

I knew how irresponsible it would be to purchase everything at once, especially at full price, so this outfit has been a work in progress. I've waited patiently for each item to go on sale, or at least until I had a decent coupon with which to purchase. The pencil skirt is, of course, a standard in my closet, so I didn't have to do much waiting there. The jewelry was purchased next, thanks to a 40% off coupon from Banana Republic. Sadly, the Anthropologie sweater was practically sold out as soon as it did go sale, but here's the thing I've learned about sale items at Anthro: once they go on sale, you can almost ALWAYS find them for a better bargain on eBay. And I did! The shoes I had purchased, but then returned - I didn't love how the t-strap looked on my wide feet. I did get them on sale, but the price didn't warrant me keeping them if I didn't totally love them - which was a shame because I thought they were smokin'. Fast forward a month, they were even more on sale, and at a price at which I could handle my insecurities about how they looked on my feet. The top was the last thing I purchased, and it is the only thing I paid full price for. I only did so because I had returned a number of other items during my last Anthropologie visit, and it was enough to make up the purchase. Hurrah!

Once I finally had all the items, I had to try them all on, of course! We all know how something we think will look good together doesn't always work. Well, the grey pencil skirt was actually too close to the grey in the top (not nearly as light as pictured), so I changed that up for a brown skirt instead. Before I received the sweater, I was rather worried that it would be too light of a yellow to work for these fall colors, but when it finally came, I was pleasantly surprised at what a perfect saffron color it was! A true all-seasons yellow. The ruffle-y top was perfect, though it is actually a bit too long, so I've folded the end under a bit - I plan to take it to tailor to have this permanently altered. The shoes were, of course, the perfect thing to highlight that glorious retro vibe, but the jewelry did not work at all. The necklace, which is really more of a choker, was just too ornate and didn't jive with the overall feel of the outfit - it's going back. The studs are a nice basic, but the only reason I thought they'd work well with the outfit was because I had such a statement necklace. Otherwise, meh. So, the jewelry got a complete overhaul...

I love everything about this ensemble. The pencil skirt, the embellished cardigan, the ruffle-y top, the fabulous color, and of course the retro vibe that does wonders for my shape. My gorgeous Furla (which sadly has to go back next week) was the perfect finishing touch as well - in addition to the phenomenal fall foliage I have just outside my apartment. True, it was 30 degrees outside and I was freezing here, but I couldn't wear a jacket and cover everything up! =)

Whirl and Wind Cardigan - Anthropologie (via eBay) / Found Foliates Tank - Anthropologie /
Brown pencil Skirt - NY&Co / Blue T-strap sandals - Nine West (via Amazon) / Necklace - LOFT /
 Earrings - LOFT / Handbag - Furla (via Avelle)

Here's to getting to wear that perfect ensemble that is so right in every way. =) Happy weekend, everyone!

Risky Business

First off, new template!! I'm having so much fun playing with backgrounds, colors, and headers that I might be changing these more often than not. At least until I settle on one that is totally "me," anyway. Tell me what you think!

Friday was a gorgeous day in these parts. Chillier than I would like - as in, time for a winter coat and gloves - but still gorgeous. We had a wonderful noontime event planned at work, which meant lots of hustle and bustle first thing in the morning, but I totally loved all of that. It certainly made the day go by in a blink of an eye, and it was a great success, too! What a great way to end a work week.

Where my outfit was concerned, I'd been wanting to wear this for a few weeks. The skirt is one I'd had for ages, but only wore it once. I even tried to consign it, but no one else wanted it either - it's just such a bold print that it's hard to work with, I guess. I mean, sure, wear some kind of white or cream top and you're done, but how boring is that?  It's also a tricky shape for me - an a-line. I have such a short torso that A-lines don't work well for me unless I do something to emphasize my waist. A belt is a go-to accessory in this case, and often is all an outfit needs to help spruce it up, but that just wasn't enough with this skirt.

It wasn't until after I had delved into the fashion blogosphere that I started to learn how (and that was it totally okay) to mix prints. I was bashful about doing so, however - it's not something that I see often where I live, so I knew I'd be taking some risks. With that in mind, I wanted to choose the day I debuted this outfit carefully. It was a dressier ensemble, so I didn't want to just wear it on any old weekday, but I didn't think it would have been a good fit for a conservative event night, either. When Friday rolled around, however, I knew it was the perfect day for it.

Printed cardigan - The Limited / Printed A-line skirt - Anne Klien /  Wide black belt - LOFT / Black herringbone tights - Banana Republic / Black "Caiiro" flats - Madden Girl (via DSW) / Earrings - Lane Bryant

Now, I'm still a novice when it comes to this, but a good rule of thumb is to keep the prints in the same color palette, and you really can't go wrong. The wide black belt helped break up the prints, too, while still working with them. I even went with a printed tight in black herringbone, but it's subtle enough that it doesn't compete with the rest of the outfit. I'm pretty darn pleased with the results here, especially the retro vibe of the whole silhouette.

Honestly, I still felt a little self-conscious yesterday, but I knew I was taking a risk, and I'm glad I did. Will I wear it again? Who knows....but I do think I'll try mixing prints again.

Pencil Me In

Working on a Sunday night wasn't so bad. T'was a big performance, but I like it better that way. Front-of-house-wise, things are getting a little better, going a little smoother. We're not totally there yet, but we're getting there. I've been reminded that, even if I'm going bonkers on the inside, I need to keep completely composed on the outside. All is calm; all is perfect. Probably a good rule to live by in any kind of customer service setting: never let them see you sweat. It's also good for the staff to see, I think. If you're calm, they can remain calm and just concentrate on doing their jobs better.

I knew today needed to be another skirt or dress day, even though I had a moment of just wanting to wear pants and a sweater. I had originally planned to wear yet another outfit involving purple (#1-3), but in an attempt to branch out a bit (and because I feared it looked too springy), I kept trying. I then proceeded to cycle through a few options that, believe it or not, still involved purple somewhere...  I really do gravitate toward the color, it seems. Instead, though, I pulled out a great dusty blue cardigan with a little bow detail - one I hadn't worn in a while. I now own 4 different cardigans with this kind of detail near the neckline. It's becoming clear to me that I'm always drawn to textural/architectural details, and often in lieu of patterns or even color...

Blue cardigan with bow detail - LOFT / Navy camisole - LOFT / Beige pencil skirt - NY&Co /
Ostrich-embossed belt - Banana Republic

Bow-detail close-up / Necklace (single strand doubled) - Banana Republic

And of course, the pencil skirt. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have pencil skirts back in my wardrobe rotation. There's nothing I love better than a belted cardigan and pencil skirt. My BF told me I could be his secretary any day... =7 He then inquired if I'm purposely going after the Mad Men look. Yes, and no.  I've dressed like this for years; it really is in many ways a signature of my style. But, I thank Christina Hendricks for all she does for retro-inclined curvy girls everywhere.

Green Croc-embossed "Flatiron" Leather Bag / Banana Republic

But, oh, the bag. I love this bag. This bag hurled me headlong into a love affair with handbags. This bag did me in; this bag was my gateway drug to my handbag addiction. I will say that this addiction never got TOO out of control, and it was also a very specific addition - one that never involved bags with "signatures" all over them (just not my style), but I'm also happy to report that this addiction has, more or less, ended. But, oh, this bag! Such a gorgeous green crocodile exterior, snappy contrasting blue trim, substantial structure and appealing shape... HANDBAG-LOVE. The bag, truth be told, was an afterthought to the outfit itself, but once I pulled it out, I squealed with glee at the pairing-made-in-heaven, and I made my BF take one last picture before we got into the car. This picture is, in fact, my favorite. Perhaps ever.

Accessories? Of course!

Navy heels - Gabriella Rocha (via Zappos.com)

Shades of blue enamel bracelet - Banana Republic / Gold angel/flower earrings (depending on how you look at it) -
Banana Republic / Ring - Banana Republic

If you haven't noticed, most of my favorite jewelry is from BR. I love what they do with jewelry, especially statement necklaces and cocktail rings. I don't particularly love their clothes these days, but I never pass up a chance to peer through their glass cases of fantastic baubles.

In summary: a good day and a good outfit. A good weekend, in fact, even if I did have to work. Gonna be a looooong week, though...