(No Costume for Me)

Saturdays are wonderful, aren't they? I love being in a place in my life where, even if I'm working on a weekend, it's still a good weekend. I'm sure that has more to do with the job itself, but that's all the more remarkable. 

This outfit* was the result of a late night "shopping in my closet" adventure inspired by my first forays into the fashion blogosphere (and before I started this blog). It's also one I've been jonsing to wear for a while. The dress is a great printed sheath in dark colors (good for Halloween, too!), but its cap sleeves really limit how often I can wear it, especially since the color palate mainly reads fall/winter. Because it's a sheath, too, I need to be sure to define my waist - if I layer anything over it, my waist is lost. I've also tried layering a long sleeved shirt underneath the dress, but that never looks quite right on me either.

So, after giving myself lots of time (really, that's all you need), I put together this early fall-appropriate look.  I utilized this great drapey cardigan and, you guessed it, a belt - underneath the cardigan, though. I love this particular cardigan because it sweeps back, allowing my shape to still shine through. Regular cardigans, be they v-necks, crew necks or the like, aren't built for that at all, and when I wear them I almost always need to wear a belt on top of them. But here, I could wear the belt underneath the cardigan without fear of a boxy look.

Printed sheath dress - Banana Republic / Black cardigan  - Maurice's / Black leggings - Lane Bryant / Wide belt - Banana Republic / Taupe boots - Impo (via DSW) / Tan pleated bag - Steve Madden (via Endless.com)

Brown and blacks abound in this outfit, so it was fun layering on neutral accessories. My one regret is that I didn't have a lighter colored tight. I like how the black tights looked with the dress, but not necessarily with the boots - it's just too stark of a contrast to keep the look cohesive. But, the boots work well with the dress itself, and since the dress is just a wee short on me, there was no way I wasn't going to wear a tight. I needed to work with what I had, though, so I went with it. I do think that the handbag helps mitigate all of that in this particular picture, but it's not like I can wear the handbag the whole time! =7 I did also try this look with black booties and tights, which I also really liked - it's a definitely more streamlined look (and perhaps one more appropriate for a conservative event night). But in the end, I really like what the boots did for my silhouette (and my BF insisted on them as well), so they won out. When I wear this again, I'll be sure to have a better color of tight in my arsenal.

When even cooler days come, I have a nice steely-grey blazer to wear over it, but I'll definitely need a belt to keep it from looking too boxy on me, and to keep proportions in check. I'll have to experiment with other shoe options, as well.

Necklace - LOFT / Earings - Banana Republic

This last picture is my attempt at playing with post-processing inspired by Sydney at The Daybook. It's kinda fun turning pictures into something artsy! Now if I can just work on those poses...

*P.S. I know it's Halloween weekend, but I don't really do Halloween. It's just not something I've ever been into. I think the last time I dressed up for Halloween was in 4th grade - I was a gymnast, complete with legwarmers. Aside from that, costumes aren't typically appropriate when a well-known orchestra comes into town and we have over 2000 patrons in the building... So, yes, I've opted out. I did allow my staff to come in costume today, though. I went in to work just to see them, and deliver candy, of course. Totally worth it - their creativity and commitment never cease to amaze me. 

New Boots!

Okay, so I thought I'd post this - even though the pics aren't great - just because I love these freakin' boots so darn much and I MUST share my joy (and a little review). I found these babies, the Ciao Bella Thebatta, at the DSW in Indy during my shopping trip last weekend, but I had to order them online to get an extended calf.They came yesterday...

First of all, I was thrilled to have been able to check out a few styles all at once. I seriously had 8 pairs of boots next to me at DSW, and though I'm a huge fan of online shopping (and I have no problems returning things that don't work), sometimes it's so much more efficient to be able to see and compare and try on all at once - especially when it comes to something as tricky as the perfect boots. 

I will of course state that, as a curvy girl, I have trouble finding boots that fit my calves. I've certainly had a surprising amount of good luck, too, but after searching for months (like, since last fall), I still hadn't found the boot that fit five criteria: flat heel, some but minimal detail, a rich but neutral color (like a taupe or cognac), riding boot style, and hit just below my knees. I think that's everyone's criteria this season, really. (And the OTK thing is just not for me.) So I cannot TELL you how giddy I am about these boots. Perfect rich brown, nice comfortable flat, almond toe, and they hit right at my sweet spot below my knee. I even like the asymmetry at the top of the shaft, as I think it does nice things to flatter my wider calves. 

The only thing I don't love about them is the back zip. I think in general a back zip is harder to maneuver than a side zip, especially for us girls with larger calves. I've been able to finagle loads of boots with a normal calf width up my legs when they had a side zip, even with jeans on. So even these, which do claim to have an "extended calf width" were troublesome. But, I did get them on - first just over bare legs - and I kept them on for a few hours to help stretch them out. Then later that evening, when the BF and I decided to go out for a casual bite to eat, and I knew I had to debut these babies over skinnies, they actually zipped up fine and off we went.

Tan corduroy blazer - LOFT / Face tee - LOFT / Pink hoodie - Banana Republic / Dark skinnies - Gap / Earrings - Dress Barn (??) / Ring - Banana Republic

Of course, I'm also pretty stoked about the rest of my ensemble - the corduroy jacket is new, as is the fun face tee. I put these two together, but thought I'd add this bright pink hoodie, which I wear all the freaking time while lounging at home, to add a pop of color and to bring out the purty lips on the tee. Not gonna lie - I felt pretty fantastic. I'm totally working this causal layering thing...


Oh, and I FREAKING LOVE THESE BOOTS! =7 And DSW.

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.

Instead of a Hoodie

So I'm trying to improve my poses. I try not smiling, gazing off camera, doing different things with my limbs - but often, I just look weird - and those pictures never make the cut. I tried a few poses tonight sans smile, but I look mean, or worse, constipated! =P I guess I'm just not as comfortable in front of the camera as I could be. I do want to continue improving my photos, though, especially since it seems like something of a requirement for a good blog. Practice makes perfect, I guess!

Today's outfit was yet again one in which I felt pretty blah for most of the day. I had considered just copping out entirely and wearing an Illini hoodie and tennies, but I thought I could try a little harder with a cozy cowl-neck sweater and flats instead.

Striped cowl-neck sweater - Gap / Brown long sleeve tee - LOFT  / Wide-leg jeans - Gap / Brown  mary-jane flats 

I have to admit that I was not confident that this look was terribly flattering, and I was thisclose to not even taking pictures, from taking a day off from posting. But the BF convinced me otherwise. And, yet again, my pictures (and finding ways to hold my posture that ARE flattering) convince me that not all is not lost when I opt for flats, jeans and a big sweater. =)

I'm starting to think this blog is all about affirmations... Hmm, maybe I should rename it...=7

Green Zebra

I've had this outfit on hold for a few days, though I kept hesitating to go with it because I was afraid it wasn't interesting enough. As if a green zebra print isn't enough! (Oh, and Green Zebra is also a fantastic vegetarian restaurant in Chicago. I highly recommend it!) But I wasn't feeling up to the challenge to put together something more adventurous today, so this was it. But seriously, can we get more adventurous than a sartorial safari?

Green zebra print cardigan - Banana Republic / White camisole - Banana Republic / Black wide-leg pants - NY&Co. / Black patent open-toed sling-backs - Banana Republic

Tan pleated bag - Steve Madden (via Endless.com)

Silver tiered chain necklace (that gold is just a fluke of the light) - Lane Bryant /
Earrings - Lane Bryant

I actually got a few compliments on the ensam today, thanks largely in part to the vibrant shade of green this print is. I love it, too, against the stark black pants which makes it all the more noticeable. (And, yes, the pants are a bit too long - or my heels are too short...) Perhaps I shouldn't ever underestimate the power of a statement print!

I thought about this a lot today - the fact that one of my biggest obstacles when getting dressed each day has become the challenge to put together something "blog-worthy." True, this is one of the reasons I started the blog in the first place -  to get me thinking outside my wardrobe box - but I don't want it making me doubt my usual style, either. What I've really wanted is this blog to give me greater confidence in my already existing style and, more importantly, my body image in general. And I do think it has. I've noticed that I might feel one way during the day, and even during the photo shoot...but then once I see the pictures, once I see the finished blog post, my perception changes. This whole project of mine has become more eye-opening with each post I do, and I find that quite unexpectedly special...

I'll Have a Black and Tan

I was so excited about this outfit when I put it together last night. I picked up this fun sequined animal print tee at Ann Taylor over the weekend, and I was immediately inspired to pair black and brown together with it. My leopard print skirt was on the list, as well as a nice black cardi of some sort, and brown/gold accessories to round it all out. There are many good things about this ensemble, primarily my foray into pairing brown and black together, but I also think I could have done better.

Sequined animal print tee - Ann Taylor / Black cardi - LOFT / Leopard print ponte knit skirt - Lane Bryant /  Brown boots - Guess (via DSW) / Long necklace - The Limited

I also toyed with wearing brown pants instead, and for various reasons, I wish I had. I also think I should have experimented with other cardigan options, and maybe different shoe options. The brown boot was the main brown color in the look, but the boots seem to hit me at a bad place, making my legs look thinker than I would like. But I didn't have to too much time to refine the look this morning, so I had to work with what I had. To be honest, though, I couldn't wait to take the whole thing off when I got home... (Sorry for the negativity - I've had a day....)

In other news, and if you hadn't noticed, I'm experimenting with new blog backgrounds! I really like the metal grommets mixed with the lace and flowers in the one currently featured, as well as the color scheme. I'm also pretty pleased with the header, which I did myself! However, I'm not sure it all best reflects me and my style. What do you guys think? I'll probably play with a few other options over the next week or so, so stay tuned!

Finally Friday

Yet another gorgeous Sunday - a gorgeous weekend, really. Whatever mother nature is thinking, she can just keep on thinking it! The BF is in Chicago for the next two days, so I have the apartment to myself, watching football and catching up on last week's TV shows, and - the most time consuming thing so far - re-designing my blog. Well, by "re-designing" I mean "looking for a new template." I'm no web designer, though I do know just enough HTML to be dangerous. So, you might see a few changes over the next few days!

I'm really here to post Friday's outfit, which I haven't yet had time to do. Yesterday a friend of mine and I went to Indianapolis for some serious shopping. We really don't have much in the way of good retailers here, and though Chicago is always an option, the downtown area isn't the most driver-friendly and the tax rate is kinda ridiculous. Indy was perfect though - a great selection of stores, easy access, and amazing deals! I might put together another "recent acquisitions" post later!

Anyway, Friday. Nothing too special here, though the top is a fun one-shoulder curve-hugger that I haven't yet worn. Since most of the color palate is a neutral combination of blue and beige, I put aside the brilliant blue Furla for my fantastically fuchsia Gustto. I can always rely on my handbags for needed pops of color!

Dressy denim blazer - The Limited / Swirl top - The Limited / Beige wide-leg pants - NY&Co. / Tan peep-toes - Banana Republic / Ring - Banana Republic / Fuchsia handbag - Gustto (via BBOS)

Gold polygon necklace - Banana Republic / Gold loop earrings - The Limited

Hope you all have had wonderful weekends, too!

Black and Blue All Over

Last night was the first time in a long time that I went to a performance and was able to enjoy it. As part of a four-part concert cycle, the School of Music's quartet in-residence performed four of the Shostakovich quartets; the rest (there are 15) will be performed at 3 other concerts throughout the season. Now, I realize this might not mean anything to many of you, and that's totally okay, but I can't tell you the last time I was able to take full advantage of my comp tickets at one of the many exhilarating performances that we hold. If I'm in the building, I always feel like I'm working, or at least should be. But I've finally come to a point that I can let things go a little bit, and knowing that, even though it was going to be an important performance, it wasn't going to be full house or even a terribly busy night, so I knew I could confidently hand over the reigns to my more than competent staff. More importantly, however, this concert made me start thinking about music again, about the importance of making and talking about music, about the fact that maybe I do want to write my dissertation. It won't be on this composer, of course, but I feel like I have things to say, and that they will be worth saying. I still love this new career path I'm on, and I do want to continue to explore it, but I think I do want to write the damn thing after all - for me.

As for my outfit, I wish I could say I wore it all day, but I didn't. I more or less slummed it in the earlier part of the day, knowing I would find something better to wear to the evening's concert. I won't lie - this outfit was something of an accident (or a stroke of genius), but I'm thrilled with how it all came together. I can't tell you how much I love the tweed pencil skirt juxtaposed with the edginess of the tee and jacket. My BF said it was a little too incongruous, but that's exactly I why I think it's so fabulous! What an unexpectedly delightful way to wear tweed!

Black cropped jacket - Maurice's / Blue screen tee - Lane Bryant / Tweed Pencil skirt - Lane Bryant / Boots - Nine West (via Zappos) / FURLA!!! / White belt - LOFT?

The tee has actually hung in my closet since the summer. I didn't want to return it, but I was having serious trouble finding the right outfit for it. I wanted to be able to wear it with something other than jeans, and it is now long past white pant season. Even so, all those options just seemed too boring. I wanted to try to mix patterns, but I didn't know how or with what. So, it wasn't until I brushed past this top while digging through my closet, and then eyed the skirt hanging there too (one I hadn't worn yet, either) that the lightning bolt struck. Right away I knew my black boots would be involved, that I'd wear one of the zillion black jackets I owned - preferably one with lots of details - and that I'd throw on a belt to break up the pattern and define my waist under the jacket. Done and done.

Gunmetal earrings - The Limited / Hammered metal disc ring - The Limited / Sterling silver loop necklace - Kohl's

I think Shostakovich would have been totally all over this look. An edgy look for a bunch of edgy quartets.

An Ode to the Colon: Titles Are Hard

I like how coming up with witty post titles is something of a mind-bending challenge. But it's hard, man - especially if you're doing this day after day. It makes me think about papers from college and grad school, where writing the perfect title seemed to be more difficult than writing the paper itself. (Or maybe that was just another form of procrastination.) And, of course, there was the ubiquitous colon somewhere in the title. I think all us academics out there might agree that there seems to be some kind of unwritten rule that requires paper titles to incorporate a colon, especially in grad school - and even more so with master's theses or dissertations. Don't you worry - BOTH of mine did, do...did.*

But it is justifiably hard. The goal is to reduce your entire tome to a pithy but all-encompassing phrase, leaving your potential reader's curiousity piqued. It's no wonder that nearly every blog I read gives up entirely once in awhile, and they say so! Here's to universal problems....  Ooh, but now I have a title!

It was upwards of 70 today, friends. It's nearing the end of October. It's gorgeous and I'm thankful - don't get me wrong - but I was nearly overheating in my funnel-neck sweater and boots today. On the flip side, I worry about what the deep of Illinois winter is going to look and feel like come February. It will either be warmer all around or the coldest effing winter we've ever had. I'll not complain!

I do love this sweater, though. It was time to break it out, anyway. What's great about it is that it can be a handy transition piece with its elbow-length sleeves and all - wear it with or without a long sleeve tee underneath! It's got great structure, a good length, and it's made out of beautiful marino wool. Works fabulously with a pencil skirt, as well (surprise surprise). Would you be shocked to learn I have it brown, too? Probably not. This color is a great rustic orange that I think in general made me reconsider orange as a viable color option for my wardrobe. (Although my BF informed me while taking pictures that he calls this sweater my Paddington Bear sweater. =P)  I remember lusting after this sweater a few Falls ago on the Banana Republic website - I was also working there at the time. Our store didn't carry it of course, but it was seemingly such a hot item that, when I wore it to work, a least 3 people asked me where it was in the store. I broke hearts that day. I don't know what I do without online shopping. 

Sweater - Banana Republic / Beige cami - Banana Republic / Flare-leg jeans - Lane Braynt / Boots - CL by Chinese Laundry / Big wooden loop earrings - Dress Barn / Furla, you will be mine...

The online pictures of this sweater accessorized it with a big chunky necklace. The necklace was already sold out before I could get my hands on it, and every similar style of necklace I've tried since then never seems to work quite right. So I tend to go uber chunky with the earrings and go without a necklace. Any suggestions, though?

I'm playing volleyball tonight! First time in quite a few weeks, actually. Our team got t-shirts. I hate t-shirts. I don't even wear t-shirts to bed. From the unflattering collar and sleeves to its overall shapelessness, not to mention the inevitable uni-boob from my sports bra, it's not doing me any favors. But, I'll grin and bear it. All in the name of TEAM! Or something.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

* For the inquiring minds out there, my master's thesis was entitled " 'Pagan-Religious Merry-Making': The Program of Rimsky-Korsakov's Svetlyi Prazdnik." The current working title of my dissertation is " 'I Have No Country": The Music of Sergei Rakhmaninov and the Burden of National Identity." Hmm, I just realized that I seem to like quotations to form that first part of my title....

The Pursuit of Harmony

What a flurry of activity at work today. Big party in the loading dock (yep, you read that right) makes for an interesting day of preparation. But seriously, it was kind of interesting - and actually looked pretty damn cool. I take no credit for any of it, and I'm totally fine with that. In fact, I ducked out of my cave of an office for a bit today to work on next month's staff schedule at none other than Starbucks. Thank you for being you, Starbucks. And I got the schedule done!

Today's outfit was inspired by a little edginess that I wanted to impart, more than anything to blend in (or not, as the case may be) a bit with the clientele. And I really wanted to wear pants. My top is a beautifully cut graphic tee that is made out of recycled materials. Yay for "green" clothes! I found this particular designer, The Pursuit of Harmony, at a local boutique, and not only are their pieces reasonably priced, they're cool as hell. I haven't found anything new from them recently, however...which is a bummer to say the least.

Graphic tee - The Pursuit of Harmony (via local boutique) / brown wide-leg pants - NY&Co. / Burgundy double-wrap belt - LOFT / Caramel peep-toes - Banana Republic /
Lovely blue Furla that I want to keep

Because it's also a wee oversized, I of course belted it. The neutral colors in the tee - tans with a small splash of mustard on the side (pun intended - tee hee) - gave me carte blanche with belt colors, but I settled on this burgundy double wrap belt to keep it on this side of autumn. I also like wearing it with a yellow and purple belt (yes, the two together), but I wanted to do a little something different today. I got oodles of compliments at work, too, so I must have done something right! I actually think it's because the double belt hits me perfectly at the narrowest part of my waist, and it did all sorts of wonderful things for my curves. And, of course, you can't go wrong with a nice-fitting pair of wide-leg pants.

Mixed metal loop necklace & earrings - The Limited

Oh, and the party rocked! Too bad I was there in an official capacity - i.e., no adult beverages for me!