Patented

I'm rather at a loss for words today. Yesterday's Superbowl loss hit us so hard that we went right from the end of the game to the mostly uninspiring next episode of Downton Abbey. All around fandom misery. In short, I need some cheerfulness soon. I guess the fact that I have today off should give me some, eh? I've got errands to run, Starbucks to drink and a new dresser to pick out!

Top - Banana Republic / Skirt - Simply Be / Heels - Payless

This pretty pairing of my cherry blossom Banana Republic steal and navy pinstripe pencil skirt, worn for a busy night of work over the weekend, does cheer me up a bit. And the fact that it was warm enough to take pictures outside just as the sun began to set... I thought I'd turn up the accessory volume a bit and add a super-skinny light grey patent belt for extra color and more definition. There are so many pretty purples, pinks, blues and greys to pull out of the top that I thought a blue pinstripe would be a perfect way to mix a little pattern. A good pencil-skirtification (yep, I just made up that word) for its second wearing. I'm thinking grey tweed for next time...

Ring - H&M / Belt - Kohl's (gifted) / Necklace - LOFT / Earrings - The Limited

I am wary about this springlike weather, though. The fact that we've barely seen day under 40 degrees, let alone a proper snowfall, can only mean Mother Nature is going to beat us up in some other way down the line.

Handbag - Furla (via Filene's Basement)

Snoody

My green dandelion snood (a.k.a. infinity scarf) makes another appearance. Granted, the outfit is comprised of the same color palette as the scarf's first wearing (er, last week), but that's what I love most about it.

Blazer - LOFT / Striped top - Dorothy Perkins / Skinny black pants - Lane Bryant /
Heels - Nine West "Hollyce"

I do think it's an all-around better ensemble, though. The pattern mixing with the striped top is something I had always envisioned to do with the scarf, and there's there's something delightfully Audrey Hepburn-y about the skinny black pant. The blazer was actually a last-minute addition. I was fully intending to walk out of the house with just top, scarf, pants and pumps, but a final mirror check urged me to add another layer and color. My trusty camel corduroy blazer topped off the outfit (literally) perfectly.

Dandelion print snood - Dorothy Perkins / Ring & earrings - The Limited

It's also my last outfit featuring this fantastic snakeskin Furla handbag. I really wanted to just buy the thing, but given that we just bought a new HDTV to properly watch the Superbowl (finally! a big kid TV! and a much better piece of furniture, really...) and are in the market for new bedroom furniture, methinks it's not a good idea. My one consolation is that I just bought these beautiful snakeskin heels, which make a nice substitute at a much lower price point. Imma wear them this weekend, in fact.

Handbag - Furla (via BBOS)

You might have also noticed my new haircut! Well, it's my usual haircut (though a bit shorter than I would have liked), but the highlights - which feature a lot more red than usual - are pretty much amazing.

Full Sun

Mid-day full sun and 57 degrees called for a happy printed tee, denim pencil skirt and bare knees. I obliged.

Trench Girl Boatneck Tee - LOFT / Denim pencil skirt - Lane Bryant /
Boots - Coconuts via DSW (gifted)  / Handbag - Tano

This adorable printed tee from LOFT is what spurred my recent LOFT purchase. I had to have it! To be honest, I'm not sure how else I'd want to wear it other than with a pencil skirt (jeans and a blazer, maybe? yoga pants, too, of course...) but for its first wearing - j'adore. In an attempt to accessorize a little more, I added an equally sunny belt to bring out more of the color on the tee.

You know what I just realized, though? The reason I probably fell in love with the tee in the first place is because I just want to dress like the girl on it... (Isn't there a psychological term for that?) Can't very well dress like said girl when I'm wearing a screen tee, though, eh?

Ring - Kohl's (gifted) / Earrings - LOFT / Skinny belt - The Limited

Mellow Yellow

I told you I'd wear this Anthropologie super-score of a blazer again soon, and this time - as promised - it's an almost exact dupe of the catalog image. Cuz I love it.

Tartan Boucle Blazer - Anthropologie / Thermal tee - Anthropologie / Flare denim - Lane Bryant

That fabulous yellow handbag - the perfect pop of color against all the oranges, reds, greys and blues of the plaid - was an obvious missing piece of the puzzle, and much to my chagrin, I do not (yet) own one. Neither yellow camisole nor yellow necklace provided the right balance, either. But wait! An unseasonable 50 degree day not only let me take pictures back outside, but made sporting these fantastically uncomfortable yellow lizard-embossed open toes possible! Thank goodness my NYE pedicure was still intact... I think I love the look even more than with the handbag!

Yellow peep-toes - Nine West

Who am I kidding. I still want a yellow handbag.

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

Dots and Stripes Forever

There's a lot going on here, I know. Stripes, dots and animal print! Black and brown! I had two conflicting thoughts about this outfit: Obey Chanel's maxim to take off the last thing you put on (which would have been the belt), or challenge myself to step outside my comfort zone and just work it. I'm not totally convinced that it's not too much, but I'm proud of myself for sticking with it. I gotta say, though, I do quite like the mix of browns and blacks.

Striped top - Dorothy Perkins / Black ponte pencil skirt - Lane Bryant /
Scarf - Dorothy Perkins / Belt - Old Navy / Boots - Coconuts via DSW (gifted)

It all comes down to the fact that I really, really wanted to wear this scarf. Another Dorothy Perkins snood (just a Britishism for infinity scarf, methinks), the butterscotch brown and black dots make it somewhat hard to wear - I almost wish the dots were navy. But that's why I embraced the combination of colors in the scarf and mixed all those prints in the same color family. I like how the browns are on are the lighter side - more caramel than chocolate - which makes for a better contrast with black.

Handbag - Tano "Minilisa"

Mmm, now I want caramels...

Ring - The Limited / Earrings - LOFT

I always love how turquoise looks with brown, so it was an obvious choice for a little extra color against all these dark neutrals. Shoot, I kinda wish I had a turquoise belt now! It's always something, isn't it...

Dandy Lion

So what if I wore this same color palette nearly all last week? I guess I've been on a taupe-black-green bender. And I still might threaten to wear more leopard and teal this week, too. In fact, I think you can count on it...

Black cardigan - LOFT / Taupe pencil skirt - NY&Co. / Cami - Anthropologie /
Bag - Coach (gifted) / Heels - Nine West

Color palette aside, I'm not in love with the outfit. A bit of boredom, a bit of poor fit. Well, you can't win 'em all. I do love the scarf, though. Truth be told, the entire outfit was built around it, inspired by my last wishlist set of unexpectedly complementary taupes, greens and blacks. I have a few more ideas up my sleeve ('round my neck?), but I think this post has successfully convinced me that it's time to loose 15 pounds for a new taupe pencil skirt.

Dandelion print snood - Dorothy Perkins / Ring - Ruche / Earrings - The Limited

Into the Wild

This animal print pencil skirt is everything. Unbeknownst to me, it was my other sartorial holy grail. I continue to search for that perfect red pencil, but this amazing find from across the pond (the currently mind-blowing Dorothy Perkins) will most certainly hold me over until then.

Cardigan - LOFT / Camisole - Banana Republic / Pencil skirt - Dorothy Perkins /
Handbag - Steve Madden / Red patent pumps - Kelsi Dagger "Linzy" (eBayed)

I've really been drawn to the combination of leopard and teal lately, so I immediately knew I'd put these pieces together as soon as I had the skirt in my possession. In fact, I'm plotting to wear all possible permutations of such pieces in my closet, which should be easy since I don't have too much. Teals: this cardigan and my new Eloquii pencil skirt. Leopard print: this skirt, thrifted twist top, Banana Republic cardigan, skinny belt. Would I bore/exhaust you if I did all this, like, next week? ; )

And what goes better with teal and leopard better than fierce red patent? The same fabulous style from yesterday (I couldn't help myself and purchased them in two colors, as per usual), these platforms still don't really fly on an event night at work, though. Comfort is not really the issue, thanks to all that platform; rather, I blame the fit. Both pairs stretched out too much with my first wearing and made me walk like a little girl in her mother's shoes. What I really need is a size 10 1/2, but alas they just don't come in that size. So I'm hoping a second insert will help with that a bit. (That's right, one was not enough.) I would be devastated if I couldn't wear them very often, even if I do have to forgo them on event nights! I guess this means I'm still looking for the perfect red pump now, too...

Ring - Ruche / Necklace - Urban Outfitters / Earrings - Maurices

Shopping Math

You know when there's one item you like at on online store but a) you're not sure of your size, b) you have to spend x dollars to get free shipping (and you refuse to pay for shipping) and c) everything is 40%? This means you have to spend y dollars before discount to get to x dollars for free shipping. And all you wanted was that one item. So you browse online for a bit and find 20 other items you kinda want (and certainly don't need), finally whittled down to a handful of items to get as close to y as possible. This includes getting two sizes of the initial item to make sure you get the size that works best, with the intention to return the sizes that don't, of course. (Bonus: you'll end up spending less than x in the end, while still getting free shipping! Woot!) Yeah, that's how this sweater happened.

Cardigan - LOFT / Tank - Anthropologie / Pencil skirt - Eloquii / Belt - LOFT /
Handbag - Furla (via Filene's Basement ) / Platform pumps - Kelsi Dagger "Linzy" (via Piperlime)

I mainly wanted this adorable printed tee from the LOFT (and this one too), but then I found this dreamy cardigan whilst browsing. I loves me some LOFT cardigans. I'm 99.2% positive that all cardigans in my closet are from the LOFT. (Er, actually a few are from Banana Republic, so nevermind.) I secretly hoped I wouldn't love it so I could return it, but it was the perfect blue polka-dotted delight with cute little bronze buttons... Oh well, my cardigans needed an update anyway.

Thus it should come as no surprise that I paired it with a pencil skirt for its first outing. And not just any pencil skirt, but my other recently acquired Eloquii pencil skirt that I now also adore. I wanted to belt it with a grey lizard skinny belt, but I couldn't find it anywhere, so regular ol' white it was. Avoiding matchy-matchiness further with shoe choice, I opted for these amazing mushroom patent platforms...even though they are completely impractical in my workplace. Birthday dinner, yes. Sitting at my desk, yes. Speed walking from one end of the lobby to the other, no. This makes me quite sad. Why can't I indulge in 5" platforms like everyone else?!?

I guess that's what this blog is for. =)

Ring - Banana Republic / Necklace - Lia Sophia (bridesmaid's gift) / Earrings - Kohl's (anniversary gift)

New Territory

I bring you my first Eloquii purchase!

I kind of ignored their initial launch last fall. Though I loved their concept, I didn't care for anything they offered at the time, thinking it a rather boring and meager plus-sized selection of items from its older sister, The Limited. But after continued buzz over the past few months, I decided to give them another look. I was very pleased to see a much larger selection of items this time around, especially fabulous dresses and - wait for it - pencil skirts!

Cardigan - LOFT / Lace top - LOFT / Pencil skirt - Eloquii / Heels - Nine West

I am always, endlessly, often fruitlessly searching for well-made, great-fitting, just-below-knee-length pencil skirts. Basic colors are my bare minimum, but fun, bright ones - especially the perfect red - have become a personal holy grail. Now, I know Talbots technically fits that entire bill and then some, but I cannot justify shelling out $100+ per skirt, especially when I tend to buy in multiples when I find things that really work. So when I happened upon the selection of pencil skirts at Eloquii, I was thrilled! Teal! Purple! Basic browns, blacks and blues! And $60 with 40% off (at the time)!! Free shipping both ways (no risk to find the perfect fit)! YES TO ALL! Well, at least to teal and brown. For now, anyway.

Handbag - Furla Carmen Shopper Grande Handbag (via BBOS)

And it's a great skirt. The fit is generous, the length is ideal, and the color is saturated. It's lined and it even has a wide waistband that makes tucking in shirts perfection. I went with my usual size on bottom, 16, and while it fits a little bigger than a 16 at Lane Bryant or Talbots, I find that my post-holiday body prefers it that way. The only blip is a little extra room at the top hip, but it's not too noticeable and it fits well everywhere else. As you can see from the pictures, the skirt lays beautifully, and it is wonderfully comfortable.

What I'm most exited about is how this skirt has opened up all kinds of new outfit opportunities, breathing new life into one-hit-wonder tops. Ah, the combinations are endless!! I've always been a basic-colored-bottom kind of girl (if you haven't noticed), so this is really new territory for me. And I love it!

Ring, earrings and necklace - Banana Republic

Tropical Dreams

This outfit is one I've actually been plotting for a while, but other recent favorites took precedence even when I did have the opportunity to dress up a bit. Goodness, it feels so good to break out the pencil skirts, though!

Happy tropical print (my second serendipitous H&M find, incidentally) with even happier blue pinstripe pencil skirt makes for some delightfully easy pattern mixing. It turned out to be a great color palette for winter, too, while hinting at warmer days - which might be tomorrow, for all I know. Snow (finally) one day, thunderstorms the next...this "winter" is weird...

Top - H&M / Blue pinstripe pencil skirt - Simply Be / Nude pumps - Nine West / Clutch - ASOS (gifted)

Necklace - LOFT / Earrings - Ruche / Ring - Ruche