Posts tagged: burgundy crossbody bag
![01.23.2012 [mon]Adjacent colors week: red/red-orange
Worn to: work, out for tacos
Tee: JCrew (outlet)Cardigan, earrings: TargetSkirt, boots, purse: Forever 21Tights: LOFTWatch: Anne Klein (gift)Coat: Worthington (via JCPenney)Scarf: gift
Thoughts:And the adjacent color experiment is off! This is actually the color pairing I’m most excited about for the week, I adore red and red-orange together. So fiery! Going into this week I have only the tops pairings somewhat decided on; I thought of a couple options for bottoms, but mostly I’m going to just pick whatever I’m in the mood for each day.
So far this is still the only way I’ve really been able to get a pencil skirt to feel like it’s my style: adding some slouch, boots, and/or rocker elements. I think if this particular skirt were longer I could do more with it, but for now I like styling it this way. I really dig the vibe of this outfit!
Behind the outfit:This cardigan and tee were an easy pairing for this challenge because they were sitting next to each other on the shelf, but I’d forgotten that the sleeves have varying lengths; the tee is long sleeved, and the cardigan is 3/4 sleeved. So I rolled the tee sleeves back and pushed everything up.
I actually had on my black skinny jeans first. But by chance I got a text message and when I went to look at my phone, I spied an old JCrew catalog and was immediately inspired to swap the jeans out for a pencil skirt. So glad I did! I tried tucking just the tee, tucking both the tee and cardigan, belting just the tee, belting over both… And ultimately I just loved the slouchy, untucked vibe so I went with that.
The rest fell into place easily from there. I decided on these slouchy boots, and then because it’s freezing out (still have some snow) I wanted to wear sweater tights; I have both charcoal and black, but liked the visual interest and softness the charcoal offered against the black skirt and boots. I wanted to keep the colors as the focus, so I chose to keep accessories minimal; I wore only earrings and a watch, choosing long dangly earrings instead of a pendant which I would normally have worn with this.
This outfit is VERY waist surrendering (clearly changes my shape from hourglass to rectangle), and is certainly not something everyone is comfortable with; the loose tee and cardigan definitely add extra width, especially considering just how fitted the skirt actually is. There are a couple of things I do to keep these types of outfits from feeling unnecessarily huge on me:
Make sure the top(s) fits well. The cardigan and tee both fit properly in the shoulders, arms, and length. This makes the waist no looser than it needs to be, so the silhouette is as slim-straight as possible.
Highlight other small parts, and show a little skin. I have a smaller bone structure so showing my wrists and collar bone help keep the look a bit daintier. Keeping a slim leg line can also help. In this case I wore lower, slouchier boots and because the skirt is shorter there’s still plenty of leg. If I were to wear taller boots (which would hide some leg) I would be sure to pick a fitted pair so the leg line is still clear.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzis00SawH1r584afo1_1280.jpg)
01.23.2012 [mon]
Adjacent colors week: red/red-orange
Worn to: work, out for tacos
Tee: JCrew (outlet)
Cardigan, earrings: Target
Skirt, boots, purse: Forever 21
Tights: LOFT
Watch: Anne Klein (gift)
Coat: Worthington (via JCPenney)
Scarf: gift
Thoughts:
And the adjacent color experiment is off! This is actually the color pairing I’m most excited about for the week, I adore red and red-orange together. So fiery! Going into this week I have only the tops pairings somewhat decided on; I thought of a couple options for bottoms, but mostly I’m going to just pick whatever I’m in the mood for each day.
So far this is still the only way I’ve really been able to get a pencil skirt to feel like it’s my style: adding some slouch, boots, and/or rocker elements. I think if this particular skirt were longer I could do more with it, but for now I like styling it this way. I really dig the vibe of this outfit!
Behind the outfit:
This cardigan and tee were an easy pairing for this challenge because they were sitting next to each other on the shelf, but I’d forgotten that the sleeves have varying lengths; the tee is long sleeved, and the cardigan is 3/4 sleeved. So I rolled the tee sleeves back and pushed everything up.
I actually had on my black skinny jeans first. But by chance I got a text message and when I went to look at my phone, I spied an old JCrew catalog and was immediately inspired to swap the jeans out for a pencil skirt. So glad I did! I tried tucking just the tee, tucking both the tee and cardigan, belting just the tee, belting over both… And ultimately I just loved the slouchy, untucked vibe so I went with that.
The rest fell into place easily from there. I decided on these slouchy boots, and then because it’s freezing out (still have some snow) I wanted to wear sweater tights; I have both charcoal and black, but liked the visual interest and softness the charcoal offered against the black skirt and boots. I wanted to keep the colors as the focus, so I chose to keep accessories minimal; I wore only earrings and a watch, choosing long dangly earrings instead of a pendant which I would normally have worn with this.
This outfit is VERY waist surrendering (clearly changes my shape from hourglass to rectangle), and is certainly not something everyone is comfortable with; the loose tee and cardigan definitely add extra width, especially considering just how fitted the skirt actually is. There are a couple of things I do to keep these types of outfits from feeling unnecessarily huge on me:
- Make sure the top(s) fits well. The cardigan and tee both fit properly in the shoulders, arms, and length. This makes the waist no looser than it needs to be, so the silhouette is as slim-straight as possible.
- Highlight other small parts, and show a little skin. I have a smaller bone structure so showing my wrists and collar bone help keep the look a bit daintier. Keeping a slim leg line can also help. In this case I wore lower, slouchier boots and because the skirt is shorter there’s still plenty of leg. If I were to wear taller boots (which would hide some leg) I would be sure to pick a fitted pair so the leg line is still clear.
![01.10.2012 [tue]
Worn to: work, Type Tuesday
Blouse, cardigan: Old NavyJeans: Empyre (via Zumiez)Booties: Matisse “Nugent” (via Zappos)Hoop earrings: GNW (via Fred Meyer)Watch: Timex (via Target)Coat: Calvin Klein (via Wilson’s Leather)Scarf: giftPurse: Forever 21
Thoughts:Angie’s fab pattern mixing blog post this morning coupled with a serious need to wear something cheerful today inspired me to mixmixmix! And I adore how it turned out, so fun! I’m not sure how crazy this is on the Scale Of Print Mix Madness (feels pretty tame to me), but either way this outfit helped cheer me up immensely. I know heavy pattern mixing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s OK with me, but I do think this neutral leopard with colorful gingham mix could be a great “starter mix” for those who are just getting into print mixing (and it doesn’t have to be in two tops, see below!). I would extract the formula as: leopard item + gingham item + neutral item (pulling from the leo print) + fun bootie.
I also got a great compliment on this outfit at the pub! While chatting with one of the typographers about business he suddenly stopped, mid sentence, and commented on how much he appreciated that I’d put the two prints next to each other. And he couldn’t even see the shoes! Totally made my day ^^
Behind the outfit:As I said above, this outfit started with Angie’s pattern mixing post. Her examples show 4 prints that are easy to mix with florals, but as I don’t wear florals I was really only looking at the first column and how they mix together since I wear all of those. I didn’t realize until later that gingham and leopard were the last two prints in that first column!
There are many ways to add print to a printed top: topper (cardigan, blazer, vest), scarf, bottoms (skirt, pants, shorts), belt, shoes. I started looking over my printed tops, and realized that what I SHOULD be starting with is the second patterned element because, for me, those options are much more limited. So I started looking over those options instead; my eyes landed on this leopard cardigan which is folded up on the shelf above where the gold gingham shirt is hanging. I caught the color and pattern combo out of the corner of my eye and just loved it, and of course then immediately wondered how I hadn’t noticed it before!
From there, the bottoms that came to mind were gray or black jeans because I wanted to echo the neutral shades in the cardigan. I tried the gray first and it was a nice soft look, but when I tried the black the strong contrast really appealed to me so I went with those; it also makes the pattern mix even stronger and bolder looking.
I considered several footwear options before trying these booties. First a couple different tall boots, then black flats. As I was reaching for the flats, the cheetah booties caught my eye (again!) and I thought they’d be worth a try with this. And they turned out super fun: with the black dots and cream tips picking up on the leopard above, the orange and yellow being adjacent colors (still on my mind), the cheetah being an extra shot of feline print (mrawr!), and they help make the mix look even more purposeful. They turned out to be my favorite detail of this outfit!
I also felt like keeping the pattern mix going with the outerwear, though I do that often: tweedy plaid (coat), houndstooth (scarf), and of course the cheetah (booties).](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzesaa2yDC1r584afo1_1280.jpg)
01.10.2012 [tue]
Worn to: work, Type Tuesday
Blouse, cardigan: Old Navy
Jeans: Empyre (via Zumiez)
Booties: Matisse “Nugent” (via Zappos)
Hoop earrings: GNW (via Fred Meyer)
Watch: Timex (via Target)
Coat: Calvin Klein (via Wilson’s Leather)
Scarf: gift
Purse: Forever 21
Thoughts:
Angie’s fab pattern mixing blog post this morning coupled with a serious need to wear something cheerful today inspired me to mixmixmix! And I adore how it turned out, so fun! I’m not sure how crazy this is on the Scale Of Print Mix Madness (feels pretty tame to me), but either way this outfit helped cheer me up immensely. I know heavy pattern mixing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s OK with me, but I do think this neutral leopard with colorful gingham mix could be a great “starter mix” for those who are just getting into print mixing (and it doesn’t have to be in two tops, see below!). I would extract the formula as: leopard item + gingham item + neutral item (pulling from the leo print) + fun bootie.
I also got a great compliment on this outfit at the pub! While chatting with one of the typographers about business he suddenly stopped, mid sentence, and commented on how much he appreciated that I’d put the two prints next to each other. And he couldn’t even see the shoes! Totally made my day ^^
Behind the outfit:
As I said above, this outfit started with Angie’s pattern mixing post. Her examples show 4 prints that are easy to mix with florals, but as I don’t wear florals I was really only looking at the first column and how they mix together since I wear all of those. I didn’t realize until later that gingham and leopard were the last two prints in that first column!
There are many ways to add print to a printed top: topper (cardigan, blazer, vest), scarf, bottoms (skirt, pants, shorts), belt, shoes. I started looking over my printed tops, and realized that what I SHOULD be starting with is the second patterned element because, for me, those options are much more limited. So I started looking over those options instead; my eyes landed on this leopard cardigan which is folded up on the shelf above where the gold gingham shirt is hanging. I caught the color and pattern combo out of the corner of my eye and just loved it, and of course then immediately wondered how I hadn’t noticed it before!
From there, the bottoms that came to mind were gray or black jeans because I wanted to echo the neutral shades in the cardigan. I tried the gray first and it was a nice soft look, but when I tried the black the strong contrast really appealed to me so I went with those; it also makes the pattern mix even stronger and bolder looking.
I considered several footwear options before trying these booties. First a couple different tall boots, then black flats. As I was reaching for the flats, the cheetah booties caught my eye (again!) and I thought they’d be worth a try with this. And they turned out super fun: with the black dots and cream tips picking up on the leopard above, the orange and yellow being adjacent colors (still on my mind), the cheetah being an extra shot of feline print (mrawr!), and they help make the mix look even more purposeful. They turned out to be my favorite detail of this outfit!
I also felt like keeping the pattern mix going with the outerwear, though I do that often: tweedy plaid (coat), houndstooth (scarf), and of course the cheetah (booties).
![01.09.2012 [mon]
Worn to: work, taco monday (met Brad and C$ there)
Blouse: Hinge (via Nordstrom)Layering tank: Splendid (via Nordstrom Rack)Belt, necklace: giftJeans: Empyre (via Zumiez)Booties, purse: Forever 21Hoop earrings: GNW (via Fred Meyer)Watch: Anne Klein (gift)Coat: Blanc Noir (via Nordstrom Rack)
Thoughts:Well, ups and downs today. I LOVED this outfit and felt fab all day, had a good day at work, was excited to go out for tacos with some friends…. Then when I got home I found that my dojo loach, Bubblemaster 5000, had died :( I got him 8 years ago when I first moved in with my husband (then boyfriend), and he’s been through quite a lot over the years. He’d had a rough past couple weeks; we’d been keeping him in isolation to heal from a serious mystery injury, and had finally put him back into the tank with the other fishies a couple days ago. My sweet husband wrapped him in the front page of newspaper with today’s date and buried him in the yard under my favorite rhododendron in the pouring, pouring rain. I was so sad I almost couldn’t get it together to go for tacos, but I managed it and am feeling a little better now. But I will miss my little fishie <3
Back to fashion, this is a new coat I bought when shopping on Saturday. I have been really pining for a colorful coat or two (or more!). I also don’t have any short heavier coats, which is sort of a necessity here. This coat fits both bills and I’m super excited to have it.
Behind the outfit:San over on YLF posted a fabulous bell bottoms outfit yesterday that I loved so much I was inspired to wear something similar today! I don’t have many soft blouses (sound familiar?) but I thought this handkerchief hemmed blouse would be fun to pair with flared jeans; LOVE how the modern blouse looks with the rest of the strongly 70s outfit.
Initially I put a black belt and shoes on but wasn’t in the mood for something quite so dark, though I still wanted to keep those neutral. I wasn’t sure if the cognac would work because I was concerned about the blue column being broken up with the contrast, but it ended up working really well because only a small bit of the belt is exposed. Plus I really love how cognac looks with both navy and denim blue!
And lastly, to play up the 70s vibe even further, I added the long pendant and of course had to leave my hair down!](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzeegsg7qw1r584afo1_1280.jpg)
01.09.2012 [mon]
Worn to: work, taco monday (met Brad and C$ there)
Blouse: Hinge (via Nordstrom)
Layering tank: Splendid (via Nordstrom Rack)
Belt, necklace: gift
Jeans: Empyre (via Zumiez)
Booties, purse: Forever 21
Hoop earrings: GNW (via Fred Meyer)
Watch: Anne Klein (gift)
Coat: Blanc Noir (via Nordstrom Rack)
Thoughts:
Well, ups and downs today. I LOVED this outfit and felt fab all day, had a good day at work, was excited to go out for tacos with some friends…. Then when I got home I found that my dojo loach, Bubblemaster 5000, had died :( I got him 8 years ago when I first moved in with my husband (then boyfriend), and he’s been through quite a lot over the years. He’d had a rough past couple weeks; we’d been keeping him in isolation to heal from a serious mystery injury, and had finally put him back into the tank with the other fishies a couple days ago. My sweet husband wrapped him in the front page of newspaper with today’s date and buried him in the yard under my favorite rhododendron in the pouring, pouring rain. I was so sad I almost couldn’t get it together to go for tacos, but I managed it and am feeling a little better now. But I will miss my little fishie <3
Back to fashion, this is a new coat I bought when shopping on Saturday. I have been really pining for a colorful coat or two (or more!). I also don’t have any short heavier coats, which is sort of a necessity here. This coat fits both bills and I’m super excited to have it.
Behind the outfit:
San over on YLF posted a fabulous bell bottoms outfit yesterday that I loved so much I was inspired to wear something similar today! I don’t have many soft blouses (sound familiar?) but I thought this handkerchief hemmed blouse would be fun to pair with flared jeans; LOVE how the modern blouse looks with the rest of the strongly 70s outfit.
Initially I put a black belt and shoes on but wasn’t in the mood for something quite so dark, though I still wanted to keep those neutral. I wasn’t sure if the cognac would work because I was concerned about the blue column being broken up with the contrast, but it ended up working really well because only a small bit of the belt is exposed. Plus I really love how cognac looks with both navy and denim blue!
And lastly, to play up the 70s vibe even further, I added the long pendant and of course had to leave my hair down!
![01.08.2012 [sun]
Worn to: out to lunch (Mukilteo Lodge)
Sweater: GAPJeans: LOFTBoots: Target “Kaiala”Pyramid studs: TargetNecklace: Urban OutfittersWatch: Anne Klein (gift)Trench: Banana Republic (via YLF swap) Purse, scarf: Forever 21
Thoughts:I took an unexpected nap while snuggling with my kitty today (he’s not usually a snuggler!), and snapped my outfit photos shortly after waking up so please pardon the sleepy eyes. My hair has continued to feel settled in, which is great! I’m feeling less inclined to shorten the layers now, though I may still do it as a transitional ‘do going into spring.
Behind the outfit:Today was pretty much a day off, only needed to get dressed to go out to lunch. I went with my sweater fall back formula, starting with the sweater and boots. The browns don’t really match (sweater is cool, boots are warm) but I like that mismatch and decided to play it up with light neutral jeans. The whole outfit is a bit earthy, still seem to be gravitating towards that for the weekend. Though it does feel just a little off my normal style; maybe a little more… Arty? Hipster? Something, either way I like it!](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzd6xzWcEM1r584afo1_1280.jpg)
01.08.2012 [sun]
Worn to: out to lunch (Mukilteo Lodge)
Sweater: GAP
Jeans: LOFT
Boots: Target “Kaiala”
Pyramid studs: Target
Necklace: Urban Outfitters
Watch: Anne Klein (gift)
Trench: Banana Republic (via YLF swap)
Purse, scarf: Forever 21
Thoughts:
I took an unexpected nap while snuggling with my kitty today (he’s not usually a snuggler!), and snapped my outfit photos shortly after waking up so please pardon the sleepy eyes. My hair has continued to feel settled in, which is great! I’m feeling less inclined to shorten the layers now, though I may still do it as a transitional ‘do going into spring.
Behind the outfit:
Today was pretty much a day off, only needed to get dressed to go out to lunch. I went with my sweater fall back formula, starting with the sweater and boots. The browns don’t really match (sweater is cool, boots are warm) but I like that mismatch and decided to play it up with light neutral jeans. The whole outfit is a bit earthy, still seem to be gravitating towards that for the weekend. Though it does feel just a little off my normal style; maybe a little more… Arty? Hipster? Something, either way I like it!
![12.30.2011 [fri]
Worn to: Shorty’s, Rev. Horton Heat/Super Suckers/Zeke show @ El Corazon
Blouse: Converse (via Target)Scarf: Upside by Tucker (via Anthropologie)Jeans: Empyre (via Zumiez)Boots: Madden Girl (via Victoria’s Secret)Boot socks: Eddie BauerHoop earrings: GNW (via Fred Meyer)Watch: Timex (via Target)Coat: Worthington (via JCPenney)Purse: Forever 21
Thoughts:Tonight me, my husband, and a few of our friends went to go see The Supersuckers and Reverend Horton Heat, both of whom I haven’t seen in YEARS! They held two shows, one country and one rock, and we went to the rock show (at my insistence). Before the show my husband and I stopped by Shorty’s for a some food and drinks. The whole night was a lot of fun!!
And a biggie (for me): I let my bangs curl! I think it worked well?
UPDATE: A couple cell phone photos from the show!Super Suckers
Rev. Horton Heat
Behind the outfit:I actually started with the scarf today (very rare!), which I picked up during the YLF meetup a couple weeks ago. Since the scarf is brown, it’s wet out, and I needed to be on my feet for a good while, I decided to wear my tall wedge boots.
Then I got stumped. After staring at my closet for a while, I got an itch to dress a little western even though we went to the “rock” show. So I swapped the wedge boots for these tan riding boots, and added the chambray shirt (I thought about gingham, but it was a little too much). I debated about whether to wear black or gray jeans, and went with the black because I figured it’d be better at hiding any potential grime picked up at the show.
After looking the whole thing over, I decided it needed another whimsical element and added the tall boot socks. Black coat to hide grime, crossbody bag for functionality, and all set to rock!](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyuovxsR6M1r584afo1_r1_1280.jpg)
12.30.2011 [fri]
Worn to: Shorty’s, Rev. Horton Heat/Super Suckers/Zeke show @ El Corazon
Blouse: Converse (via Target)
Scarf: Upside by Tucker (via Anthropologie)
Jeans: Empyre (via Zumiez)
Boots: Madden Girl (via Victoria’s Secret)
Boot socks: Eddie Bauer
Hoop earrings: GNW (via Fred Meyer)
Watch: Timex (via Target)
Coat: Worthington (via JCPenney)
Purse: Forever 21
Thoughts:
Tonight me, my husband, and a few of our friends went to go see The Supersuckers and Reverend Horton Heat, both of whom I haven’t seen in YEARS! They held two shows, one country and one rock, and we went to the rock show (at my insistence). Before the show my husband and I stopped by Shorty’s for a some food and drinks. The whole night was a lot of fun!!
And a biggie (for me): I let my bangs curl! I think it worked well?
UPDATE: A couple cell phone photos from the show!
Super Suckers
Rev. Horton Heat
Behind the outfit:
I actually started with the scarf today (very rare!), which I picked up during the YLF meetup a couple weeks ago. Since the scarf is brown, it’s wet out, and I needed to be on my feet for a good while, I decided to wear my tall wedge boots.
Then I got stumped. After staring at my closet for a while, I got an itch to dress a little western even though we went to the “rock” show. So I swapped the wedge boots for these tan riding boots, and added the chambray shirt (I thought about gingham, but it was a little too much). I debated about whether to wear black or gray jeans, and went with the black because I figured it’d be better at hiding any potential grime picked up at the show.
After looking the whole thing over, I decided it needed another whimsical element and added the tall boot socks. Black coat to hide grime, crossbody bag for functionality, and all set to rock!
![12.14.2011 [wed]
Worn to: YLF secret santa gift, post office, dinner (Diamond Knot Restaurant)
Sweater, belt: giftsJeans: Empyre (via Zumiez)Heeled oxfords, purse: Forever 21Earrings, scarf: TargetWatch: Anne Klein (gift)Coat: Weatherproof (gift)
Thoughts:There’s a fun Secret Santa gift exchange over on YLF, and I spent much of today making the gift for my draw (why yes, I did procrastinate ><). Mailed it off, and I am really hoping she likes it!!
Behind the outfit:I wanted a quick, cozy outfit for today so I decided to wear a variation of my Seattle meetup outfit. I kept the cognac footwear/belt color combo, but since it was dry out I changed the skinnies+boots to flares+heels; traded the turtleneck for a preppy cashmere sweater; and added warm accessories in gold dangly earrings and a tan plaid scarf.
I was only expecting to wear this out to the post office, but since I was dressed when my husband got home from work he suggested we go out for dinner. A good lesson in dressing nicely (and staying dressed), even if super casual, because you may do something unexpected later that day!](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyl9z8QQkm1r584afo1_1280.jpg)
12.14.2011 [wed]
Worn to: YLF secret santa gift, post office, dinner (Diamond Knot Restaurant)
Sweater, belt: gifts
Jeans: Empyre (via Zumiez)
Heeled oxfords, purse: Forever 21
Earrings, scarf: Target
Watch: Anne Klein (gift)
Coat: Weatherproof (gift)
Thoughts:
There’s a fun Secret Santa gift exchange over on YLF, and I spent much of today making the gift for my draw (why yes, I did procrastinate ><). Mailed it off, and I am really hoping she likes it!!
Behind the outfit:
I wanted a quick, cozy outfit for today so I decided to wear a variation of my Seattle meetup outfit. I kept the cognac footwear/belt color combo, but since it was dry out I changed the skinnies+boots to flares+heels; traded the turtleneck for a preppy cashmere sweater; and added warm accessories in gold dangly earrings and a tan plaid scarf.
I was only expecting to wear this out to the post office, but since I was dressed when my husband got home from work he suggested we go out for dinner. A good lesson in dressing nicely (and staying dressed), even if super casual, because you may do something unexpected later that day!
![12.13.2011 [tue]
Worn to: bead shop, work
[[MORE]] Sleeveless turtleneck: Victoria’s secretJacket: ZaraJeans: Empyre (via Zumiez)Heels: Kohl’sHoop earrings: GNW (via Fred Meyer)Watch: Timex (via Target)Coat: Calvin Klein (via Wilson’s Leather)Scarf: Urban OutfittersPurse: Forever 21
Behind the outfit:Still trying to get back into wearing my jackets, and this jacket also has only been worn once since I got it (what a shame, eh?). Part of the problem is feeling like I’m lacking in pretty tops to wear under them, but you know, I think I’ve just forgotten that sometimes a plain top is perfect for showing off a great topper. So today I thought I’d pair this rarely-worn (it’s really fitted) black sleeveless turtleneck to let the jacket shine. Since the top half, the part I want to highlight, is so dark I decided to keep the rest of the outfit (jeans, shoes) mid-toned neutral as well as put my hair up. I went with these baggy flared jeans because I felt like having some volume on my bottom half (plus it gives lean, long proportions), these houndstooth heels to add a little bit of print, and the bare minimum jewelry (hoops, wedding ring, watch). Sometimes simplicity goes a long way; I love this type of strong, clean look!](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyl8wphHIz1r584afo1_1280.jpg)
![12.11.2011 [sun]
Worn to: tree farm to pick an xmas tree
[[MORE]] Blouse: Old Navy (via Plato’s Closet)Jeans: GAP “Real Straight”Boots: Madden Girl (via Victoria’s Secret)Hoop earrings: GNW (via Fred Meyer)Charm necklace: gift from parentsRain coat: Miss Sixty (via Nordstrom Rack)Scarf: JCrew (outlet)Purse: Forever 21
Thoughts:The last several years my husband and I have been going to a u-cut farm up in Arlington to get our xmas trees, and spending the day wandering around a mini forest is a lot of fun! This year all the trees were trimmed narrow and straight (guess that’s what’s trendy in Christmas trees this year; a friend of mine saw this in stores when looking for a plastic tree as well!). It was ridiculously hard to find a good fat, dense tree. We spend a good few hours and walked through, like, the whole farm (it’s not small, let me tell you) before finally finding our tree. Can’t wait to decorate, I love putting on lights and ornaments!
Behind the outfit:Today’s forecast was “wet and cold”, so I needed waterproof footwear and outerwear. These boots are synthetic and are my go-to boots when it’s really wet, but they don’t really have any traction and aren’t quite good enough as a proper rain boot/mud boot (that’s a hole I need to fill for sure). I decided to wear my straight leg jeans for a really relaxed vibe, and then the gingham just felt like it fit. A little bit country, a little bit preppy.
I also rarely wear my raincoat (must be the Cascadian in me), though it is nice and cheerful. It was certainly too cold not to have a scarf, so I picked this dotty brown one to add a little whimsy. Crossbody was practical for the purse, though I ended up leaving it in the car. And in case you’re wondering about the bright purple gloves in the fourth photo, those are my gardening gloves ^^](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyjjn4qnfv1r584afo1_r1_1280.jpg)
![11.17.2011 [thu]
Worn to: work
[[MORE]] Jacket: Willow & Clay (via Nordstrom)Blouse: Calvin Klein (outlet)Jeans: TargetBoots: Steve Madden “Sheldun” via ZapposHoop earrings: GNW (via Fred Meyer)Necklaces: gift, TargetScarf, purse: Forever 21Coat: Calvin Klein (via Wilson’s Leather)
Thoughts: I picked up this great riding jacket a couple weeks ago during the Nordstrom’s Half Yearly Sale, though not on sale (how fun are the elbow patches??). I’d had my eye on it for a few months and was so excited to see it there! It hasn’t been worn yet because I’ve been waiting to see if any in the size up came into stock, but no dice; this size is quite snug so I won’t be able to layer anything but my thinnest tops underneath which is OK.
I was also debating a couple other issues. For one the jacket has Serious Shoulder Pads. I wasn’t too sure of them at first since my shoulders are wider than my hips, but the peplum-ish hemline balances it out enough; also, I think the strong shoulder line really adds to the integrity of the riding style. And second, I thought the jacket was a muted olive from the online photos but it’s more of a mossy green. Not one of the colors in my core palette, but it is an Autumnal tone I can wear. Sometimes having an unexpected color is fun!
Behind the outfit:Lately I’ve really been into mixing warm and cool colors in outfits. Since this jacket is rather warm-toned, I thought I’d leave it as the only warm element and pair with icy shades. For the jacket’s debut I wanted to play up the classic vibe so I decided to wear my classic white button-up shirt, but didn’t want the whole look to be equestrian so I went a bit more rock with the bottom half and the accessories. I really like how this mix of styles turned out!
I wanted to keep the grays going so I wore my gray coat, and initially I had blue outerwear accessories but on a whim thought the burgundy and rust would look nice with the gray. I think it plays nicely with the warm-cool mix I’ve been into, and what I’m now dubbing “Icy Autumn” :)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx0gfoZAyI1r584afo1_1280.jpg)
![11.14.2011 [mon]
Worn to: lunch with Brad and Joe at Scuttlebutt, Dave’s birthday dinner with David’s folks at Arnies in Mukilteo
[[MORE]] Tee: Calvin Klein (outlet)Cardigan, necklace: TargetDenim jacket: GAP (thrifted)Culottes: BCBG Max Azria (via Plato’s Closet)Tights: Nine WestBoots: Vaneli (via Macy’s)Hoop earrings: GNW (via Fred Meyer)Watch: Timex (via Target)Purse: Forever 21
Thoughts: I took the day off to get chores and cleaning done since we were out of town this weekend, and was musing on what to wear in the evening to my husband’s step-dad’s birthday dinner when I got a call from friends asking if I wanted to go to lunch with them. I put this together (very quickly) for lunch, but then decided it was also good for the dinner. I think it’s kind of fun that it’s dressy on bottom and more casual on top; it was casual enough for lunch, and dressy enough for dinner.
Behind the outfit:I didn’t have a lot of time (10-15 minutes at most) so you’d think I’d use one of my fall-back formulas, or at least something simpler. But for some reason I really felt like wearing these culottes today, I have only worn them once or twice. Those times I paired with my brown slouchy buckle boots, so today I thought I’d pair with my sleekest boots (which are still slouchy, heh). That made the bottom half too dressy for a casual lunch at a brewery, so I decided to add a tee and denim jacket to dress it all down. I knew I would be taking the jacket off to eat (the denim is a bit too thick to be comfortable while eating), so I added the cardigan; the cardigan is quite a bit longer than the jacket, but I rather like it. I’m really pleased with how it turned out, though it was certainly too cold without a heavier coat.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lw48ecj0921r584afo1_1280.jpg)
11.14.2011 [mon]
Worn to: lunch with Brad and Joe at Scuttlebutt, Dave’s birthday dinner with David’s folks at Arnies in Mukilteo
