A Mixed Day

I've got something of a mixed day in front of me, first a quick and casual work meeting, and then just a ton of working from home and running errands. I've dressed for the more important task, which is the work meeting. When I'm done with that, there's an very good chance I'll change into jeans and a t-shirt, just to be a little more comfortable!

In honor of my mixed day, I've worn my one mixed media shirt. I'm normally not a fan of this trend, but I like how the cotton back and patterned print work on this shirt. It's incredibly flowy and amazingly comfortable. I can't help but be drawn to the pattern as well.

However, upon second though I'm not sure how nuts I am about this top and skirt paired together. The greens don't seem to go together quite as well as I thought, and it's definitely a look I might re-consider in the future. The top is from Kohls, while the skirt is from New York and Company

And just a quick reminder, well behaved women rarely make history! So act up and make a difference!

Wearing Orange as an Aggie

I've got very conflicted emotions about the color orange. I'll admit, this definitely makes me sound like a crazy. And I probably am a little crazy, but that doesn't really make a difference here. Ultimately I've never been much of a fan of the color, first because it was my little sister's favorite color, and then once I went to Texas A&M, it always reminded me of the University of Texas. (For those of you who don't follow Texas football rivalries, A&M and UT are two of the main colleges in the state, and they've been huge rivals for years, until A&M left the conference and joined the SEC.) However, upon moving to Houston, I started attending games for the Houston Dynamo, and then Dash, the professional soccer teams here in town. Their main color, of course, is orange. All of this is a long way of telling you that I've gotten a lot of use out of my one orange garment, this orange dress.

Luckily, it's much more of a deep, rich orange, rather than the burnt orange of the University of Texas. Once an Aggie, always an Aggie! I've worn this dress often to soccer games, since it's comfortable, and doesn't show sweat. The dress is a lightweight cotton, although the threaded flowers give a bit of detail to the dress.

Today I decided to wear the dress for work, by pairing it with my brown blazer. These two colors together felt very fall to me, in a way that was really appropriate. Plus the fact that the dress was sleeveless meant that I didn't die in the unseasonably warm weather we're having right now!

As you can see, I'm in a dressing room in these pictures. I'll be the first to admit, I love shopping on my lunch break. I was originally going to show you what I tried on, but since I ended up making a purchase, you'll see it soon enough as a regular outfit post!

Outfit Details: Dress is from Macy's, the blazer is from New York and Company, and the earrings are from Charming Charlie

Better Late Than Never

I am so sorry that I wasn't able to post on Friday or Monday. It's been a truly crazy couple of days for me, and I'll admit that this blog kind of fell between the cracks just a little bit. However, I'm back now, and I'm working on getting a little bit of a buffer on posts so that I don't fall behind again!

One of the reasons that I fell behind is that I've picked up a second part time job, and I'm continuing to look for a full time, permanent job. I just recently graduated from law school, so I've been interviewing and figuring out my future. On Monday I had an interview that I was really excited about, and I wore this blue top with my regular black suit (Which you've all seen before).

What I really like about this top is that it brings a little more interest to an otherwise boring interview outfit, and can also be dressed down and worn more casually. In my mind, I'm more likely to get the job if they remember me, and this blouse is definitely memorable! Here, for a more casual look I've paired it with black jeans, and a belt. I wish my belt were more of a true white, to match the polka dots a little closer, but I worked with what I have.

This blouse is certainly filled with details. It's got the tie/bow neck, then it's pleated down the front, over the button placket, and obviously there are polka dots and 3/4 sleeves. All this detail could possibly be too much, but given the classic cut and colors I think it works cohesively for a really classy blouse! The blouse is from New York and Company, about three years ago, and the jeans are from Forever 21, about three weeks ago! You can see where I tweeted about the purchase here!

More about the jeans - I found them on sale for $7.90, as an introductory price. You can find the same pair here, but only available online in gray. I am actually really impressed with these pants, they've got a decent amount of stretch, and still retain their fit. I've been looking for black jeans, and you certainly can't beat $8!

Focusing on the Details

Sorry that this post is so late in the day! It's been a hectic one today, and this almost the first time since I woke up that I've been able to sit down at a computer! I promise that tomorrow's update will be at a much more respectable time!

One of the things that I struggle with in the world of fashion and style is accessories. I'm both bad at remembering to put on jewelry, and kind of a cheapskate when it comes to the items that really complete an outfit. However, I know that as in life, attention to the details can really finish off a look, and make everything so much better. I'm challenging myself to get better at completing outfits with the appropriate accessories, and today was a slight attempt at that!

As almost every outfit post on this blog is apparently going to begin, a blazer and a dress. What can I say, the majority of my day is spent at work, and so what you see is the fashion I spend my life in. You might notice that this is the exact same blazer from yesterday, but I feel that it is so much more fun and relaxed when paired with a vibrant dress.

Speaking of a vibrant dress, I don't think you can get any more fun than a red pleated dress. This is literally one of the most comfortable items in my closet, and yet totally work appropriate. It's also great for so many other occasions, and would especially be great for a date night, given the bright red! I found this dress on mega-clearance at J.Crew this summer, when I stopped by for some retail therapy over lunch. Normally J.Crew is a little out of my price range (although I do visit J.Crew Factory almost religiously), but this time I happened to find a beautiful dress in my size, and at a remarkable price. It just goes to show that you always have to check the sales rack! Here's the same dress, currently available in red and black, although the price isn't quite as good as what I found in the store.

Speaking of the details that make an outfit, I love this necklace for almost any look, but it goes so well with this dress. This is actually an old cameo style broach of my great-grandmother, which I was able to re-purpose and put to new life! It always gives me a feeling of history to wear this piece, and I love that it's totally unique. There are so many places to find old broaches, so you should definitely give this a try!

And to finish off the look, a shiny gold bracelet! It's so hard to go wrong with anything shiny, and I really love this bracelet. What I love even more is that it totally covers my fitbit, which you've seen in so many of my other pics. I plan to have an entire post about my fitbit accessories, but until then this bracelet is perfect even just for the bit of fun it gives my wrist!

Business Professional

I've written a lot about dressing for work in the short time I've been working on this blog, and I think every single time has been a slightly more casual work look. Well, today I am going to show a slightly more formal work outfit, including a skirt suit.

That's right, I even brought out the (fake) pearls

For some reason, this suit appears to have photographed a little off-color, but it's a deep black, classic two-button suit. You can't see the skirt, but it's knee-length, which in my experience is the most professional length, modest and yet flattering.  One of my favorite things to pair with buttoned blazers is a v-neck blouse, because in my opinion the mirrored 'v' of the neckline and the blazer is incredibly appealing. I bought the suit at New York and Company about three years ago, and you can find similar options here. I also love this skirt and jacket combo. 

I paired the suit with this mint green top, which is also from New York and Company. I have purchased a lot of my work clothing from there, because not only do they have really high-quality suits, but they also tend to have buy one, get one half off sales, which has been a big help in transitioning from a student to a member of the professional class.

And to cap-off the look, a pair of cap-toed pumps, with menswear detailing. I am incredibly into heels that look like they are inspired by classic menswear fashion, and the appearance of stitching here is perfect to me. 

For a little bonus, and as a mea culpa for posting late today, I also wanted to attach this next photo, not for fashion or style, but just for fun! I attended the local Renaissance Festival, and took this at the Sherwood Forest. My flowery Ked-esque shoes were perfect for a day full of walking, fitting both the cute and comfy requirements!