I'm feeling more like doing posts categorically, rather than chronologically, so let's look at some outfits with mid-calf and ankle boots, rather than knee-high boots.
February 19:
This was the debut of these boots, which I bought because I really liked them, knowing that some people probably would actively DISlike them. I suspected that some would find them too "man-ish" for a female to wear, but maybe I was wrong to think that since everyone seemed to really like them. The sweater is burgundy and navy stripes, and I had a burgundy lace-trimmed camisole underneath. The socks sticking out above the boots are also navy. I probably should have worn a necklace (but a shorter one, since there's no "block" to break up here), but I like the overall look here.
February 23:
Same boots, different outfit. This was a weekend outfit (hence the jeans with no "blue and gold"), out to lunch I think. I think it would have been better if the cardigan were a slightly darker brown color instead of this lighter tan, but I like the floral top as a feminine touch to offset the "tough" look of the boots.
February 25:
And here we have completely different boots with a completely different look. These ankle boots have appeared numerous times on the blog already, but it's worth repeating how much I adore them. Despite the height of them they are very comfortable and I can wear them all day at school and still walk easily. I liked the simplicity of this outfit, with the flowered belt as the "star" of it and a "supporting cast" of a well-cut dress and patterned tights. Lastly, keeping it classy with a pearl necklace, bracelets, and earrings.
April 16:
This is fairly straightforward - white collared blouse, red cardigan, black skirt, black tights, and black ankle boots. It's a very classic look, and it always works well.
May 22:
Same black tights repeated here, but this time with my umbrella dress. I ADORE cute printed dresses - I don't mean floral dresses, which are also cute (I have many), but I mean dresses printed with kind of quirky and fun objects, animals, etc. Check out some I've come across recently:
Some of you asked me to explain why I kept talking about my "failures" to wear long necklaces with certain outfits in the last post. So let's talk about what long necklaces bring to the fashion table, shall we?
February 17:
We see here a very simple - verging on plain - outfit. There's nothing wrong with simple, of course, and there are a few things that are making this outfit simple rather than plain (which is really something to avoid). First, we have a rich color in the shirt, which warms the look up against the cold black. Next, we have an interesting layer effect with the long sleeve shirt under the short sleeve cardigan. And finally, we have the long gold owl necklace.
What the necklace is doing for the outfit is breaking up the huge BLOCK in the top half. When I use the word "block" in this context, I mean that it is a large area of body/outfit that has nothing whatever that is visually engaging. Ways to avoid a plain BLOCK include:
- The pattern of a piece of clothing.
- Layering clothes of various colors, cuts, and/or patterns.
- An embellishment in the design of a piece of clothing.
- Accessories like brooches, necklaces, scarves, etc.
In the case of necklaces, only a long necklace will actually visually break the block - anything shorter, staying close to the neck, isn't going to do much good. So THAT is why I say sometimes that an outfit really needed a long necklace.
Let's look at some other blocks that were broken up by necklaces...
February 22:
This breaks up the block of the white sweater both with the yellow blouse at the neckline and with the statement necklace. (And the combo of the yellow blouse + blue necklace was great for a blue&gold day!)
March 12:
The denim jacket also helps break it up, simply by adding a new color and texture, but the necklace does great for when I'm not wearing the jacket.
March 13:
And then we have another example of where I should have been wearing a necklace. Sigh. I'm still working on it. (Other than the "block" of navy, I really liked this outfit. I liked the shoes with it especially.)
So there you go - more than you ever needed to know about long necklaces! Here some of my favorites I've found recently:
1. New York and Company
2. Target
3. New York and Company
4. Target
Let's just get the skinnies and boots done, yeah?
February 21:
I really like this shirt, which is a little variation on the classic button-down blouse. The buttons are closer together and there's a little bit of shirring (that's a fancy fashion word for "gathered material"). The print is understated, but more interesting than a plain color (or white) would be.
February 26:
This is another variation on the chambray trend I talked about back in November (and I'm being generous with my usage of the word "variation"). Classic and beloved.
February 27:
This only makes me unhappy because it feels too similar to the February 8 outfit, and that's really close timing to repeat basically the exact same formula AND coloring.
February 28:
This shirt was a Goodwill find, and unfortunately, I think it kind of looks like it. Mostly, though, I like that it's sort of "cheesy rodeo quirky," so I roll with it. Also, it's comfy.
March 6:
And this one's very similar to the February 21 outfit up above. For all my "I never repeat outfits" claims, I do come pretty close on many occasions. Differences here include the scarf, the boot socks, and the bright green necklace. I think they're all good additions to the outfit.
March 7:
Who's been reading long enough to recognize EXACTLY what is missing here? A long necklace, yes.
March 18:
This top was another hand-me-down from Mrs. Toth, and I love it. It's comfy and the color is unusual. This outfit overall is very simple, but it works, which I think is an argument in favor of simplicity.
March 20:
The outfit overall works fine here - I especially like the pink in the argyle pattern of the sweater with the burgundy of the skinnies - but I think black boots was the wrong choice. I'm just not convinced I had a better choice on-hand, since my tan boots also wouldn't have worked. Gray boots maybe? Not sure.
[Note: After this point, pictures become annoying selfies taken with my phone in my bedroom mirror. Since I took my fancy camera to Malawi with me, I got rid of the tripod set-up where I had been taking the pics. Then my apartment was such a mess from never fully unpacking and cleaning up after returning (school was CRAZY) that I couldn't really set it all back up. So... yeah. They're bad pictures, but fortunately good enough. This coming year we'll return to the timed shots from the tripod.]
April 15:
If I weren't wearing the scarf, I needed a long necklace; with the scarf, I don't. I really liked this top, which was a sale item from Gap (I think). It's a nice mint color with subtle white stripes. I paired it with plain black skinnies and my tan boots.
May 23:
IT NEEDS A LONG NECKLACE. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?
Okay, thus ends the saga of "Skinnies and Boots: 2013-2014." Don't worry, there will be more next year - I mean, I do love the look for a reason. But for a while, we can be on a break. A much-needed break.
Not falling down on the job yet, folks! Let's look at some February outfits, shall we?
February 4:
This is the most basic and straightforward way to "winterize" a summer dress: Add a long-sleeved shirt and leggings underneath it, and pair it all with boots. This dress is a particularly good one for adapting to winter because the colors are a bit darker/richer, with the deep blue and black trim. (Dresses with particularly bright, "sunny" colors are harder to wear in the winter, even paired with longer clothes underneath.) Overall, I enjoyed this look.
February 5:
This outfit, on the other hand, was a bit of a failure. It has some good elements, mostly in the colors, but it also has some problems. First, the white tee under the sweater has the wrong neckline; the sweater neckline really should be the uppermost line, because it's already somewhat high, and it has an interesting line to it anyway. If I were going to wear something underneath, it should have been a deeper V-neck to hide beneath the sweater.
Second, where is the necklace? Three really should be a long necklace here (or even two or three giving multiple strands) to visually add to the block color of the sweater. Without some kind of line to break it up, that color is a bit overwhelming, even though it is a nice burnt orange.
Lastly, the whole appearance is a bit trashed by the super-casual sneakers. Some nice brown boots would have been a much better choice, given that I'm a teacher, not a student, and am therefore supposed to look a bit more professional.
Sad, but true - this outfit just did NOT work.
February 6:
Okay, I know, I look like a waiter. Still, though, I kind of liked this look. It was... weird, funky, not "usual," and sometimes that is fun. It's definitely the kind of thing I can understand others disliking, but I don't really dress for them, so too bad!
February 8:
I like this one, but I wouldn't say I love it. It's just... skinnies and boots, like usual. When I see outfits like this, I think, "Why do I have a fashion blog? I wear the same thing all the time, just in slightly different versions..."
Why do I have this blog? What do you think?
