Look! Color!

After two outfits in a row of nothing but neutrals, it was time for at least a little bit of color.

If you're tempted to make the "black and white and red all over" joke, you're not alone, because I thought it too. The red floral pattern in the shirt combined with the red sandals made this outfit much better than just another "black and white" pairing would have been.

I got this dress from the same boutique where I purchased the navy patterned wrap dress and the green maxi dress from last week. It is a super soft fabric blend, and a rich eggplant-y color that doesn't come across quite as well in photos as in person. It has a nice definition at the waist, and an awesome (but modest) cut-out at the top of the back. I paired it with pearls and nude heels to continue what I felt was a very classy look.

On an unrelated note, what was up with my hair? Jeepers.

And finally, Maxi Dress Friday #2. This is a simple black maxi dress I've worn numerous times, but this time, I layered a burgundy vest over it. I wasn't sure how it would go, but I was pretty happy with the overall effect. The choker I'm wearing is a purchase from Europe this summer, and it is amazing: the "beads" have magnets, so when you unwrap it, it's just one long strand, and you can wrap it as big or small as you want. It's a bracelet, a choker, and a long necklace all in one!

Before we go, here's a couple more "casual" outfits from the summer, for those of you who wanted more of those:

I love bird prints.

I love hats.

Sartorial Panache

Everything I wear, I wear with sartorial panache. I know no other way.

 

Actually, I'm not sure my Monday/Tuesday outfits have all that much panache. They're fine, but a little plain. I love this dress - cut and pattern - but admittedly there isn't much happening in this outfit other than the cute dress. When I was getting dressed in the morning, I knew some kind of pumps would be the better choice for shoes, but it has been just way too hot lately, so I felt like I needed sandals.

Still way too hot, so still wearing sandals. This was another very simple outfit, and looking at these two outfits next to each other, I wish I'd worn some color in here somewhere. The skirt is a Mrs. Toth hand-me-down (thanks, Mrs. Toth!), and the shirt is pretty much the softest black tee you can imagine. The whole thing was, as I said, simple, but I liked it.

So, what do you think? Do I have sartorial panache or not?

First-Week Finish

Well, I survived the first week, y'all. But not only did I survive, I'd say I thrived! It has been a great year so far, and I have high hopes that it will remain a great year throughout. Positivity, FTW!

Let's look at my outfits for Thursday and Friday:

After three days of very professional looking outfits, it was time to dress down just a little bit. There is certainly nothing unprofessional here - and, in fact, I wore this to speak to parents at the New Parent Orientation Thursday night. But the general look here is a little less structured and formal than the earlier skirt/dress outfits. I love these new shoes, purchased about a month ago from Zappos (on sale now!), both in appearance and in comfortability. (Note: I just made that word up.) I liked the whole effect here in this outfit.

And then we had our first Maxi Dress Friday! This is a new maxi dress I bought from the same boutique as Wednesday's wrap dress, and it is incredibly soft and comfortable. I love the rich teal-y color, and the small details at the waistline. The low v-neck necessitates a camisole, not just for the dress code, but for general modesty; plus adding a second color with the white camisole breaks up the block a bit.

So, readers: How did I do on week one? If this week's outfits were my first assignment of the year, what grade did I get?

(P.S. The first two pics were taken with an additional lamp; is it better or worse than the single lamp in the other pictures?)

What I've Been Wearing

High on the list of "Things I Always Forget Until The New School Year Starts" is how very exhausting it is. I have been like a zombie by the end of each day so far. Yikes!

That said, I am really enjoying all my students, so hooray!

What have I been wearing, though?! That's what this blog is all about! Let's look first at what I wore on Monday, which was the all important Picture Day, as well as New Student Orientation, at which I was asked to speak briefly. Because of that, I wanted to make sure I looked very professional:

Whoever recommended the green shirt, thanks for the thought! I opted to wear it on this day so that it would bring out the green in my eyes and the red highlights in my hair for my yearbook picture. I opted for a patterned skirt instead of solid to avoid having a solid-heavy look. I liked the overall effect, and was happy with this outfit. So now, on to...

THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL:

So, this is a plug for experimenting with your clothes. It occurred to me on a whim to try putting a button-down shirt under my red dress. In some ways, yes, having a strict dress code can be hard.

...

I know, you're like, "WHAT? Did a TEACHER just admit the DRESS CODE is a CHALLENGE?!" Yes, I did. 

I get it - the dress code can be annoying sometimes. There are a lot of things I'd like to wear that I'm not allowed to, and that can be frustrating. But I understand most of the rules, and why we have them, and the ones I disagree with, I follow because I am obedient to those in authority over me.

But every once in a while, a challenging dress code can be almost inspiring. "Necessity is the mother of invention," or so says a centuries-old proverb, and in this case, it's true. I had to find a way to make this sleeveless dress TKA-appropriate, and I think I came up with something that looked really good. I liked the owl necklace with it, though in retrospect, I think different shoes would have worked better - probably a pair of black mid-height pumps.

Day 2:

This patterned wrap dress was an easy, comfortable choice for the second day of school. In case it doesn't come across well, it is navy and a taupe-color, and I paired it with nude flats. The pattern, as well as the pull of the bow on the side, is all very figure-flattering, which of course I like, but I think my favorite part was how comfy it was to wear. The bracelet was a Europe purchase this summer, and it was almost the exact same color as the taupe in the dress, which worked great.

SO... what do you think? Did I do well?

Some Pics and a Poll

Let's look at some non-work clothes, okay? (Like you have a choice.)

March 2:

This is actually an outfit I wore to Mrs. Toth's baby shower, but I could have worn it to work I guess. I liked the light colors for a spring party, especially the green for a "new life" kind of feel.

May 11:

And this I wore to the now-Mrs. Joslyn's bridal shower. When I arrived, I discovered that Mrs. Toth and I somewhat matched:

When we're both wearing navy polka dots, you KNOW it's totally fashionable. (Disclaimer: Actually, we're not that fashionable. And we're really weird. And nerdy.)

May 27:

 

This I wore to the review session with my English 11 Honors students on Memorial Day. Technically, not a work outfit, because it was just an optional review day, but it probably could have worked. The top is one of my Target Maternity purchases. I hope no pregnant women get mad at me for shopping in their section...

May 31:

This is what I wore to the staff meeting we had the day after finals ended. That day is always a bit more casual than other work days, but I still like making sure I look nice. The collared shirt, cuffed pants, bright necklace, and closed flats are all pieces that contribute to a professional look, but with a sleeveless top and denim it's a bit more casual.

Also, DANG. That mirror was STREAKY.

June 4:

I assume I was going in to finish up some school work on this day, but it wasn't actually a "work" day, so again, I'm pretty casual.

Okay, that's enough for now - let's take some polls:

Do you want me to finish last year's work clothes or move on to this year's without finishing last year's?
A) Finish last year's!
B) Just move on.
C) Who cares?

Do you want me to write about the remaining casual outfits I wore during the summer?
A) Yes, I want to see more casual outfits!
B) Nah, just get to this year's work clothes.
C) Who cares?

Do you want me to do any more retrospectives (i.e. looking at outfits from 2008-2012)?
A) Yes, retrospectives are fun!
B) No, you've come too far to look back.
C) Who cares?

[Note: If you answered (C) to any of the above, why are you reading this?]

First Days of School

Let's take a walk down memory lane and examine my "First Day of School" outfits through the years:

 2008

2009

2010

 2011

 2012

So, a couple things immediately stand out. First, I have always worn a dress or skirt on the first day of school. Second, other than 2012, I've always stuck to neutral colors (browns, grays, black and white, etc.). Third, I've always worn heels of some kind, but only once were they heeled boots.

If I had to rank them in order of which I like best, I would probably say I like 2012 the most, 2008 the least, and exactly in order in between - basically, the more recent, the more I like it. And really, that's the way it should be, right? Getting better through the years?

So the question, of course, is what I should wear this year. I turn to you, loyal readers, to give me your thoughts. What elements do you see in these outfits that you like (and therefore think I should aim to repeat)? What should I avoid? Are there any particular pieces you've loved seeing in past posts that you think I should incorporate into my first-day outfit? 

Give me ideas, people!

[P.S. My hair changes a LOT, right?]