I Went on a Date with 17 Men at Once

Also known as "speed dating." But we'll get to that later. For now, let's look at the week that was...

Monday:

I was lazy here, and the outfit suffered. It needed a belt, for one thing, and possibly better accessorizing. I liked the fun floral addition on the shoes, though.

Tuesday:

A maxi skirt on a TUESDAY?! Yeah, now that every Friday is a jeans day, there will be no more "Maxi Dress Fridays." I considered making a different day a regular "Maxi" day, but decided it was time to simply allow the maxi dresses and skirts back into normal rotation. On this day, I paired my black maxi skirt with a new cream blouse with black trim from Target. (Find it here.) A little pop of color with the red flats helps vary the look.

Wednesday:

Bringing back the same floral flats from Monday, this time with white skinnies and a maternity blouse from Target. Simple, classy, cool.

Thursday:

... I forgot to take pics on Thursday. I wore my burgundy skinnies, a cream-colored 3/4-sleeve sweater, my tan boots, and gold necklaces. It worked fine.

Friday:

Epic fail on my part. Remember when I talked about the right way to wear a t-shirt and jeans? Yeah, I didn't do it right here. I should have rolled my sleeves, I should have tucked in the shirt, and I should have worn different shoes, because the jeans are too long with the flips. Awkward.

Well, just goes to remind everyone that I'm not perfect. In case anyone forgot.

So about that whole "dating 17 men" thing. A friend invited me to a speed dating event that his church was putting on as a fundraiser for a mission trip. I was like, "Um, sure," mostly because it just feels like speed dating is the kind of thing that every single adult female should try once. Like a "bucket list" kind of thing.

What did I wear? This:

(Yes, my sweater has a hole. So sue me.)

I knew this event was probably going to be almost entirely (it turned out to be entirely) populated by Asians, who, more often than not, tend to run on the shorter side (which is neither good nor bad, it's just a true). Now, for some ladies, this might lead to the decision to wear flats, so as not to seem too intimidatingly tall. For me, I see no reason to beat around the bush, so I just put it out there with 3.5" wedges: "Here I am. I am tall. If you can't handle that, look elsewhere." Out of the 45ish people present (34 participants, plus 10ish helpers), only one person was taller than I was. There were also only two white people--me, and the friend who came with me. Well, nothing like standing out from the crowd, right?

At least I can now say I've gone speed dating, right?

Only a Week? Felt longer...

This week, for any number of reasons, felt VERY long. I kept hearing a voice in my brain saying, "Life is very long..." and then I would wonder if the week would ever come to an end. Eventually it did, and when it did, I slept for about 15 hours straight. Not with a bang, but a whimper.

So I apologize for not being able to get a post up during the week, but now you get SEVEN outfits all at once! Yes, that's right, I don't just have my work outfits from this week, but also what I wore on the weekend. So let's get started...

Monday:

This wasn't terribly exciting, but it also wasn't terrible. The trio of necklaces did a lot to spice up the look, and as I always say, there's nothing wrong with a simple outfit once in a while. I do wish the cropped pants fit a bit better, though.

Tuesday:

Looking at this now, I kind of wish I'd been bolder and popped the collar. I think it would have worked. Otherwise, I liked this. The shirt has a flattering tailored cut to it, with small white print, and the white pants are a nice neutral with it. The headband with the side ponytail was cute and fresh.

Wednesday: 

Let's be honest - I just gave up here. It was overly warm in the morning, I was tired and running late, so I just threw on a fitted tee and skinny pants. Now, there's nothing so bad about this outfit, but it's not exactly engaging. I was just too tired to care, though.

Thursday:

This was a nice pairing - tailored "faux-denim" trousers, ruffled shirt, gray Mary-Jane pumps. The ruffle got a little annoying after a while, but otherwise, I liked this one. I also finally wore the teal banded watch I bought last spring, which had previously not come out of its box. (Why? I have no idea.)

Friday:

First blue-and-gold (aka "JEANS") day of the year - hooray! It had been such a long week by this point that I just wanted something soft and comfy, so I paired my skinny jeans with a casual top from Target and my most cushioned flip flops.

Saturday: 

Saturday was a lazy day, and I got dressed to go sit at a coffee shop and finish the book I'd been reading (Silver Linings Playbook), not to actually be productive in any real way. It was hot enough to merit the shorts, but only with a somewhat more covered top, so I picked a long sleeved floral top and pushed the sleeves up. The low scooped neck is balanced by a necklace, and with my hair up I decided on dangly earrings.

Sunday:

I was filling in for someone in the nursery, so I planned to wear a longer top so that I could sit comfortably without worrying about whether I was showing skin unintentionally. (Plan ahead!) I wore my sorority flip flops (go Chi O!) because the burgundy straps matched my shorts, which are hand-me-downs from my mom. Again, the lower neck of the camisole under my tunic is offset by a small silver necklace, and with my hair down I kept my earrings to plain diamond studs.

So there you go: One full week of outfits in the life of Miss Doyle. Let's pick our best and worsts...

Best? I'm going to go with Tuesday.
Worst? I'm picking Wednesday.

You?

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.

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?]