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?
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.
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?
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?)
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?
