What I wore today: 03/29/2014 (Pretty in Pink)

I fell in love with this dress when it first came in to the store back before Christmas. But, at $298, I just couldn't justify the purchase, even with my employee discount. So, you can imagine my surprise and joy when I found one in February marked down to $39.95. It was a 4, and, though I could squeeze myself into it, I tracked down a 6 at the Louisville store and had them send it to me. 

Knowing Ryan and I had tickets to the ballet at the end of March, I saved it for the occasion. I even got lucky with a day of 40-degree stormy weather, which meant tights wouldn't be an absolute necessity as they have been for time immemorial. 

We had a lovely date night, trying out a new restaurant in our neighborhood, which we had been saving for the occasion as well. Some things are worth the wait.

Pink and gold, lace and sequin "Sugarberry Dress" - Anthropologie

Pink suede kitten heels - Anthropologie

Floral cardigan - thrifted

Rain coat - London Fog, thrifted

Emma book-clutch cometic/pencil case - Kate Spade

What I wore today: 02/15/2014 (Sparkle and Stripes)

I bought this dress with an Oscars party in mind, but I didn't want to wait that long to wear it, so I pulled it out for my Valentine's weekend date with Ryan to dinner and the ballet.

By the way, if there is a snowstorm on Valentine's Day, you probably shouldn't assume you can get a table at any of the myriad restaurants in a popular neighborhood the next day. There will be a two-and-a-half hour wait at all of them and you will be reminded why you could never live in New York City. Not that this has happened to me.

Anyway, this dress is just too much: the proportions, the color, the width of the stripes; it's all too much, and that is exactly why I like it. Since the dress was already too, too much, I naturally decided to pair it with a bag that has ears.

Teal and black sequin and striped "Starlit Stripes Dress" - Anthropologie

Leopard brocade coat - Forever 21 (forever ago)

Black pirate booties - Payless (forever ago)

Quilted crossbody bag with bunny ears - ASOS

My Fall Wish List

01. H&M; 02. Jung ee eun, Boticca; 03. Sisters of the Moon; 04. J.Crew; 05. Frye, Urban Outfitters; 06. Mociun; 07. Tattly

As fall approaches, I long for good leather boots, sweaters and sweatshirts with a touch of sparkle, and long quartz necklaces. What are you looking forward to wearing this fall?

What I wore today: 07/31/2013 (Remix)

I must say that I find the concept of style "remixes," (outfit posts featuring pieces readers have seen before), a bit odd. Of course I re-wear things in new ways; that's called being a real person and not a TV character. Why should there even be a term for it?

Still, in the world of personal style blogging, there is definitely pressure to show off new, never-before-blogged pieces, and I feel that pressure as much as anyone else. But the truth is that, on most days, I'm not wearing new purchases; I'm wearing a few well-loved standbys mixed together in a new way.

And, for me, as a blog reader, though I like seeing new pieces, I find it just as interesting (if not more so) to see a favorite blogger wear an old item in a new way. 

If you missed seeing these items in the past, check out the peplum tee here, here (tucked in), and here: the skirt here; the blazer here; and the boots here, and here. 

* * *

Oh, and I took the leap and got baby bangs. Didn't think I've breeze by that, did you? I like them, but they're definitely taking some getting used to. It's a fun change, though. 

Sequined wool skirt - Anthropologie
Navy and white polkadot peplum tee - H&M
Suede ankle boots - Target
Floral blazer - Anthropologie
Basket-weave purse - Had forever, don't remember

How to Cultivate Eclectic Personal Style (a Cheat Sheet)

I was flipping through this book recently, and was struck by the way the author described "eclectic" style. She broke the book down into chapters, each featuring a different style: "Bohemian," "classic," etc. But, when she got to eclectic, she described it as being a combination of different styles.

Basically, you go through life, experimenting, changing your style every few years. Maybe you're a bit punk in high school, but by college you are more Bohemian, and after that you start to get into minimalism. Eventually, you have your own, unique, "eclectic" style comprised of all the best parts of each genre. You kept the leather jacket from your punk phase, and your favorite maxi skirt from your bohemian phase, and now you wear them both with a breton top from your minimalism phase. That's eclectic style!

Wow, I thought, that's such a good description of how personal style can evolve!

I have so many reference points for my own style, from designers to movies to characters in books! Sometimes I full-on embrace the character I'm feeling that day and dress 100% nautical or 100% grunge. But, more often than not, I combine a few seemingly contradictory references into one outfit.

Here are some of my favorite examples from past outfit posts.

Farmer meets Rockabilly

The rockabilly elements of this outfit (leather, nipped-in waist, saddle oxfords) are grounded by the country sensibility of a gingham button-down.

Heidi meets Western

The heidi braids are a nice contrast to the denim-on-denim look of this "Texas tuxedo."

Punk meets Romantic

This is a combination I wear a lot. I love to tone down a tiered dress with a leather jacket or dress up a band tee with a floral skirt. As opposites, these two styles work together in perfect, balanced harmony.

Military meets Garden Party

A casual, olive-green jacket makes a silky floral dress more appropriate for daytime. Add tights, and you've got a way to wear a summer dress in the colder months. 

Casual meets Glamorous

Another great example of how contrasting elements can make an evening piece daytime appropriate: a white t-shirt is the perfect counterpoint to a sequin skirt. 

Sporty meets High Fashion

What can I say? Sometimes, you get the urge to wear Versace to the tennis court. Versace for H&M, but still. 

'20s meets '50s 

Era mixing is a great way to keep vintage clothing from looking like a costume. Here, a '50s cardi gives shape to a fringed flapper dress. 

What I wore today: 11/03/2012 (Knit Two)

Layering a skirt over a dress is a great way to change up your look. Suddenly the dress becomes a top and gets twice the mileage it would get. And layering a sweater skirt over a sweater dress has the added bonus of keeping you nice and toasty warm. 

This dress (seen in full here) and skirt are both fine-gauge wool knits of about the same thickness, and since the skirt is a bit longer and much fuller, layering them worked perfectly. I felt many of the same sentiments expressed in this post about the delightful surprise of layering pieces in a way that makes them look totally different than they ever did before. It's fun to surprise yourself sometimes, isn't it?

A note on the necklace: it has green beads on it, so I often wear it backwards to show only the neutral metallics. I love that it can be worn either way! A friend at Anthro who has one too gave me the idea, a brilliant stroke I wish I could claim myself. Thanks, Kendal! (See the necklace worn with the green facing out here).

Sweater dress with ruffled shoulders - thrifted (seen in full here)

"Blue Messa Sweater Skirt" - Anthropologie

Leather belt with gold sequins - Anthropologie

Brown leather boots - Journey's

Gray knee socks - Target

"Sparked Agate Collar" Peter-Pan-collar necklace - Anthrpologie

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What I wore today: 05/08/2012 (Daytime sequins)

Yesterday was a joyous day for my family! My sister-in-law gave birth to her first baby, a son called Barrett Oliver Brott, or "Bear" for short. You should have seen how happy my brother looked when I got to the hospital a couple hours later! I've never seen him glow like that. As for Bear, as you can see, he's pretty adorable. He has big feet (like my brother) and light brown hair. He's a winner for sure.

Also, my father is convinced he'll be a great marksman. 

After I saw Bear and his glowing parents, I had to run to work, which brings me to my outfit . . .

I don't want you to seethe with jealousy when I tell you this, so don't hate me, but this skirt (which originally sold for close to $300) got returned to the store last week, and it had been marked down to $9.95. Needless to say, it never even made it to the sale room. I snatched it up without even trying it on, and when I got home, I discovered it fit perfectly. Sheer joy!

My coworkers were saying things like, "Oh, those sequins. That would be nice for a holiday party," which is true, but, apart from the fact that I couldn't possibly wait half a year to wear the thing, the image I had in my mind was of toning it down for daytime with a plain white crew-neck tee.

If I have one major guideline for styling, it's about keeping balance. If I wear a short skirt, I pair it with flats; if I wear something loose on bottom, I wear something fitted on top; and if I wear something glamorous, I like to temper it with something easy and casual. The contrast shows each element off to its full potential. 

I added the necklace to perfect the balance, and because wearing a sparkly necklace with a t-shirt is another obsession of mine (and a very Parisian thing to do, P.S.)

What do you think of my styling? How else should I wear this skirt?

Wool and sequin skirt - Anthopologie
White tee - Ryan's dresser 
Silver flats - Target (last seen here and here)
Brass and glass necklace - J. Crew Factory


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