I bought this cardigan because it’s an Anthro brand, and my buy-all-the-Anthro-things mentality could not countenance leaving it behind. Having worn it, I’m still not sure if it’s my style … but it sure is pretty. Paired with my high-waisted Zara skirt, it’s polished enough for a casual day at the office. Here’s a closer look at the print:

This skirt was one of my best retail buys of recent years; still a great silhouette and the quality is holding up just fine. These J. Crew shoes were also a good retail purchase — they’re quite comfortable, and the colour is a great accent for my wardrobe palette. Since I’m still looking for nude and navy pumps, they were a great choice for this outfit — picking up the hints of dark turquoise in the cardigan. Matchy matchy? But of course.

I think it’s no secret that I love dressing up. Nine times out of ten, I’d rather dress for work than for the weekend … but the tenth time, I stumble upon a casual outfit that I LOVE. This was one of those exceptions. I love how these colours came together, and how simple-yet-chic the whole thing looks. I’ve given up trying to emulate French women for the most part, but I think this outfit has a little bit of their effortless sophistication.

These are all old pieces except for the Club Monaco jacket, which is a recent thrift buy. A sleeveless field jacket is bound to have a short season here in Edmonton, but for $8, I’m willing to take a chance on it. I love the cut of the jacket, and I’ve been wanting to replace my Old Navy khaki jacket (now too large) for a while. The scarf and pants are also thrifted, and they are both pieces I love wearing on weekends. These Joe’s Jeans jeggings are just the softest non-pyjama bottoms I own.

The top is from J. Crew Factory, and it’s treating me alright so far. The shoes are also JCF, and about 2 years old; the patent (faux) leather is looking pretty rough (up close) but I can’t seem to quit them. I need to re-heel my vintage Ferragamo flats, and this is my only other black pair so I have a feeling I’ll be hanging on to it indefinitely — I have the hardest time letting go of comfortable, cheapie flats. (My last black pair before this one was from Old Navy, and I wore it until there was a massive hole in the sole.) I will say this: other than the beat-up pleather (whose condition is probably not helped by the fact I’m very hard on my non-work shoes), these flats have stood the test of time well.

You can’t miss that sucker! I mean my necklace, of course. It’s huge, and rather loud, and it makes a bold statement and then some. I like it a lot with this plain-verging-on-boring outfit. I’m also a big fan of these thrifted Babaton pants; they’re cropped but slouchy as opposed to fitted/stretchy like the BR Sloans. They seem … a little more polished looking? They definitely make me look, ahem, fuller in the hip area, but I don’t mind it too much.

What I do mind is the peep-toe cutout in these Vince pumps. Ouch! I bought these because they looked cool and were a great deal, forgetting that I hate peep-toe shoes for a reason — they always seem to cut into my toes. These shoes definitely do that, plus the suede is super scuff-prone. I paid less than $30 at Winners for this pair, and I can’t imagine paying a dime more. There’s no way they can live up to regular wear … even if I can bring my toes around to the idea.