Offbeat Friday

My new office does casual Fridays just like my old one, but since the dress code is more casual to begin with, I`ve been using Fridays as opportunities to experiment. Instead of the usual jeans+dressy top combo I would usual pull out, I`ve been trying pieces that are a bit more, um, adventurous. Like this Maeve cropped blouse. The print is whimsical, the sleeves are whimsical, the length is … well, if not whimsical then definitely not the same old, same old. To be honest, in my mind I call this my `circus shirt`; not sure why that association is there, but it is. It`s probably the colours and the volume.

To balance all that whimsicality (and level it up, style-wise), I paired the shirt with slim, wool pants that are fairly classic — perhaps borderline staid. The shoes were a compromise; a classic pump, but in bright, happy red. I liked how everything came together. I only had one last-minute switcheroo; I ended up choosing a black layering tank instead of the nude I had originally planned. The nude looked better under the shirt, but the cropped length meant that some of the tank `peeked` out above my pants waistband every now and then. The impression was one of `naked midriff` at first glance. No bueno. The black looked more intentional (and less scandalous) so I went with it. I`ll save the nude tank for a day when I`m wearing higher waisted pants. The day will come sooner rather than later, I`m sure.