The Tweaked Formula
This is a very similar silhouette to an outfit I posted last week, which I suppose is a testament to its versatility. Or to my laziness. The cropped jacket is, as last time, by Rebecca Taylor but it fits much better which is why it’s a keeper. (For now. That ominous caveat is necessary given the purge upheaval currently happening in my closet. I was going to make a Stalin joke here but, um, maybe not.) I would love to find some more high-waisted pants – of the non-culottes variety – but they are tricky, tricky things. I like the look of the ones I’ve spotted on ASOS, but I have concerns. One, quality – there is nothing worse than polyester pants that make you feel like you’re wearing a garbage bag that might burst into flames if your thighs rub together for too long. Two, the danger of polterwang. I recently learned that delightful term thanks to FFA on Reddit, and it perfectly captures the awfulness that is an unintentionally baggy crotch.
So.
I have to actually go out there and try high-waisted pants if I want to find a decent pair, and I’ll be honest: unless I find these magical unicorns at the thrift store, it ain’t happening. The thought of going to the mall is exhausting even before I lift a digit off the couch.
The Tweaked Formula, Part 2
This sweater+dress combo is one of my faves, and my thought process in putting together this outfit was simple: how can I wear this combo to work? Add a blazer, duh. Boom. Done. Did I mention how much I love working in a business-casual office? Before you @ me, please note that the dress is lined to the knee, so the devoré overlay does not actually reveal anything scandalous unless you are a time-travelling Victorian, in which case – welcome to the 21st century, but also, why are you wasting time reading this blog? There are far more exciting things of which to partake these days, like Tinder, sky-diving, and watching Black Panther in 3D.
Rust-ic Casual
Yeah, ok. There is nothing rustic about this outfit, per se, but it was the only pun that came to mind. Sorry. The outfit is A-OK, though; 10 out of 10, will wear again. A few years ago, I wouldn’t have been caught dead wearing a shade even remotely close to my hair colour, but times change (see above). This rust/brick red is growing on me. I also dig the deconstructed look of this blazer, so it has that going for it as well. This is almost head-to-toe Anthro, but without a heavy dose of twee which I take as a kind of personal triumph.
The loafers/bag combo is also great, though possibly a little too matchy. But wait! Have we gone all the way back around to the point where matching your shoes to your bag is a cool thing or nah? I guess, sometimes, the more things change (in fashion), the more they stay the same.
I love that last outfit! I never really got out of the habit of matching the shoes to the bag…I just can’t help it! To me, outfits just look cleaner when they match. Occasionally, I’ll use my bag as a pop of color, but that’s usually for going out at night. During the day, I prefer for my shoes and bag to match/go.
I definitely think there is something to matching shoes and bags – it’s easier to look polished. Not that you can’t look incredibly polished with non-matching accessories, but it’s a next level fashion skill, haha!
I really like the look of a matching bag and shoes too. Occasionally it can be too much if the whole outfit is stiff, but generally I think it’s a nice bit of old-fashioned polish–like the person took some care and thought in getting dressed, which is always nice to see! 🙂
Now I remember why I love your blog. Your witty writing is so enjoyable!
I notice that you seem to not be using your designer bags as much anymore. Do you still have a love for them?
I haven’t been using as many of my bags for sure. I now bring my laptop home with me most days, so I’ve switched to a backpack for my commute. Most of my fancy bags look silly with a backpack so I just wear the same crossbody/totes all the time. It’s probably just a phase but I am def less interested in bags right now.