Pushing the business casual limits, that is. I promise these pants are, well, actual pants and not leggings — they have pockets and everything. They are also so, so comfortable, and I wanted to find a way to wear them to work (on a Friday, natch). Ditto for this jacket, which is quickly becoming a staple of my wardrobe — on weekends as well as during the week. I’ve been throwing it over my work clothes in the morning, when the temps are a bit cooler but not quite cold enough for a proper coat, and it works ever so well. It can be dressed up or down nicely.

My accessories are where it’s at, however. A simple outfit demands a statement piece (or two!) after all. I’m glad I decided to take a chance on this necklace because it’s proving to be a solid outfit maker. And, of course, you can’t go wrong with blue suede shoes.

As I mentioned in my thrifting recap, I almost didn’t buy this dress. I’m glad I gave it a second chance, because it’s a nice option for a hot summer day. It’s so bright and cheerful, isn’t it? And not too twee, which is currently My Struggle. I love me a twee Anthro dress — ANY twee Anthro dress — but the reality is that I’m starting to feel a little bit silly wearing many of them. I can’t explain it, but I feel more “me” in outfits that are (relatively) more streamlined/minimalist/less frilly. The problem is that my eyes haven’t quite gotten the message, and they keep getting drawn by all the cutesy, twee things. Oof.

Getting back to the outfit at hand, I think it worked out pretty well. At some point, I will probably try to figure out a way to wear this dress to the office, but in the meantime I’m liking it with a pair of sandals and my ubiquitous hat. This hat, by the way, has been a game changer — no more slathering an extra thick layer of sunscreen on my face every twenty minutes. Plus, no more Bad Hair Days. Win, win. I think Aritzia sells it every summer, should any of you be inclined to check it out. I’m a big fan.

Happy July 4th, American peeps! And happy Monday to the rest of us 🙂

Yup, another navy dress. For anyone keeping score at home, that would make 3 in total. What can I say? The thrifting gods provide, and one must not question. I liked this Nanette Lepore version too much to pass it up … so I didn’t. Instead, I did the next best thing, and purged the other two navy dresses I had.

The other Nanette Lepore dress in my closet (eyelet) was a little bit too loose in the bust and had a slightly less office-appropriate vibe, so letting it go was an easy decision. The Milly x BR dress, which I got in my last clothes swap, was a harder piece to purge; it fits quite nicely, and it’s perfectly suitable for work. However, it was just too similar in style to this one, such that if I had kept both, I’d be in a “splitting my wears” situation — in other words, not getting a lot of wear out of either dress. Ultimately, I decided to trust in the quality of this dress based on the brand, and the Milly went into my swap pile for next year.

Let me say this: playing closet Survivor games is all fun and whatnot, until I start second-guessing myself and feeling sorry for the “losers”. I have a rescue complex when it comes to clothes — and I wish I was kidding when I say that. Tell me you have a tough time letting go of clothes too. Please. Anyone. Anyone? Sigh.