This outfit is a slight tweak on one of my all-time faves. I subbed this blue sweater (which I suspect is Banana Republic) for the black one I have worn with skirt before, and different shoes, and … that’s it. Don’t mess with what ain’t broken. I think I’m wearing the same necklace, come to think of it. It is also one of my fave pieces, and I am sad to see it starting to tarnish. It still looks fine from a distance, but up close the gold finish is almost completely worn off in places. I’ve gotten lots of wear out of what was, originally, a $60 necklace, but it still makes me mad that, in another year or two, I’ll have to part with it; I still adore it, and I wish I’d had the foresight to buy a back-up when it was still possible to do so. Still, compared to BR jewelry I’ve purchased more recently, this one has held up well … which is frustrating in itself, and it’s the reason why I’m reluctant to invest much money in costume jewelry of the ‘fast fashion’ sort.

Does anyone have recc’s for affordable statement jewelry of good quality? I’ve been partial to Swarovski for the last few years, but I would love to hear others’ faves.

To be honest, I don’t know if plum and red are clashing so much as an unexpected colour pairing, but I was inspired to try it, and took the plunge. The outfit itself is sedate enough — if you can call culottes sedate — so the red gives it a jolt of … something. Something good, I hope. The whole look is the kind of ‘quirky’ I enjoy these days; subtle embellishments, architectural silhouette. I don’t know if ‘architectural’ is an actual fashion term, but I think everyone instinctively understands the shorthand. Minimalist, with interesting lines.

It appears that culottes are still going strong this season, thank goodness. My eyes have finally adjusted to the look, and now I find myself drawn to it more and more. Would it be tempting fate to buy another pair of culottes? Not gonna lie, I am tempted. I think I’d like a pair cropped lower on the ankle, made out of a softer material, and perhaps less high-waisted. I am not actively looking but … you know how it goes. If the right culotte finds me, I might just be unable to say no.

Is this too much pink for a 30-something professional? I hope the answer is “no”, because … well, the deed is done. I wore this outfit to work, and I only felt a smidge self-conscious in it. We’ll come back to that in a minute. First, let me say that I am warming up to this blazer; it always helps when a blazer is soft and comfortable, because that is a fairly rare thing. I am still unsure about it from a colour palette/style perspective, but I am experiencing the familiar feeling of “there’s nothing wrong with it, gotta make it work”. Know what I mean? I know I shouldn’t let my sartorial decisions be ruled by that kind of thinking, but old habits are hard to break.

I had an epiphany recently. You will recall that I’ve mentioned being drawn more towards more muted colours and neutrals lately; and I should clarify that it’s a question of feeling more comfortable when I wear those types of colours. My eye will never not love to look at bright colours — all the colours, all at once. I recently realized that the place where I feel most UNcomfortable wearing bright colours (or statement accessories for that matter) is the train, on my commute to work. I think it’s because the majority of people on the train are dressed very casually, and I hate the feeling of standing out by being “overdressed”. Is “inconspicuous” a style persona? Because that’s who I want to be on the train.