Zara yesterday, Zara today. Just like my blazer, this piece came to me pre-loved — in this case, from the thrift store. It’s definitely a bold statement … maybe TOO bold for the office, but I decided to wear it anyway. On a quiet, no-meetings-sitting-at-my-desk-all-day Tuesday. Safe, right?

In any case, people seem to love this dress, and I always get positive comments on it. Seeing as it’s an eyeful on its own, I kept everything else pretty simple. To break up all the brown (rust? copper?), I added cobalt blue accessories — I guess I’ll never get tired of the “pop of colour” approach to accessorizing. Everything is matchy matchy, just as I like it. Yeah, baby.

By rights, this outfit probably shouldn’t work — what with the clashing necklines, and the navy overload — but somehow it does. In fact, it was hugely popular on IG … well, “hugely” by my standards anyway. So I’m counting it as a success. It makes me extra happy to have gotten a second chance at this Boden skirt, thanks to the lovely Lou who shipped it back to me after I changed my mind about getting rid of it. How nice is that? And, to give credit where it’s due, Lou is responsible for introducing me to Boden in the first place — she always makes it look fantastic.

My other fave piece of the outfit is this Zara peplum blazer I scored at my last clothing swap. It has the best lines, doesn’t it? I don’t have a lot of Zara pieces in my closet (5 in total if we’re counting shoes), but they are definitely standouts. The construction of this blazer and the finishing details (lining, trim, etc.) are surprisingly good quality for a “fast fashion” brand. Have you had a similar experience of getting more quality than you bargained from a “cheap” brand?

Yup … I road-tested my bare legs this year in mid-April — that’s surely some kind of record. And they held up fine, although several bystanders may have felt the need to call the Ghostbusters. It was a nice taste of what’s to (hopefully) come this summer, and I can’t wait. Next up: sandals. I dipped my toe (har har!) with some peep-toes this time around, but I think I’ll have to wait until I have time for a pedicure before I venture further. Hey, another reason to love summer — who doesn’t want an excuse to get pampered?

I have no idea if knotting one’s shirt at the midriff is still considered cool, but I enjoyed this option as an alternative to tucking it in. With a high waisted skirt (which this is not, but more on that in a minute), there is very little downside to it, at least from a comfort level. As for the skirt itself, the heavy pleats allowed me to pull off one of my fave “no-sew” DIY alterations: I safety-pinned the waistband on one side to make the waist smaller (and therefore higher), and hid the evidence under my knotted shirt. See, everything just makes sense now, doesn’t it? Well, a girl can hope …