Can you believe I wore this outside — in Edmonton, in February — with only minimal gritting of teeth (before putting on my coat and heading about my weekend errands)? Yeah, it’s pretty unbelievable but there you have it. Mildest winter we’ve had since … well, probably the last time gas was $0.60 at the pump. Thanks El Niño! (Considering what the current recession is doing to my retirements savings, I’ll save the thanks to OPEC. Ahem.) Where was I? Oh yeah, this outfit. I liked it a lot. Lotsa grey going on, but no drabness.

Just a quick heads up: next Friday, the 26th, is book club day. Have you started Good Omens yet? If not, you probably still have time to get caught up before next week — it’s a fun, fairly quick read. Oh, and if you’re interested in some other book news closer to home the blog, check out the Books page for some updates on my upcoming titles.

It might not look like it from a distance, but this was a very girly outfit. Check it: it’s got florals, lace, bows, and all sorts of other frills. I loved how everything came together, but it’s probably not everyone’s cup of tea — especially at the office. I’ll admit, I’ve been slacking on the whole “serious bizness lady” vibe with my work outfits, and reverted back to wearing whatever the heck I like (within dress code limits) even if it sometimes falls closer to “cute” than “corporate” on the spectrum. Eh, you gotta have fun with your clothes, right?

In this case, I was especially tickled by the fact that the hardware on my bag and shoes matched … all thanks to Goodwill, where I lucked into finding this cute pair of Ferragamo flats (to go with my Sofia bag). But that’s a story for another post.

I’ve had this Pink Tartan suit for years (since at least 2008), and (a) can’t part with it (because how lovely is it?) and (b) can’t wear it very often (because how memorable/impractical is it?). My solution is to wear it, like, once a year and pretend I’m Jackie O Jackie O’s secretary’s assistant. Bottom line: the suit makes me feel very fancy, hence the title. I have a sneaking suspicion that I used the same one last time I posted this outfit. Because, yes, it’s pretty much the same outfit every time. That’s the downside of the suit — not much you can do to “mix it up” (unless you separate the pieces and, eh, it loses its unique vibe). The upside? Complete outfit in one go, bam.