This was an outfit I wore during the Christmas-to-New-Year “break” when I had to go to work. Considering how quiet the office was, I figured I could get away with more, um, creative outfits. So I threw together a bunch of old pieces that normally don’t get a ton of wear and, hey presto! An outfit everyone loved. Hmm …

The silver shoes are at least 6 or 7 years old, purchased for $5 at the old C’est Cera outlet on 111th St. (Who remembers that?) The dress came to me from the lovely Lou, and it’s one of the best constructed shirt dresses ever. I highly recommend checking out Boden on eBay to look for something similar; secondhand prices are (or were) quite reasonable. The jacket is about 5-year old Anthro, one of the few pieces I’ve ever bought in store. I had never worn it much, and it was the wrong size for a while, so I tried to sell it for ages … without any luck. Must be a sign. It goes perfectly with my most recent beading project.

I’ve been looking for a thistle brooch for a long time (don’t ask me why), so I eventually decided to make my own. It turned out … interesting. Well, at the very least, it looks like a form of plant life, right? Right.

I don’t have much to say about this outfit except that its sole reason for existence is the butterfly-on-butterfly action. I couldn’t resist. I love a good butterfly motif like nothing else except florals, so I’m actually considering re-rebuying this J. Crew sweater (and the yellow butterfly version too, maybe) in a smaller size. Too bad that prices on eBay are kinda ridiculous, especially after factoring in the exchange rate. All the sighs.

(Sidenote: did J. Crew use this butterfly print for any other pieces? Asking for, uh, a friend …)

This is a slightly different take on one of my fave outfits from last year, reconfigured for colder weather. The cobalt blue/olive green combo is somewhat “out there” but I find it oddly pleasing. And these light grey tights work surprising well here, even though they usually just give my legs a “corpse bride” vibe.

In case you hadn’t noticed its repeated appearances on the blog, this Gucci tote has become my go-to bag for every and all occasions, especially when I’m too lazy to coordinate my bag and outfit. It’s a perfect size for my needs (I can fit an extra pair of office shoes OR a variety of toddler snacks in there), and inconspicuous enough to work in any setting. It’s proven quite sturdy/durable as well, so I would definitely recommend it if you happen to stumble across it on the secondhand market for a good price.