So, yes – we are those lame people who out go for “date nights” in the afternoon, and have dinner at 5. Secret’s out, peeps! I mean, it wasn’t much of a secret, but now you have confirmation. Since we rely on the kindness of our parents when it comes to babysitting (and are lucky enough to enjoy it on the regular), we try to minimize the number of late nights that we spend frolicking around town. And by “frolicking”, I mean grabbing some sushi at our fave joint down the street, and puttering around in my husband’s 1974 Beetle. Have I told you lately about my glamorous life?

Ahem.

Getting dressed up for the mid-afternoon is a dicey proposition, but fortunately, I’ve never had too many qualms about being over-dressed. Throwing a snazzy hat into the mix makes things (like this silk Ted Baker dress) seem more casual and laid back, no?

And speaking of the dress, wasn’t it a great find for $18? I’m loving the black, white, mustard yellow colour palette going on (I must have fall on the brain already), and the vaguely Art Nouveau-ish print is interesting too – and a nice departure from my usual print suspects (stripes, florals, repeat). Pairing it with leopard print flats was kinda bold, but I’m digging the results.

A grey tube dress is the height of minimalism, yes? Of course, being me, I am going to add a bunch of accessories, but considering the restrained colour palette, I think we can still call this a minimalist look. Work with me here, people!

I have been thinking about this outfit since my trip to Van, where I picked up the hat, shoes and necklace, but decided to pass on the dress. In my mind’s eye, these pieces went together well, but I hesitated over the dress because I wasn’t sure if it was versatile enough to merit the price ($29 at Joe Fresh). A style like this can be too body-con for my taste, and I hate having to wear shapewear for anything less than the most special of occasions. But I kept thinking about the dress, and after seeing it on a co-worker, I decided to take the plunge. I bought a size up from my usual (I’m wearing a Medium) so I wouldn’t (hopefully) have to worry about sucking in, but still enjoy the streamlined cut of the dress. And you know what? It’s such a nice blank canvas, you guys. I have a ton of ideas for how I can wear it, and the heathered grey is a perfect dark neutral without being as stark as black. [As you know, I struggle with black dresses.]

Looking at these photos, I realize that these Zara flats make my (already big) feet look ginormous, but … I kinda don’t care? They’re sort of almost ugly in an interesting, high fashion way – which, come to think of it, is a good way to describe a lot of the stuff sold at Zara. That sort of thing is usually too “advanced style” for me, but I think it, well, sort of works in this case. Yes? Yes!

But, to be on the safe side, I’ve been experimenting with other footwear options too. To wit:

My peeps on Insta loved this outfit, which … I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m always thrilled to get compliments, but sometimes they also make me go “hmmm”. See, I wouldn’t say that this is a very “Adina” outfit. It’s more of a “who Adina would like to be, maybe, one day, when she grows up” kind of outfit. The real current me is thinking “how can I sneak another print/colour up in here?” But the more people like an outfit like this, the more I question if I dare wear another one of my typical loud looks the next time. The head pats, they are addictive, friends.

Basically, this is the definition of #bloggerproblems.

Moving on. All kidding aside, this outfit is a good example of looking put together without much effort, and in a way that’s compatible with the requirements of kid wrangling. In other words, perfect for weekend outings with the family.