Emerald Green and Cream

Cream blazer with velvet trim and asian knot closure, Apostrophe. Emerald green satin blouse, Express. Chocolate brown pants, Body by Victoria. Circular earrings with multicolor beads, World Market. Brown booties, Style & Co.

I went to the mall for vacuum cleaner bags and came home with this blazer and shirt. The blazer was a good deal (50% off at Sears). The shirt was not. I did, however, get compliments on the shirt all day long. It’s so cute that I must show you what it looks like without the blazer over it (click for a larger image):

Max Studio Dress

Brown velvet jacket with brooch, FANG. Brown and beige, empire-waist dress, Max Studio. Brown boots, Nine West.

I’ve heard that “the dress” is making a comeback. Thank goodness! I love dresses. I went dress shopping this summer and found the selection dismal. This was one of the few I found (at TJ Maxx!)

I recently learned another trick for posing for these photographs. You may have already notice that I’m almost always standing in a modified ballet fourth position, either croise or ecarte. The positions in ballet are designed to lengthen the line of the body. Long lines make for slimming photos. Until now, though, I’ve forgotten to lengthen my hands. When my hands are relaxed, my fingers half curl up, as you can see in all of the previous photos. Today, after looking at this photo in the What Are You Wearing Today flickr group, I realized how much longer my arms would look if I extended my fingers and voila!

I wore this dress on October 11, with my black shrug. I think it looks much better with this jacket instead. Or maybe it’s just the ballet fingers.

Preppy

Green silk faux wrap sweater. Pink sheer silk shirt, Bebe. Plaid pants, Express. Brown pumps, Target. Earrings, Express.

Here’s my preppy look – or at least as preppy as I get anymore. My look is more romantic than preppy.

These pants were an odd purchase for me. They aren’t my usual style, but they have pink and green lines running through the plaid, so they match a number of my tops. (Pink and green are two of my favorite colors. I like them even better together.)

The pink shirt is hard to wear. First of all, it’s very sheer, so I usually wear a camisole underneath, but I spend a lot of time hitching up the straps. It is also a little shapeless. I didn’t realize just HOW shapeless until I saw this terrible video of myself singing karaoke in it on YouTube. The shirt looks MUCH better with something over it, instead of under it.

Sweater Dress

Black sweater dress with floral embroidery, Melton. White sweater, Express. Black, lace edge camisole, NY & Co. Black tights, Danskin. Black, round-toe pumps with cutouts, Etienne Aigner. Cameo choker, vintage.

You would THINK that a sweater dress would be simple, easy dressing. Just wrap and go, right? No. First of all, I only wear this dress when the weather is cool, so I need tights. Once I put tights on, I need a slip so that the skirt doesn’t creep up my thighs as I walk. The top of the dress is too low-cut for work, so I need to wear a cami beneath. Finally, because the dress is sleeveless, I need to wear a top to cover my arms.

I’ve tried a number of sweaters, shrugs, and jackets over this dress and I think I’ve finally found the top that works. I’d prefer this sweater to be a little more cream than white, but the fit and shape are so good that I really can’t complain. It looks far better than the black shrug I wore with this dress on October 6th.

Funeral

Black wrap sweater with sparkly threads, The Gap. Black camisole, Moda International. Gray flannel pants, Express. Cameo choker, vintage.

Does this outfit make me look fat? No, seriously. I should have never paired the top and bottom together. The thick fabrics make me look chunky. This sweater is just difficult to wear because of the way it hangs over the belt. (It is also a size too large.) I’ve had the sweater for nine years and have probably worn it nine times. I give up. Anyone want it?

The colors in this outfit are no good either. I look like I’m on my way to a funeral – probably my own judging from my pallor. I taught aerobics at work this morning (6:30 a.m.) and forgot to bring my make-up. Luckily, I found some mascara in the car and had powder and lipstick at my desk. I was really missing the rest of my cosmetics, though.

Blech.

Tweedy

Burgundy chenille sweater, INC. Black and white tweed skirt, Moda International. Hat with tweed flower. Black boots.

Okay, I didn’t actually wear the outfit today as pictured. I did wear the hat, but only when outside, and with my coat. I put it on for this picture because the necklace I wore today broke. I didn’t have time for jewelry surgery before the photo and I needed some sort of accessory, so the hat went back on. It matches well, doesn’t it? I bought it at Pangea, in Clifton. I love that store.

Hot Pink Sweater

Hot pink sequined sweater, Moda International (Victoria’s Secret). Black shirt with lace overlay, Moda International. Black pants, Nine and Co. Pink bead necklace, Claire’s Boutique. Crystal earrings, Delia*s. Black pumps, Michelle D.

Victoria’s Secret’s main clothing line is actually called Moda International, so I’ve decided to start using the proper name. The other line is Body by Victoria. I think I only have one “Body” piece.

I love love love this sweater. I think I snagged it for about $20 on clearance. It is made of silk and cashmere. The color is one of my favorites and the sequins really make it stand out.

Chocolate Cherry

Red velvet jacket, Newport News. Lace overlay camisole, George. Chocolate brown pants, VS Body. Brown booties, Style & Co. Red bead necklace, George.

A Super Wal*Mart just opened near our house. Before it was built, the nearest Wal*Mart was at a 20 – 30 minutes drive from home and the inside was super ghetto. The new Wal*Mart is much closer and all shiny and new. After hearing so much about their new trendy clothing line, I had to check it out. The camisole and necklace are two of my purchases.

Mike was with me, so I had to do speed shopping and didn’t get a chance to try on anything I bought. I didn’t realize that this camisole was so long until I tried it on at home. Thank goodness it fits over my hips! My top is small, but my hips are not insignificant.

Brown Victorian

Brown velvet blazer with brooch, FANG. White lace blouse, Newport News. Brown tweedy skirt, Newport News. Brown boots, Nine West.

I love all these pieces – the blazer, the skirt, the boots, and, especially, the blouse. I could wear the blouse every day. And every time I wore it, I’d declare my outfit “Victorian” just because of its front ruffle.

Green and Black

Rabbit fur poncho, Christopher Banks. Black, long-sleeve tee, Mossimo for Target. Green tweed skirt, Talbot’s. Black tights, Danskin. Black boots. Green chandelier earrings. Green, purse-charm bracelet.

At Christmas 2004, my mother bought me this poncho and my friend Kathy bought me these earrings and bracelet.

Because I wear skirts so often, I go through a lot of tights in the winter. My favorite tights are Danskin performance tights (actual dancing tights). They have a nice, smooth finish and are extremely resistant to running. I order them in bulk, from DiscountDance.com.

Icy

Black, short-sleeved, velvet jacket, Forever 21. Slate blue camisole, Moda International. Gray slacks, The Limited. Beaded sash, The Limited. Earrings, World Market. Cameo necklace (pushed to the side, darn it!), vintage. Black pumps, Michelle D.

I dressed to match the cool, wintery day.

Did you notice that I cut my bangs? I had only about 30 seconds to cut them on Sat evening (after touching up my color) before I had to run to a performance. I usually push them to the side, but sometimes I “mix it up” and wear them down. Outrageous, huh?

Birthday Skirt

White, button-down bodysuit, Moda International. Fuchsia skirt with butterfly appliqué, Parameter. Tan pumps, Target. Chandelier earrings, Claire’s Boutique.

Mike bought me this skirt for my birthday. Impressed with his taste? He doesn’t get all the credit. For gift giving occasions, I have to send him internet links to catalog items I would like as a present. He then chooses one and orders it. There is still an element of surprise for me, he doesn’t have to leave the house to buy the gift, and I’m sure to like it.

Please excuse the wrinkles. The skirt is linen and I took this picture after wearing it all day.

Fuchsia and Silver

Cream and silver floral blazer, Heart, Moon, and Stars. Fuchsia tank, Express. Gray pants, The Limited. Earrings, Claire's Boutique. Pink rhinestone brooch.

This outfit is a catalog of good bargains. The blazer was only $20 because I bought it at the end of the season and it is an XS. The tank was $5. The pants were around $25, from TJ Maxx. I love a deal!

Blue Sweater, Red Pumps

Peacock blue sweater, Gap. Black lace overlay camisole, Halogen. Black pants, Nine and Company. Earrings with multicolored beads, World Market. Red pumps.

I admit, sometimes I plan my outfits in advance. I find it to be a soothing activity as I fall asleep. It is a relief to have that detail of my morning taken care of. This morning, though, I had no idea what I was going to wear and sort of threw this all together. But how could I go wrong with a sweater in this gorgeous shade of blue?

You may notice that I’m wearing red shoes. I paired the blue sweater and red pumps together because they both match my earrings. I like to add unexpected accessories that don’t seem to match at first…and invite you take a closer look.

Forever 21

Black, short-sleeved, velvet blazer, Forever 21. Red silk blouse, Newport News. Black cami, Victoria’s Secret. Pinstriped pants, Forever 21. Black pumps, Michelle D. Multi-strand faux pearl necklace, JC Penney.

Although I love the store, going into Forever 21 invariably makes me feel fat and old. When I first encountered the store, I was confused about the “21.” Was it a price point or an age? Evidently, it is an age, although the average age of the shoppers and staff is probably 17, making me feel like a wrinkly old hag at 31. The clothes are sized for 12-year-olds. I wear an XS or S in women’s stores. At Forever 21, I’m a M or L. Still, it’s a great place to find cheap, trendy items. I just bought this blazer last weekend.

Pink Capelet

Pink, knit capelet, Victoria’s Secret. Beige, sequin and lace cami, Victoria’s Secret. Long skirt, Casual Corner. Boots, Nine West.

Ugh, this is a terrible picture. Anyway, I love this little capelet sweater. Not sure if I love this outfit, though.

Fall Fashionable

Brown velvet jacket with brooch. Cream camisole, Cuddle Duds. Red and orange tweed pants, Victoria’s Secret. Earrings, World Market.

I bought this jacket at Vanity, in Detroit for $20 or so in August 2005. I forgot to look at the tag, so I can’t tell you what brand it is. This is one of my favorite blazers. I’m sad to see that the elbows are showing some wear. I like this jacket so much that when it finally bites the dust, I may have it remade by a tailor.










Today is my birthday. My very sweet boss gave me a bracelet this morning and it matched my outfit perfectly! I wore it for the rest of the day. Bracelet with orange beads and heart charm, Just 2 Friends by Kathy Damm.

Black and Blue

Black blazer, Steppin Out. Light blue shirt, Bebe. Pinstriped pants, Forever 21. Flower corsage, Newport News. Multi-strand faux pearl necklace, JC Penney.

This was a landmark day for me. I wore my hair down and it didn’t turn into a giant pouf-ball. I didn’t do anything special. It was just that we finally had a day with dry air!