ah-sessoreez (accessories)

 

This evening, the Mr. and I went out to frolick with my bestie and her boyfriend, who was in town. I knew I wanted to wear my new Frye boots, so I (kind of) built my entire outfit around it. My bestie had also told me that when I wear this jacket, I should pair it with something very feminine – the epitome of juxtaposing. Since the jacket is so dark and utilitarian, she thought it would look great with a flirty or twirly skirt or dress underneath. So, I paired it with a lace/crochet skirt and a soft cream sweater.

Sweet and girly, topped off with a utility jacket.

AND NEW BOOTS.

Additionally, another good friend of mine, Lyndsie (she took some of our wedding photos - check out her website here) mentioned to me several months ago that she doesn’t know how to wear accessories, and could use some help and ideas. So, I’ve decided to do my best to focus on accessories for the month of November – how to wear them, how to pair them, how to use them to complete, or enhance, an outfit (thanks for the idea, Lynds!). 

I tend to view accessories as "finishing pieces," or "completer pieces." Without them, you're fully clothed, but your look might be a bit "blah," or "basic." I tend to be running late in the mornings when I'm getting dressed and forget to ah-sessorize, but have lately tried to make an effort to complete my looks by being thoughtful with my jewelry& scarves&hats&tights&newglasses.

In the above look, I added some jewelry, switched to a fun clutch, and added herringbone-print nude tights. And the jacket counts, too, I would say (and I guess the croakies and sunglasses, too...). Without all of those items, I'm still dressed, but it's not too exciting - accessories help to add depth and dimension.


sweater: American Eagle
skirt: Aéropostale
scarf: gift from a friend
tights: Old Navy
boots: Frye via Nordstrom
jacket: thrifted (Land's End)
clutch: thrifted

30 for 30: capping it off

I had a distinct thought at the end of this 30 for 30 go-round:

“This was a lot less painful than previous ones.” 

June 2013 // November 2013 // October 2014

1 & 2 // 3 & 4 // 6

I like to think it’s because I’ve matured, and my style has, too. I find myself being drawn to simple looks more than I was in the past. Solid colors, neutrals, basics, one really great pair of boots in a beautiful brown and a great bag in black. My 14, 18, and even 21 year old self would have dubbed my current self boring, especially when boots come in all colors of the rainbow (red! purple! green!) , and tried to convince me that more purses = more fun (really, I had TONS of bags. none that really fit my everyday needs, though. yes, they were cute, and yes, they were plentiful and colorful, but my smaller purse collection now has me pretty satisfied. however, if I were to happen upon the perfect bag, so be it).

7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11

So, this time, I started with a more condensed closet, more pieces that I really like and reflect me, now. From there, I chose pieces that I thought would play nicely together – gray, black, navy, a few “wild cards,” but overall, the ability to create more cohesive looks, instead of a few really great looks, and a lot more “meh” looks.

13 // 14 // 15 & 16 // 17

I’m still so intrigued by the idea of a “capsule wardrobe.” I keep thinking of things I could replace in my closet (getting rid of 2 or 3 pairs of “meh” black flats for THE pair), or what my “capsule wardrobe” would be comprised of:

all black? all navy? all gray?

all animal print? all stripes? all neutrals?

all button-ups and skinnies?

17 // 18 // 19 & 20 // 21

And while I intend to strive for a “less is more” wardrobe filled with the perfect (for me) pieces that fit and flatter, I’m also thankful that I have the closet I have now. Not just that it’s large enough that I can continue to whittle it down and “curate” it, but that it currently contains things I bought in the past that I might be too apprehensive to try now; that it has variety; that lots of things in there fit me at different sizes; that is has a lot of colors and styles to play with; that it’s something I put together over time, not over the course of a few days; that it covers me and keeps me warm.

22 // 23 & 24 // 25 // 27

Sure, there’s pieces I would love to add, and even today I got the itch to go to Target – not because I NEED anything, but because I wanted to satisfy a shopping itch. I’m really learning a lot about myself, my lifestyle, my motivations, and my choices the more I blog about my style. It’s really making me questions some past wardrobe-related decisions:

why did I buy so many tank tops?

why did I ever wear baby doll tops? 

why did I think stepping on the hem of my jeans was ok (not cool, but ok)?

28 // 29 & 30 // 31 + new boots

It’s fun to have this facet of my life documented and be able to see the evolution happening and the wheels turning.

See my list of 30 items here.

30 for 30: day 31 & new boots

day 31

I’m so glad I got this white/cream cable-knit sweater last winter. It’s so soft, and comfortable, without being oversized or making me look sloppy or frumpy, and the color is more flattering to me than stark white. This piece got worn quite a lot during the last few days of this 30 for 30...

new boots

These boots are new. They arrived just in time for me to wear them on the last day of October (so maybe I didn't need that clause in my 30 for 30 Rules?).

I’ve been saving and saving and saving, and comparing boot styles anywhere and everywhere. I finally pulled the trigger on these Frye Campus boots via Nordstrom. And I’m in love. They’re not too equestrian, they’re not too western, they’re not too edgy, they’re not blah, and they’re this beautiful brown leather with a small enough stacked heel. I’m really enjoying wearing them, and while I know they’ll look great the more distressed they get, I’m also appreciating their newness and how pretty and un-scuffed they look. I might venture to say they’re “practically perfect, in every way.”

See my list of 30 items here.

30 for 30: day 29 & day 30

day 29

 

 

  

This top. I love. I’m in love. Is it green? Is it gray? It’s a sweater. It’s a shirt. It’s a shirt with a chiffon back. It’s dressy. It’s casual. It keep me guessing, and I’m a big fan. If I stumble across more tops with this look/feel/vibe, I’ll definitely be adding them to my closet.

day 30

 

 

  

Black&white&gray. I’d just about reached the end of my creativity with this one. And what better to wear on a Thursday at the end of October than something easy and almost-mindless? It’s not my best look, but it’s far from my worst.

And hallelujah, the weather tomorrow is supposed to be in the 30s! Can we say "balmy"??

See my list of 30 items here.

30 for 30: day 27 & day 28

day 27

 

Just your typical “skinnies and a sweater” look. Throw on python print flats to make you look tough (since you're wearing a marshmallow-y cream cable-knit sweater) and then realize that this outfit is really similar to what you wore two days before…whoops?

day 28

Oh, ya know, a navy blue floral scarf over a navy blue sweater. Nothing terribly exciting, but it still turned out well. I’m finding that the best outfits don’t have to be complicated, or over the top, or incorporate at least 7 trends – sometimes they’re really easy, and comfortable, too.

Since it's Veteran's Day today, make sure to hug your favorite vet :)
Mine happen to be my Mom & Dad - thank you for serving, Colonels!

See my list of 30 items here.

30 for 30: day 25 & day 26

day 25

 

I ventured out to see more cousins and aunt and uncles and mini-cousins for breakfast and new remote-controlled cars, then to lunch with another aunt and cousin (are you sensing that my days are centered around food?).

Then I took my cousin and his pup on a run, which sadly had to get cut short, due to a(n almost!) dead battery. Then we curled up on the couch and watched movies, and I fell asleep. No surprises there…

day 26

I flew back to Colorado early-early this morning, and was treated to breakfast just after the sun came up. Then, some IKEA ooh-ing and aah-ing, boot shopping (they're here! they're here!), ice cream-ing at Little Man Ice Cream, and home for a nap. No cute outfit to share, since I wore an old hat and leggings as pants…

Happy Monday! Hope you had a nice weekend - here's to an equally nice week :)

See my list of 30 items here.

30 for 30: day 23 & day 24

day 23

 

 

I knew the Denver Broncos were playing this evening, so I donned my t-shirt and mixed some more black and brown with skinny jeans. I also needed to be comfortable, because I got to go into work early, run all over campus and town, then head straight to the airport for a very late flight. I made a (way too) short visit to my cousin and extended family and friends, and made it to my destination just in time to fall into bed an hour or two past my Colorado bedtime.

day 24

My cousin is a late sleeper, so I also got to sleep in (!!!), do some reading, have come coffee, and check out a new outlet mall. Some (more) of my favorite things, all in one day. Getting to sleep in and read were my most favorite though…

Later, more cousins and aunts and uncles appeared with pizza and beer and mixed drinks, and we caught up and got to have a nice evening in.

See my list of 30 items here.