Clearly I should have had this up sooner, but at least the pictures were taken last night. Knowing what I am going to wear to church before Sunday morning is the goal. I met it. But I didn’t wear exactly any of these combinations.
Working in the nursery creates a challenge I have mentioned before briefly here and there. Mainly that I like to sit on the floor with the little ones. And I don’t feel so lady-like doing it in a dress.
And the second challenge: washability. Dry-clean wool trousers will not do. No, usually in the Winter it’s jeans. And I take my shoes off.
The third challenge: the heat. It’s nearly always too hot. So my strip-down-to layer must be at most mid-weight cotton. My upper layer must come off without going over the head.
Outfit #1
I know this looks a little scruffy, but it works with my idiom. This long-sleeve cotton sweater I picked up this week for 48 cents at the thrift store! Today what I actually wore was this sweater with the suede blazer.
Note the shoes. Two things:
- If you are comfortable doing so, feel free to wear your pants all the way to the floor.
- Shoes right now can be an accent color totally unrelated to the rest of your outfit. Of course, it must still look good. I call these “the asparagus shoes”. You will certainly see them more this Spring.
Outfit #2
In the picture this looks really dark, but I will certainly wear this combination sometime, to something. It fits nicely and looks sharply classic, without being boring.
I was thinking Valentine’s Day a little when I put these outfits together.
Outfit #3
My attempt to illustrate Jennifer’s advice, back here.
Here’s a couple ways to get rid of the schoolgirl look:
1. Put a cami under the white shirt.
2. Fold the sweater sleeves back to above-elbow length and wear the shirt sleeves long & buttoned.
BTW, who looks good in these humongous belts?
There was an outfit #4, but I didn’t really like it. Be honest, which of these is your favorite?
#3! #3! however, I do like them all, and I really like that belt… wide but sleek. I like the understated buckle. I’ve never done belts, but would like to try them. I could wear that belt. Must check the belt rack at Goodwill next time….
I really like the jacket in #1, as well as the green shoes. I’m very partial to that shade of green, and the bright red. I dare you to wear them together! It’s one of my fave combos! 🙂
Today to church I wore an asparagus green cord blazer; a clay/burgundy longsleeve tee; a charcoal grey wool circle skirt; and black knee boots. Boots are my latest lazy way to dress for church… instantly pulled-together without nylons!
He hee. I wore boots today too. It was rather interesting taking them off and putting them back on in the nursery.
The soft green and the red together on me? I don’t know. If I do it, I will definitely let you know. It would have to be with something other than the white shirt. Hmmm …
#3 is my favorite. It’s preppy and chic 🙂
Hmm . . . I like #2 best. For some reason #3 makes me think of Santa Claus. O:-)
Moi ~ You are who looks good in those wide belts. Come to think about it, Outfit #3 might be an option for me to wear to MOPS this Friday. Guaranteed the room will be decorated in Valentine’s day.
Your Majesty 😉 ~ Since I was going for more of a Valentine’s Day theme, I guess I really better not wear that outfit with the green shoes. That would be totally Christmas! Does it help that the belt is actually navy and jeweled, with cut-outs?
I thought about you yesterday when I was inspired to show the long jeans with contrasting shoes thing. Yesterday my daughter and I were noticing all the stylish college girls where we were doing just that. It’s sure alot easier, but I wouldn’t spend a whole bunch of money on pants that I was going to drag on the ground (I paid $10 for these).
Well, I was thinking of your friday advice when I got ready for church, so I pulled out my sweater set and realized I had packed away the shell for the summer and just left the cardi out. Oops. So much for washing them together eh?
So I wound up wearing a pair of gray slacks, a white oxford (ll bean-I really am a closet preppy-1980’s style. Who was talking about being stuck in the decade you discovered style in?) and a black knit tank top (not jersey, actually a thin eddie bauer black knit summer v neck tank top with wide straps) that functioned the same way as the shell would have. The white oxford was layered to stick out under the tank top. Then I wore a necklace that my mom (who does beading) had made with that memory wire (so it was a choker) with fake black pearls and 3 wide flat pink quartz beads, and some white and black pearl drop earrings (both fake that she had also made). Of course I wore my black Dansko clogs with 🙂 I thought I looked sort of preppy chic 🙂
On your outfits, I like #2, #3 looks good, but since I always worry about my belly, all that attention to the middle (the belt, the white of the arms next to your center-which probably looks different “in motion) would worry me. Also, doesn’t that black line mess up that 2/3 rule?
You look good in that wide belt! I like outfit #2 and #3 equally. What I didn’t like in #1 was that the jacket appeared crinkly/wrinkly *and* the sweater had ripples. I would like that jacket over something very smooth and let it be the “texture.”
I think the green (which isn’t coming up well for me in my monitor) and the pale red you mentioned would look good with a gray.
I’m definitely in the minority on this one, but I like #1…..given you’ll be spending time on the floor with the kidlets and comfortable chic makes the most sense. If you felt like it needed a pop, a long thin knit scarf with some pink, green and tans could punch things up a bit– I’m thinking winter accessory sales time here 🙂 Or a chunky beaded necklace of some type. After taking a good look at my go-to outfits I’ve decided I could really jazz things up by getting a few current style chunky necklaces.
I do like #2, just not for nursery time. #3, not so much. I’m not a fan of the big belts on slender people.
I like all three, but I do have to agree with Jenn on this one. #1 looks perfect for working in the nursery – comfortable, functional, and still so stylish! What about your “birthday belt” for a little something extra?
I didn’t think Santa Claus about #3 until “the Queen” mentioned it. I do see what she means now. 🙂 I’d still wear it though! And, not for the nursery, but I wonder what it would look like with a skirt…
Sigh…You cold weather people have all the fun…scarves, boots, jackets…Such fun accessories that are totally impractical for me.
Vildy ~ I’m not surprised you picked up on what made me think that outfit was a little scruffy. 🙂 And I was thinking the same thing about the gray.
Jenn ~ I wonder if your personal style is more like mine. Except I’m not big on accessories. I keep wanting to borrow my daughters big brown beads, though, because my eyes are brown, so it’s the perfect accent color (she is not willing to loan them AND I think she would object to me buying my own, too).
Jenna ~ Actually, the belted sweater probably isn’t practical for the nursery anyway, but now you’ve got me thinking about a black tweed skirt I have that has red and blue in it.
I’ve been wondering if I should do something for warm climates …
Oops. (Frugal) Jenn ~ That sounds like a really cute outfit!! I’ve been working up my courage to wear my ribbed tanks as vests; which is really convenient since I have one that’s the exact red of the red clog/wedges (which you can’t really see in the picture, but they are one of the only shoes I have which slip off easily).
Did you ever get Danskos in that red? That would work with that outfit, too.
Oh, and about the line: I realized when I got in bed last night that I should have had the belt a tad higher. Then there would have been two things going on: the 2/3 thing you are talking about, which doesn’t really matter if the pieces are broke up (all red adds together, does that make sense?), and a line or focal point at various points down the body which are a head-length or multiple head-lengths. So, from my chin to either the button or the v, I’m not sure which without measuring, would be one head-length. From my chin to the belt would be two, and so on.
In theory it works anyway.
Rebecca-Nope, haven’t bought them in red yet-at about $80 a pop, I’ve only gotten the black and oxblood so far. But a real red may be next!
I have to say #2 as well. I had the same reaction as Queen of Carrots— that #3 looked like an elf!
Thanks for dropping by. One day I’m sorta hoping someone named “virtuous blonde” might pop in too. 🙂
The only one my husband didn’t like is #3. Although he didn’t say elf, enough people have that I think I will pass on wearing that combo to MOPS this Friday.
Sorry, I’m a bit late here, but my preference for a wide belt, unless you are a very tall drink of water, is to see it worn on the hips. My favorite combo is number 1. (Love the shoe colour!)
Definitely #1. I’m a big fan of the contrasting yet still appropriate shoe color and the colors just look so like spring–a season I’m just dying to come back already.
I do like the soft, spring colors together. Today was beautiful here!
I love #2 on you…black and hot pink…great for Valentines! And I’m excited about asparagus green! I love most greens and that one sounds beautiful! Can’t wait till spring!
Btw, I thought of you when I bought an adorable tannish-brown almost striped sweater the other day…the collar is what sold me…too bad I’m not up on my fashion terms for collars. If I had a digital I’d take a pic for you. I love the tip you gave a while back about wearing jackets that match your hair color. This button up sweater-jacket does it exactly and I felt so suave “pronouncing” at our spelling bee!
That’s awesome, Mary! It’s great, something as simple as that just makes you feel more confident. I find that I am most able to perform my duties well when I don’t have the distraction of not being sure about what I am wearing. And that still happens from time to time, thankfully less often!
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