yellow and gray and poorly dressed heroines

tee, Gap

INC skirt, Macy's

manaia necklace, Seattle craft fair

rhodium door hinge bracelet, Iolani Palace

    This tee always garners me a compliment or two when I wear it, so it was well worth the $4.19 that it cost me on sale at Gap. :) I still don't wear my maxi dresses enough, so I'm not sure why I decided a maxi skirt would be a wise addition to my closet.  Rationalization time: I needed more work-appropriate bottoms, stripes are just about a neutral in my style book, and gray is a nice change of pace from the usual denim and black. It is also very comfortable, although it did get a bit warm toward the end of the day.
   To keep the focus on the color combination, I accessorized simply with a minimalist necklace and my favorite ornate bracelet.
    Random reading commentary: I'm almost finished with Kittredge's "The Iron Thorn," which I picked up because it was on YALSA's Readers' Choice 2012 list. It's a light, diverting read, and I like the steampunk-ish setting, although the characterization doesn't really captivate me. However, the heroine Aoife is daring and determined. The one thing that irked me about the book is the poor cover illustration. This is what my library copy looks like:

via

     But in actuality, Aoife is the only girl attending the School of Engines. She's mechanically inclined, with deft hands and eyes. There are several mentions of her school uniform, but somehow I can't buy that the billowy, off-the-shoulder top that the girl on the cover is wearing would be practical for working with engines. To soothe my cognitive dissonance, I like to picture that Aoife dresses like Aya of Couturgatory - this outfit and this one seem much more practical for engine-tinkering. Thanks, Aya, for helping me deal with that poorly chosen cover! ;)
   P.S. That harness that Aya's wearing in the first link? Put me down as intrigued ...  it's not something that I would have even given a second thought to before, but Aya wears it so wonderfully.