sparkle on

CK Jeans pailettes tee and Jolt skinny cargo pants, Macy's

belt, from dress

          As much as I enjoy color, sometimes a good neutral outfit is exactly what I'm craving. A chestful of sparkly pailettes never hurts, either. 

        Today is the first day of parent-teacher conferences, which means I need to step up my outfit game a bit for two weeks. I think I've gotten fairly adept at putting together professional yet practical outfits, but I'll set aside a few of the more whimsical things in my wardrobe (shirts patterned with flamingos and lobsters probably don't convey much authority, ya know?). Meeting with parents always makes me a little nervous, so dressing confidently is a must. I'm looking forward to posting these outfits and keeping my blog a little more active.

        I've been eyeing this boxy jersey dress for weeks on Old Navy's web site, and stopped in yesterday to try it on. If I get this, I'll definitely go up a size so I don't have to worry about it being too clingy in the back. The silhouette is very different from what I usually gravitate to, but intriguing. I didn't get to try it with a belt - most online reviews say belting is essential - but I plan to stop in on Tuesday and try it one more time. I also tried on this sleeveless fleece dress, which I thought fit great and was so cute. I was surprised to see it described as fleece on the web site ... I thought it was a kind of knitty tweed instead. It wasn't particularly fuzzy or heavy, which is a good thing in my eyes - I think styled correctly, it could be worn year-round.

     Are you mulling over any potential purchases right now?

Try-it-out Tuesday: {not a} twinset

  
     Why does this qualify for Try-it-out Tuesday? First, I've always wondered about what to wear this cardigan with. Turns out that its sartorial soulmate is this sparkly top. At first I thought smashing the paisley and sparkle together was too much, but I'm kind of liking it.
    In case you're wondering about the title, I'm playing off the title of a children's book called "Not a Box" by Antoinette Portis that the kindergartners and first-graders loved. It's very simple book--the fun lies in the imaginative line drawings.

CK Jeans paillettes tee; Charter Club cardigan; Style & Co. DKNY "Soho" jeans, all from Macy's

sandals, Target

     I bought this shirt at almost full price (something I rarely do), I was so enamored of the paillettes. Then, I threw it in the closet and let it languish. But now I've figured that a little sparkle is more versatile than I thought. And yes, this outfit is an inadvertent walking advertisement for Macy's. ...