{not a} suit, part II

tee by Lim Heng Swee, Gap

skirt, Calvin Klein Outlet

White House Black Market blazer, Goodwill

belt, J. Crew Factory 

    Some Mondays call for an obnoxiously pink belt - and a tee that mixes typewriters and chemistry. I haven't worn my pencil skirt for a while, so it was a refreshing change from jeans. I thought the graphic tee and pink belt added a playful touch.
    As of today, there are exactly 34 more days of school ... not that anyone around here is counting. ;) While I'm still focused on what I can do for my students as they near the end of fourth grade, I confess that my thoughts have turned to next year - I've found myself reflecting a lot on successes and, on the flip side, the routines, procedures, and instructional approaches that need rethinking and revising. It will be a mad rush from about now until the end of May - we've got May Day practices, state testing, a social studies project, and much more to accomplish.

   I know it's hard to tell, but {not a} is a *very* intermittent series, where I play around with conventional outfits, such as suits and twinsets. (It's named after the imaginative children's book "Not a Box" by Antoinette Portis.) Find my other {not a} suit here and my super-sparkly twinset here.

polished boho

top, Forever 21

skirt, Calvin Klein outlet

       I never thought about pairing this shirt with my trusty pencil skirt, but I like the combination. I think that the black skirt really makes the white embroidery pop. This outfit was chosen after a great deal of thought - I wore it for my math lesson observation. It's always nerve-wracking to have someone observe and rate you! The only thing I didn't think about is that it's kind of hard to squat and talk to groups working on the floor when you're wearing a pencil skirt. 
       Yesterday I kicked off a "12 Days of Thankfulness" activity for my classroom. One thing I'm thankful for? That the other teachers on my grade level also embraced the idea and are implementing it in their classrooms. We'll be making a gratitude chain, journaling, and writing thank you notes to important people in our lives.
       One more thing I'm thankful for ... that fourth-graders aren't too cool or too old to be totally enthralled by scratch n' sniff stickers. ;) Students who scored 100% on a recent math test got a sticker, and it was gratifying to see that they enjoyed that small reward.  
       What are you thankful for today?

playing it safe

Classiques Entier silk top, Nordstrom Rack

petite pencil skirt, CK Outlet

Fossil key necklace, Nordstrom Rack clearance

         This is what  I wore for two recent interviews.  I considered wearing other tops, but silk just says classy and professional to me, so I went with this one. 
         While I enjoy color, it's interesting to me that for this outfit and for my exam outfit, I went with neutrals. In such situations, neutrals feel "safe" and make me believe that I won't stand out in a negative way. I think I'm also motivated by a desire to not be distracted - I don't want to go to an interview and wonder whether they're staring at my bright yellow cardigan, which will make me even more stressed in an already stressful situation.

What colors do you gravitate toward for interview/important-situation outfits, and why?

Try-it-out Tuesday: J. Crew sleeve roll and just loved it

Before we talk about the frivolous stuff, just a friendly reminder for those in the U.S. ...

Source: dribbble.com via Sandi Devenny on Pinterest

Now, back to the clothes ...

Lauren Ralph Lauren buttondown, thrifted

navy and green leatherette colorblock belt, Forever 21

petite pencil skirt, CK Outlet

 
      I have to admit that there's nothing particularly innovative or new about this outfit, but I really loved it. That should count as something for Try-it-out Tuesday, right? I did try out the J. Crew sleeve roll (next time I'd like it to be a bit messier). Most of my shirtsleeves are too slim-fitting to pull off this kind of roll, but this worked out great.
      This shirt is a medium, and I'm liking the slouchy fit.  It's long enough that I think I could wear it with skinny jeans, my turquoise jeggings, or maybe even leggings.

        I found this shirt misplaced (or hidden) in Goodwill's men's section, while I was browsing for a men's shirt to attempt refashioning. The cash registers weren't working right that day (they weren't taking credit cards), so maybe someone stashed this with plans to come back later with cash. But all's fair in love, war, and thrifting, right? So I have no guilt about snatching it up. ;)
      Speaking of thrifting - one of my goals for winter break is to purge my closet. I've added quite a few pretty things thanks to Goodwill, so I need to go through my closet carefully, and be ruthless about purging items that don't fit well or just aren't my style. Any tips on making purging less painful, particularly for packrats like me? 

Try-it-out Tuesday: purple and (just a little) green

       A few Fridays ago, the science experiment was: how quickly does silk dry?

silk top, thrifted, $4.99

petite pencil skirt, CK Outlet

       The school has a vermicomposting bin, and the librarian was training the fifth-graders to feed the worms once a week. I was obviously not dressed for feeding worms, particularly in a steady drizzle. While the kids were the ones who dumped in the broccoli and watermelon, all of us managed to get quite wet.

     I've wanted to pair purple and green for a while, and actually have an outfit that pairs the two colors, but I've chickened out on wearing it in public. So this was a subtle way to try out the color combination.

bracelets: Macy's (very old); jade beetles - gift from CL

square pearl and stones bubble necklace, InPink,

 purchased with gift card won in giveaway from Belle de Couture

Try-it-out Tuesday: cool and collected

     In contrast with last Tuesday's feature, when I dabbled in summer layering, this time I tried to lighten up a pencil skirt for summer. I really stumbled across this look by chance -- I was trying to think of a new way to wear this skirt, and I found this top lying forlornly in my drawer. While I love the print, color, and dusting of sequins, it hasn't been worn much due to the oddly high side slits and short length. This pencil skirt is really a miracle worker: it makes shirts that are too big, boxy, or  short wearable.

top, India

petite pencil skirt, CK outlet

Carole necklace, Nordstrom Rack clearance

bracelets - Hautelook and very old Macy's

      I added a light-as-air necklace whose bronze discs reminded me of the sequins and some green bracelets.

    I have now officially fallen in love with this shirt ... and am tempted to dig out my sewing machine and whip up a bunch of similar tops. There's no tricky buttonholes or zippers involved, and we have an amazing (and large) stash of cottons that would make beautiful shirts.

     One of these days, I will learn to look natural/normal/smile when taking photos outside the safety and privacy of my home. Until then, I will be cutting my head off when required. Too bad Picmonkey doesn't have a de-weirdifying tool (yes, that is a photographic term). ; )

Try-it-out Tuesday: tunic, tucked in

   I've had a rather limited imagination when it comes to styling tunics -- I've always pictured them paired with skinny jeans. Then I came across Gracey's masterful styling of her black pencil skirt, and the idea of tucking this tunic into a pencil skirt was born. I think it was the cheerful scarf print of Gracey's shirt that reminded me of my tunic. Last weekend the ironing gods deemed it necessary auspicious to iron, so the tunic finally graduated from the to-iron box to the closet.

Charter Club tunic, Macy's

petite pencil skirt, CK Outlet

     While this is long-sleeved, it's a light cotton, and I happened to wear this on a rare gray, rainy and windy day.
      This pencil skirt turned out to be a real workhorse during Jeans-free June! I only get to the CK outlet store about once a year, but the next time I go, I will definitely see whether I can add another pencil skirt to my closet.
     Happy Tuesday!

Try-it-out Tuesday: up or down?

    Perhaps one of the secrets to a flexible, well-used wardrobe is knowing how to dress items up or down?

  Yoshitomo Nara 2K men's tee

petite pencil skirt, CK outlet

navy and green colorblock belt, Forever 21

     On Friday I paired a graphic tee with a pencil skirt and a belt. It could be viewed both ways: dressing down a pencil skirt or dressing up a tee.
     Happy Tuesday! What's your favorite item to dress up (or down)? :)

Try-it-out Tuesday: white tee, version 2.0

     On Saturday night I took my friend K out for martinis and happy hour. That day, the clutch I won from Joanne of Fabulously Average's Purse & Clutch giveaway arrived, so it was the perfect occasion to break in my new bag. :)

    First off, let me express my awe at how beautiful this bag is! The web site photos don't really do it justice. I love textiles, and these fabrics are gorgeous. I also love the company's focus on empowering women to build better lives for themselves.

The card with the artisans' names is a lovely, thoughtful touch.

      Given the quality of the fabric and the great cause, I think the price they charge ($28 for the classic clutches) is a steal. The only thing that would make this bag even better is a small wrist strap that could be tucked inside, but popped out and slung over your wrist when you need both hands while running errands. However, that won't stop me from using this clutch often. :)
        Now, let's get back to the clothes ... I'm still on the hunt for the perfect white tee, but tucking this slightly baggy one into a pencil skirt did wonders for the shape. I also like the casualness of a white tee juxtaposed with a pencil skirt. I consider this version 2.0 of the tee-and-jeans uniform I'm trying to break away from.  :)

Bird Classic Clutch, Purse & Clutch, c/o Fabulously Average's giveaway

Cherokee tee, Target girls' department

pencil skirt, Calvin Klein outlet

Carole necklace, Nordstrom Rack clearance

Revlon lip butter in Raspberry Pie

lessons in boldness

    I put this outfit together on Wednesday, and realized it's a promising sign of style progress. As my profile blurb notes, I'm trying to become a "pencil-skirt rockin', artfully accessorized woman."
I looked at this, and thought, hmm ... not bad. :)

 Merona buttondown, previously loved by E.I.

pencil skirt, Calvin Klein outlet

necklace, eBay

belt, Old Navy

      First off, thanks go to Katie of Hems for Her for inspiring me to pull out my pencil skirt. See her workin' that skirt here and here. It is so inspiring to me to see a teacher dressing with such confidence and verve. I've been guilty of sporting the tee and jeans look in the classroom a lot, but I'm realizing that how I present myself is key as well. If I put all that thought and care into my lessons and relationships with students ... why not show students how much I enjoy my work by dressing with pride?

    I have to admit that I almost chickened out on wearing the colorful necklace. I was headed for a work meeting and wondered if this necklace was too much. But then I decided that if I wanted to wear it, I should wear it. To me, it elevated the whole outfit from ho-hum professional to fun yet polished. Looks like I'm learning how to have fun with my accessories, one eBay necklace at a time ...