February Freeze roundup

     What was February Freeze, you're probably thinking? Well, I decided to wear those great things in my closet that never get worn. The truth is, while I own LOTS of clothes, there's a select few that regularly go through the wear-wash-iron cycle, while the rest hang around the closet, sad, lonely, and actually really lovely.

outfit 5 1/2

      Missed my original posts? 

See 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 1/2, 6, 7 or 8.

    
      For a short month, I think I did pretty well -- I wore 13 not-loved-enough items.
      Some thoughts:

• Wow, I own a lot of blue.
•  I love prints (the bigger, the better!), and that's OK.
•  I like to buy dresses, but I'm not so great about wearing them. 
• To not be afraid of bold jewelry. Starting to love that red necklace!
• White is such a refreshing change from the usual denim and black. 
• I had fun doing this challenge, and overall I'm pretty happy with this month's outfits, probably because I spent less time wearing my usual tee and jeans and forced myself to take style risks.

Favorite outfits: 2, 4, 5, 5.5, and 7.

Style stretches: 2, 5, 7

Classic: 4
Simple yet put-together: 4, 5

Which one is your favorite?

February Freeze, vol. 7: (dress)ed down

     I've been procrastinating on wearing the really difficult items in my closet. I felt like this dress would be just too much for work or class. However, when my friend and I decided to go out for an early dinner on Saturday, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to wear this.

 Calvin Klein strapless dress, (Ross, old)

chambray pullover (passed down from Mom)

navy-and-green leatherette colorblock belt (Forever 21)

      I'm not very comfortable wearing strapless dresses or tops, so I layered on a chambray pullover. (What on earth possessed me to buy a strapless dress? Can we say, impractical?) It also gives the dress a more casual feel. I added a belt to balance out the full skirt with a well-defined waist.

   The very full skirt is a different look and feel for me, but I love the print, color (the tag says it's "electric pink") and the length actually makes it suitable for work. I think it would look really cute with a buttondown tied at the waist, a red cardigan, or even a different belt.
    My friend and I went to an Italian restaurant, and there was a basket of warm, crusty-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside bread. Empty carbs with a slathering of butter=<3. I was reminded of comedian Jim Gaffigan's discussion of bread, especially when we ended up chomping our way through most of a second basket. Let's just say I needed to loosen the belt a bit on my way home ...

February Freeze, vol. 6: a nice discovery

   Happiness is figuring out that a skirt you've had for a while, but never wear, has POCKETS. :)
   Brown is a color that baffles me. I feel comfortable pairing black with just about anything, but brown??? I'm just not sure what colors go best with it. I've never paired it with blue before, but I like the look.

Top, Forever 21

petite skirt, Banana Republic

shell earrings, New Zealand

   I got this skirt from Banana Republic's sale section a while back for about $17. I've always wondered if the front detail -- gathering below the waistband and resulting pleats -- looks weird. However, it looks fine in the photos.

   Help me out, please -- What are your favorite colors to pair with brown?

Try-it-out Tuesday: white jeans & February Freeze, vol. 4

     I've been in the style doldrums lately, so I decided to wear these jeans as simply as possible. Red, navy and white are a classic color combination. I actually bought this cardigan to wear with the red tank, but this is the first time I've paired them together! Three of these items don't get worn much (jeans, tank, gold sandals), so it was nice to put them together. February Freeze trifecta! :)

DKNY red tank with navy chiffon and gold chain trim, Off 5th

navy cardigan, F21

DKNY white jeans, Macy's

gold sandals, Target

     

The Mr. grumbles that I always walk around with my hands in my pockets (SO not true). ; )

     Obviously, 12 seconds is not enough time for me to cross the room, put my shoes on, and be ready for the camera ...
     Happy Hearts Day! <3

February Freeze, vol. 2: stalking pays off

     I love silk, especially silk with colorful pretty prints, but I love a bargain more.

  Trina Turk top (Nordstrom Rack)

      Red cardigan (JJ Basics, previously loved)

      Amrita Singh "Marion" earrings (HauteLook)

      6-strand red lucite bead necklace (eBay)

      Tweed jacket, FCUK for Sears (gifted)

Cheesy dating/flirting books (gifted - thanks, Sis!)

     Therefore, I stalked this shirt at Nordstrom Rack, waiting patiently for the price to drop and keeping my fingers crossed that no one would snap it up in my size. At last, the price tag sprouted a 65% off sticker, and I ended up paying a grand total of $17.
     (Cue upbeat romantic music, as Carrie and her silk shirt dance out of the store).
     One of my favorite kinds of love stories. :)

     I love silk, but at the same time I don't wear my silk shirts enough. I think they're a little too fancy, but then it's heartbreaking that they just hang in the closet while the T-shirts get to have all the fun.
     From the topic of stalking, it's a short hop to thoughts of Valentine's Day (or is that just me?) -- which is what inspired me to add a red cardigan for some pink and red fun.

    

    

Fun February: 2 challenges

     As I mentioned in my January roundup, I have designated this month as Fun February. Since my word of the year is CREATE, I have decided to do two things this month to help me create a life of appreciation and balance.
     Fortunate February: Counting my blessings should be a daily activity. To celebrate all that I have, I'll be forgoing shopping and donating my budgeted $30 to a charity.
    February Freeze: To better appreciate the bounty of my closet, I won't be adding anything new to it. Instead, I'll be shopping my closet, and determinedly wearing all the nice things that I, uh, have never worn, or have maybe worn once.  (Hmm, that strapless poofy dress is definitely going to make for an interesting outfit!) This challenge might, realistically, run into March because I suspect that I have tons of eligible clothing items.
      Do you have a bunch of pretty but unworn things in your closet? Drop me an e-mail or comment if you decide to create an outfit incorporating something you have never worn, or only worn once. :)