It's time for another real outfit roundup. Every two weeks, I share the outfits I wore in real life, along with a brief explanation for each look and links to shop exact or similar items.
In this edition, you'll notice a shift. We finally got some fall weather in my neighborhood. Our overnight lows dipped down into the 40s and our highs were in the mid-60s and low 70s.
You might also notice that I'm starting to dress less for an aesthetic and more for a feeling. I like bold colors and patterns and unexpected pairings. Basically, I'm tired of outfits that feel formulaic and boring and not altogether me. I don't want to look like everybody else. It's time to embrace the weird English teacher living inside me.
Sizing info: I'm 5'2" and weigh about 140 lbs. I typically wear size 6 or s/m in clothes and size 7 in shoes.
We're starting on a Tuesday this go 'round and with one of my favorite looks of the entire month. This was my first day back at school after fall break with students. We jumped right into the new quarter with a lesson and hands-on, project-based writing activity. I knew I would be moving around the classroom a lot and wanted an outfit that made that easy.
At this point in the month, our weather was still incredibly mild. Thankfully the humidity hasn't been an issue for awhile, but cold temperatures have been scarce. I'm pretty sure our high for this day was in the 80s, so this short-sleeve sweater was perfect for this weird in-between time. It's also really good quality. I was pleasantly surprised if I'm being honest, especially for the price. I got it in a medium, which is what I do with most sweaters so that they'll fit a bit loose. I don't like tight sweaters at all; I get hot way too easily.
These cropped yellow pants are so good. They're not a very thick material and are very stretchy -- perfect for moving around a classroom helping students. I like the patch pockets a lot more than I thought I would, too. They're a cropped length, so on me they're ankle length, which is what I was going for. I feel like they'll draw up a bit length-wise in the dryer.
Good news about my shoes. While Target hasn't brought these exact ones back, they do have a really cute suede pair that are very similar.
These black knit mary janes have been a really good addition to my closet. I've worn them more in the past month than I wore those square-toed ones I got from Old Navy in a year. These are still available in most sizes online, but they were pretty limited the last time I was in my local store.
Wednesday called for a bit of whimsy courtesy of this dinosaur skirt. The last time I wore it, I went all out with a Peter Pan shirt, but this time I decided to keep the rest of the look simple. I chose this lace-sleeve, light-green blouse that perfectly matched the brontosauruses in the skirt's print. I've had this blouse for awhile now. It's what I would consider an elevated basic. I added my cream-colored woven belt to create some definition at my waist. It was a nice complement to the stegosauruses in the skirt's print. The only thing I don't like about this look are my shoes, but I'll be honest. I don't know what other shoes to wear other than my espadrille sandals, and that's not happening in October.
I recreated an old favorite look for Friday with this orange floral blouse and wine-colored, bootcut pants. I don't understand why this look works, but it just really does. While everything in this outfit is old, the only thing not still available are the pants.
I actually own this exact blouse in two patterns, but this one is my favorite. This is a fully-lined blouse with the top layer being a chiffon-like, gauzy material. It's 100% polyester with ruffle sleeves and smoking around the neck.
You can't really see them in the picture, but these are my favorite ankle boots. They're good quality, the heel is just the right height, and they're surprisingly comfortable. I also own them in black.
On Saturday, we went to a Halloween festival in downtown. It was pretty comfortable temperature-wise, so I didn't regret wearing pants until the very end. There was very little shade where the festival took place, so after about an hour or so of direct sunlight, I was getting a bit hot. Later that afternoon, we went to the campground trick-or-treat event we've been going to for the past several years.
Anyway, this t-shirt came from Lowe's of all places, but it's actually a really nice tee. It's very soft and fits nice and loose, which isn't always easy to find. As you can imagine, it's practically sold out at this point, but there were still a few left at the time I wrote this post.
My pants are several years old now. They're a nice alternative to olive, I think, while still accomplishing the same vibe.
Sunday called for a dress. This one has been a fall favorite of mine for a few years now. The colors are just perfect. I also love the ruffled sleeves and the way that it's cut. I made it feel new again by adding my cream-colored straw belt and favorite basket-weave mary jane flats. I linked to a dress that's pretty similar in style and color for y'all, and it's by a brand that I regularly shop.
This past week we actually had fall weather, which meant I could finally add some actual fall layers to my outfits. This mesh top has been getting a good bit of attention on social media lately, but it's not being over-hyped. Somehow, and I don't know how, it's not see-through. I'm not 100% clear on if the base color is black or brown -- I thought it was black, but when I put it on it looked more brown. I don't know.
I decided to layer it underneath this denim maxi dress that I've been stalking ever since it came out. I just couldn't make myself pay full price for it. Then I found it marked down to $13 in the store, and I snapped it up so fast. It is still available in most sizes on the website, but it's still showing as full price. So my advice is to check your local store first. This is really good quality, though. It's got a zipper in the back. The straps, sadly, are not adjustable, and there are no pockets. I bought the medium, and it's a tad big, but I have no doubt it will draw up some in the wash.
Tuesday's look was my students' favorite outfit. According to them, this outfit was "tea." My daughter assures me that means good. Anyway, this dress is amazingly soft. It was like wearing a blanket all day. It was a bit more fitted than I was expecting, so I'm definitely not going to dry it.
I've had these faux suede, tall black boots for a few years, but they're still so good. I did regret wearing them this day, though. I forgot we were going to the library to do research, and I spent 90% of the day on my feet. On a normal day, these boots are fine, but after so much walking and standing, my feet were dead by the end of the day.
As a finishing touch, I pulled out my vintage owl necklace from the early 2000s. No, I wasn't wearing it ironically. I genuinely still love this necklace, and it was just what this look was missing. I actually managed to find a really good dupe of it on Amazon for you.
This might be my favorite outfit of the entire month. It just felt so me, and I was so comfortable all day long.
These pinstripe pants are so comfortable. I was on the fence about buying them at first, but I'm so glad I did. I tried them with several shirts before deciding to go with this one. It's hard to tell from this picture, but my blouse has lace detailing on it, which adds a fun bit of character to what would otherwise be a plain white shirt.
I love the pop of red this vest gives to the outfit. It felt unexpected but right, and the quality is so good. I'm glad I took the chance on it. I did go up a size so it would be more like a vest and less like a top since I knew I would never wear it that way.
This was such a fun look to put together. I was a bit self-conscious at first -- the plaid pants are loud! I had several ideas for how to style them, but when this cropped Salem sweatshirt came in, I knew I had something. Of course, since the sweatshirt is cropped, I couldn't just wear it on its own, so I layered it over a basic, white long-sleeved button down. I left the bottom two buttons undone for a more relaxed look.
These pants, aside from being a definite statement item, were like wearing pajamas all day. They were an inch or two too long for flats, so I wore my brown ankle boots, which were the perfect height to keep them from dragging.
Friday was Halloween. I decided not to dress up in a full-blown costume this year, but I still wanted to be in the spirit. This tulle skirt was the obvious choice. A good thing about this skirt is that it could easily be turned into a witch's costume. I just didn't feel like going all out this year. Maybe next year?
I had several Halloween tees I could have worn with this skirt, but I decided to pair it with this Halloweentown graphic tee. The Halloweentown movies were a big part of my childhood, so this shirt felt very nostalgic.
I finished the look with my combat boots. I don't love them, really, but my feet were still protesting Tuesday's choice of footwear, so this was the best choice. On a side note, I'm going to have to replace my combat boots soon; they're starting to squeak.
