This post has quite a few old favorites in it blended with some newer pieces that I've added into my closet as I continue to transition into a style that feels authentically like me. I'm also still trying to break out of some of those ingrained "fashion rules" that have been guiding my outfit choices for years, especially in terms of how clothes should fit. I've recently discovered some ladies around my age who unapologetically rock their unique fashion-rule-breaking styles, and I want to be more like them...but in my own way.
All that to say that I tried a few things this past two weeks with some of my outfits. I dressed in what felt good and right, and honestly, I don't know if all of these landed, but we live and learn and give ourselves love.
Sizing info: I'm 5'2" and weigh about 140 lbs. I usually wear size 6 or s/m in clothes and size 7 in shoes.
This skirt is one of my favorite things I've gotten this school year. It came from Temu, if you can believe it, and is such good quality that it's honestly unbelievable. I really like that the brighter, lighter brown in the plaid is almost orange. It gives the skirt so much more personality in my opinion and makes it more versatile in terms of how I can wear it. I linked to a few options for you above. I'm wearing size medium.
For this particular look, I decided to pair my coffee club graphic tee for a more monochromatic vibe. Surprisingly, this tee is still available in most sizes online. It's been one of my most worn so far this school year.
It wasn't exactly cold outside this day, but the building was pretty cool, so I finished the look with this cardigan that I've had for several years. I got it in either a StitchFix or Wantable box, but I can't remember which. It's incredibly soft and stretchy and has different colors mixed into the brown. It added another layer to the coffee vibe goodness of this whole outfit.
On Tuesday, I decided to try my hand with a little print mixing. This polka dot skirt has been in my closet for years, so I'm always looking for new ways to wear it.
This short-sleeve sweater is a new addition to my closet. It's got a purple diamond-like print on it with a pink neckline, cuffs, and waist. That's what I matched to the skirt. I tucked the sweater in and then added a belt because I didn't like the way the waist of the skirt looked against the sweater.
I wanted to keep everything in the same color palate, so I finished the look with my purplish-red ballet flats that I've had for years.
Wednesday was Alexis's school spelling bee, so I took the day off to go to it without worrying about getting back to my classroom by a certain time.
I really wanted to wear this new sunflower-printed blouse, so I based the rest of the outfit around it. I was quite impressed with this blouse. It's a nice quality and a nice thickness, so I wasn't worried about it being see-through.
I really liked how the blouse contrasted with these red-striped linen pants that I bought back in the spring (one of my best purchases of the year). I almost wore just the blouse untucked with the pants, but the outfit felt incomplete, so I decided to really lean into the 90s sitcom mom vibe and added my denim vest. I didn't like the blouse untucked under the vest, so I fully tucked it in, then added my brown woven mary janes to finish the look.
On Thursday, I decided to scrap my lesson again and do what I call a Mustard-Ketchup-Pickle Day. It's basically a chance for students to get caught up on everything because middle school students are still learning how to be self-sufficient and responsible. Also, sometimes us teachers need a break. Plus, I decided it would be more beneficial to move the particular lesson I had planned to a better time when I could devote more time to it.
Anyway, it was pretty warm this day so I wanted something easy and not too warm. This dress is a good one-and-done outfit. And it's still available in all sizes...and two other colors. I'm really interested in the clove...
I haven't gotten very creative with this dress. It really is just good on its own! So just like the last time I wore it, I paired it with my leopard-print mary janes. These ones are sold out, but I linked to a pair that looks pretty similar.
Fast forward to Monday of Fall Break. I honestly don't remember what we did or what I wore over the weekend... Come to think of it, I can't remember what we did on this day outside of going to the barn that afternoon.
Remember how I said I tried some new things over the past two weeks? This is one of those things. I experimented with creating an outfit that wasn't necessarily flattering terms of fit but that felt right in terms of everything else. I love the colors of this outfit, for sure, and I was comfortable, but I don't know how I feel about it overall. Everything is just so...loose. I've never been big on the baggy-clothes trend. I feel shapeless and kind of sloppy. What do y'all think?
Skipping ahead to Wednesday. It was my birthday, so I felt like dressing up a little, although this outfit feels pretty tame for me relatively speaking. Anyway, I experimented with proportions here as well, but I think it works much better in this overall look than the previous one.
This skirt is new, and I love it already! I'm wearing this in the medium, but I should have gone with the small as it's a mite too big in the waist. I'm hoping it's going to draw up a smidge in the wash. Anyway, it's got so many different colors to play with in the pattern that the options are pretty endless.
This go 'round I decided to go with green and pulled out this old olive green basic tee. I added my cream-colored, wide, straw belt to help with the waist of the skirt being too loose. I topped it all off with my tried-and-true short-sleeve denim button-up that I've had for years.
We went out to a nice birthday lunch at one of my favorite restaurants. Then we walked through Kohl's for the first time in forever and went to the bookstore where I got two classics that I've been wanting to add to my collection. When we grabbed dinner later, a random teenager complimented my outfit, which totally made my day because y'all know teenagers don't like anything.
I hosted my second Thanksgiving with my family this year, except this time I did all of the cooking myself. Yes, this is the first year I ever cooked my own turkey, and it's the first year I made the dressing. Alexis helped a lot, and it all turned out so good. We also ended up not having many leftovers, which makes me really happy since these kind of leftovers go in my fridge to die...especially since we're not in school so I can't take them for lunch.
Anyway, this dress is an old favorite that I've been wearing a variety of ways for years. It's especially perfect for this time of year, but I wear it pretty much year round. Unfortunately, it's long sold out, but I linked to a dress that has the same type of vibes.
This day, I decided to be whimsical and layered this new embroidered cardigan over it. The colors were a nice complement, even if the flowers weren't perfect matches. I finished the look with my favorite lace-up boots and felt like a woodland fairy. This outfit is tied with the coffee-fit for favorite look of the post.
This was what I wore on Black Friday, although I did not participate in the shopping. It's been years since I did any true Black Friday shopping. We hit up Panera for lunch and did make an early-evening Walmart trip, but that's the extent of our Black Friday adventures.
This outfit, I'll admit, feels dated. Mostly due to the pants. It screams "millennial," which I am. These are technically 'straight' leg but they fit really slim, so they're almost like skinnies (especially since I put on a little weight). They're also an ankle skimmer, so the length can be a bit awkward. I cuffed them so they'd hit just above my boots.
I love these colors together. The mauve of the sweater and the washed-out look of the olive just works. The boots are a nice touch, as well. I just don't love the look overall. I really like tunic-style sweaters because of the length, but at the same time they're difficult for me to style because of my height. I also don't love the fit of these pants anymore, although I love this brand overall (Democracy); I'm not a trend chaser, but these don't feel right anymore for me.
The outfit works; I just feel like a few tweaks would have made it better.
On Saturday, my mom and I, plus Alexis, had our annual birthday outing. We went to Hobby Lobby, went to Chili's for lunch and Wicked margaritas, browsed JCPenney, and then went to see Wicked For Good, which was fantastic.
It was cool but not cold for most of the day. I will admit I would have been fine in short sleeves, but I really wanted to wear this sweater and skirt combo. You probably recognize this skirt from all the many times it's popped up on the blog over the years. I really think it might be my longest-running clothing item; I've honestly lost track of how many times I've repaired it over the years so I can keep wearing it. It has definitely been worth what I paid for it -- and it's still available all these years later!
My sweater was a random Walmart find and only cost $12. It's only $15 full price, though, so still very affordable. I also bought it in black for myself, and my daughter got a baby blue one. It's super soft and the knit is fairly open so it breaths nicely. I did layer a camisole underneath to keep the wind from cutting through to my skin.
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