Sunday, February 8, 2015

Tweaking the Challenge

Pattern Challenge Day 12: Substituting Circles and Squares for Houndstooth -- Thursday, 2/5/15

I'm not sure that I own anything in houndstooth so I decided to try winterizing a lightweight dress with a geometric circle/square pattern instead.

I'm also not sure I've tried the "put a pullover sweater on top of a dress so it looks like a skirt" idea before, but this seemed like the right time to test it out using a snuggly warm wool sweater.  With just the sweater, it looked kind of unfinished so I popped a vest on it.  This gave the outfit a kind of Midwestern winter casual style that seems appropriate to the time and place (and a business casual office).  Maybe I should have saved this for a Friday outfit but whatever.

I know bubble necklaces are basically passe at this point, but I still just love how wearing the red bubbles on a red top adds some subtle texture so I wore it anyway.  It's not like this outfit has anything else currently fashionable about it...except perhaps for wearing a puffy vest to work, which seems to be a thing right now.  I haven't yet worn my seriously puffy Skyrim office leopard vest to work, but I like how this lighter quilted vest works so well as an extra layer for warmth and visual interest.


Black/white/red circle/square dress (thrifted)
*Red cable knit wool sweater (thrifted, Lands End)
Black quilted vest (gift from Mom)
Black leggings
Tall black boots by Fitzwell
Red bubble necklace (Outfit Additions)

Blast from the Past--I'd forgotten that I winterized this dress before.  Well "springized" it, I guess, because I wore it on 4/17/14, but that was still pretty cold in Snow City as I recall.  I really like this first rendition as well--it has an equestrian vibe with the riding boots, classic blazer, and ascot-tied scarf.  I've now moved from equestrian to Midwestern school teacher with this dress.  I haven't worn this dress on its own yet, which is sort of funny, but it does seem to make a nice base for building a cool/cold weather outfit around.


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