Thanks for all the responses and feedback everyone!
I wanted to withhold my opinion until I had heard back from everyone because I didn't want anyone to be biased or feel like they needed to sensor their opinions.
I agree with most of you that a red belt and a red bag is too much. In those ensembles, I'd really prefer a black patent bag, which I don't have yet (I am currently saving up for a fab one). I did try it with the gold bag and it looked okay, so I will use that until I can get a black bag, and then I would probably carry that.
I think I also prefer the black belt. I feel like the shirt really is a statement on its own, so a more subdued color palette works better. I think I might try it with a black belt and red shoes instead (as soon as I get some red shoes).
I also like it belted and unbelted equally, but if I do wear it unbelted, I prefer my hair down (as rosebud pointed out), which is why I posted that picture from earlier. I think wearing my hair down sort of balances it out better, but I happened to be wearing my hair pulled back yesterday so all the pictures have my hair pulled back because I was feeling lazy.
Shiny, I'm currently figuring out how I could wear the top tucked in, and if there is a possibility of me layering it under a chunky cardigan when the weather cools off. It would hide the sleeve detail, but I saw an outfit online that included a cardi over it, and it actually looked okay. I'll have to play with it in the future, thanks for the tip about tucking it in, and trying an obi belt. I will keep my eye out for one that might work (I know Express has a lot right now).
Nancy, to answer your question, I did think a lot about how I could wear the blouse and work it into my "everyday" lifestyle before I bought it. I try to do that with everything I buy before I purchase it, because in the past I would just buy something I liked, and and would end up with lots of closet orphans. This blouse especially, though, I had to hunt around for after I saw it online to see if I could find it for less, and then save up for it for a while, so I sort of took extra care in weighing my options and deciding how much use I could really get out of it.
Susan, I am an hourglass with a strong shoulder line. We could be a similar body type. I know you posted a photo on another thread--have we gotten you sorted out on that yet?
I like and felt comfortable in all the combinations. I would probably wear the denim combos most often, since they are the most "casual." The red pencil skirt I might wear to a more dressy event or in the evening, maybe.
Thank you again everyone for indulging me and for all the help--I really appreciate it!
