Thanks for the feedback, ladies I really appreciate it!
@Gigi: I definitely need to do some shopping. My aesthetic is a weird one. I like polish but I don't like to be "too polished." I like casual but when I feel "too casual" I just don't get anything accomplished for work! I leave most very casual looks for the weekend! And I'm with you about "overloading" on a specific style. Sometimes I do that - with my dresses, for instance, but I guess a part of personal style is discovering what we like and are most comfortable with. And you're right - the different silhouettes keeps our style balanced out (and things never get dull!)
The comment by that particular coworker was made a couple years ago. I don't think he thinks that other people find me so, but it's his personal point of view. And as for changing the way I dress for work: I'll never wear ultra-casual outfits at work because that just KILLS my own productivity (It's psychological. The more polished and dressy I look, the better the productivity. The more relaxed I look, the less productive I get).
I guess what I have issues with is my wardrobe - it's too dressy at the moment, and I really need to shop for more items that "dress down" a look. It's so much easier to find very good dressy clothes, and it's hard for me to find quality, well-fitted casual clothes!
@fuzzylogic: I'm going to go Smart Casual, for sure. That's always what I aim for though my looks cross the line of business casual (if I swap out the open toes and rugged tall boots for closed toed pumps). I'm going to check out Ingunn's looks then. Thanks for the recommendation!
@leopardluxe: You know... I didn't actually intentionally style the sandals to match the top but wow! Thanks for pointing that out and I'll remember this next time! I guess to me it just looked like a "natural" match together. Those sandals are "marginally edgy" in my books and I "satisficed" for the sake of comfort. I think it's good enough though not the level of edge that I like. And yup - I'm on a lookout for more casual (yet fussy-feet approved) footwear and jackets. For some reason casual jackets are just so difficult to find! Everything's just so big and baggy! I really like something polished and tailored yet in an unusual fabric (like worn out leather or denim).
@Deborah: You and I are alike in that sense. When I'm "too casual" I don't get work done. I wonder why that is? Even when I was a working from home as a freelance designer/techie, I dressed up everyday. And when I mean "too casual" or "too relaxed" I'm not necessarily talking about flowy/drapey comfortable stuff but mainly the vibe of the outfit too. Interesting how that is, eh?
@Viva: The brand of sandals are Aravon. I find most of their stuff a bit matronly yet my feet will thank me later. These are one of their cuter looking shoes, and to me, they don't look so bad. They do the job. This is one of the few times I've had to compromise looks for comfort, but really it's not that huge of a compromise.
Yeah shift dresses are sooo easy to wear, but I have a difficult body type for it. Being busty, large waisted - it's not easy finding a good shift that doesn't make me look like a heavy brick! However, I've worn shifts in my youth - I was slimmer but I STILL had the same body type (large bust/large waist) so I KNOW a good shift exists for me somewhere. I wish I had enough time otherwise, I'd make my own shifts!
