Yesterday I decided to create an over the top "Ode to Spring" using a wildcard duster jacket that was "so not me and yet I really am loving the look of it" that I had to drop the whopping $8 on it when I stumbled upon it new with tags at the thrift store last month.

I really like duster/long length jackets as a rule (not quite as much as cropped jackets, though, and it's difficult for me to find them at exactly the right length).

Somewhere, awhile back, I read short/petite women shouldn't wear longer jackets because it makes them look shorter --oh yeah, and we're not supposed to wear large prints either. Too overwhelming for our petite frames.

Well, this outfit illustrates exactly what I think of those stupid-ass rules!

The jacket really reminded me of the old blue transferware floral plates I used to see so often at antique stores/shows when I was in the biz. It's funny because I generally am not a huge fan of florals and blue is one of my least liked colors (although I have come around to liking it more as I've gotten older. The same is true of pink. I would never wear pink when I was young because I thought it made me look too childish with my red hair).

Anyway, I immediately had lots of ideas, both subdued/classic and OTT, for ways to style this jacket when I came across it (like putting it over a blue chambray shirt with faded blue jeans and my blue suede oxfords for a super casual spin on it or pairing it over a column of coral outfit for something more sleek and feminine).

But yesterday it was all about taking the fashion rules, throwing them off the tallest building and watching them smash in a glorious, colorful Spring explosion.

I'm giving myself extra credit points for comfort-zone-pushing because of the fact I also paired it with pink and green. A color combo that I have a poison eye for simply because of the whole preppy connotation from the 70s. This outfit does have "essence of Lilly Pulitzer" and a dash of "ladies who lunch" to it but I thought the OTT nature of it knocked it back from the realm of "let's go meet Muffy at the yacht club, dahhhlings."

Surprising to me that in an office full of gamer guys and gals in t-shirts and jeans, this outfit actually elicited an enormous amount of compliments from the most random of co-workers throughout the day.

What do you guys think? Fashion train wreck or did I manage to pull it off?

So here it is. My Ode to Spring:

Blue and white floral duster jacket: Ann Taylor Loft (thrifted)
Floral/Grass/Lace, etc. printed multicolor t-shirt: Oilily (via ebay)
Hot pink trousers: Banana Republic
Hot pink peep toe pumps: Nine West (via Zappos)
Bag: Coach mini-tanner in Port color
Kelly green leather belt with white leather trim/buckle: Vintage St. John (thrifted)
Kelly green cotton cardigan (not visible in photos and worn for warmth layer. I ended up folding back the cuff on the sleeves of the jacket so the bright green peeked out and the jacket sleeve length looked more flattering after I took the photos): Thrifted
White gold and diamond hoop earrings: Marika's antiques in Boston
White gold and diamond dragonfly necklace: Vintage (via estate buyout)
White and yellow gold with diamonds band ring: Sandwich Antiques co-op on Cape Cod
White and yellow gold diamond engagement ring: This was my grandmother's engagement ring that she gave to me several years before she passed away. It is my most treasured piece of jewelry.

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