Thank you all; you're way too kind. I wasn't satisfied with this look and did not feel fab. I wanted to take pics to try to figure out why. And it really was helpful to do so. I think part of the reason Angie's look worked so well was its super polish - it was boyish, but very crisp. The softness of my linen shirt along with the casualness of the sandals spoiled this one for me. And the jacket isn't the right texture, either.
Denise, you really DO have a great eye and I think a lighter belt might have been nice here for sure. (I don't own one, but can imagine one landing in my shopping cart very soon, LOL!).
I will say, however, that this one actually DOES echo the shoe IRL. It is a medium blue grey suede, which is almost exactly what the top part of the sandal is. The sandal's grey is admittedly lighter (and for some reason looks even lighter in the photo), but is also suede. So there is a textural echo as well as the colour that just doesn't show in the photo. Interesting.
Claire, this is indeed THE fuchsia suit jacket. As predicted, I have already worn the top four times, so CPW for this baby is going down fast! The jacket's on its second outing.
And I agree the Docs would have worked. I thought of wearing them but worried it might be muddy, plus the heel, even though substantial, might not have been great for standing on uneven ground.
Ali - I DO have a photo of last year's outfit: It's in this thread: http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....ump-on-the
Quite a difference, as you can see!
I think a couple of things bothered me about this year's:
1. The jacket. It's not nipped in at the waist. It's quite straight and boyish, and also longer than most jackets I'm used to wearing. I'm not that comfortable in it, despite its wonderfully scrunchable sleeves.
2/ I'm especially not comfortable with the contrast in textures between this lightweight silk jacket and the heavier denim.
3. Most of all, the sandals. They are just TOO casual for the jacket. I didn't really see it until I saw the pic. They were the best thing I had in my closet given the circumstances, but they were far from ideal. Fortunately they are super comfortable so at least I wasn't in pain!
4. Ultimately, even though most people don't really dress up for this (the overall vibe is sort of professorial boho) I would have felt better in a dress than jeans. I was really glad to have covered legs - what I wore was weather appropriate. But it just didn't feel festive in the right way for me. I wanted something more feminine.
So - lesson learned! Thank you for humouring me!
