I like the first one a lot, but the second one still looks off to me. I think the short booties aren't quite right with it.

As an experiment, I would try the skirted leggings with the long sweater from #1, your gray orphan boots and a pair of chunky socks that have some gray and black, like fair isle socks maybe, that would just peek out a couple of inches to tie it all together. Might be crazy or might be fab.

I came to this party late. Everyone else said what I would have said.

What is abut vest?

The first outfit, to me, reads as a short dress worn with tights and tall boots. The "shortness" of the dress could be a bit problematic in some settings, but, when worn with your long sweater, tights, tall boots, and a scarf to pull the eye up to your face, isn't out of place for the environment you describe. The skirted legging is a harder because, regardless of what you might want to call the part wrapped around your hip, it looks like a body-con, micro-mini skirt.

But why Una, and not you? Because Una projects a fierceness and attitude that turns a micro mini INTO a butt vest. On her, the skirted legging becomes a RATE piece--and heaven help the male who is dumb enough to hit on her because he thinks he sees a woman in a micro mini. On, you, Suz, it's more perplexing. You have a polished, urban style that can be quirky, fun, and light-hearted, so that swath of fabric around your hips is a cute micro mini instead of fierce butt vest. And "cute" just doesn't seem to do you justice. You could ramp up the edginess, as some have suggested, by spiking your hair and adding a heavy, stompy boot, but you'll always look more approachable than unapproachable. So you get stuck with being a nice lady in a micro mini skirt--as I said, perplexing.

I am going to do the comment then read comments thing again. Your WIW is terrific. The other outfit is sportier looking, but the contrast between the sporty element and the shiny heels is not you. If you wore it with sneakers to the gym it would be different. You are a sporty person but not a sporty dresser. (I am reducing you unabashedly for the sake of discussion.)

eta - and yes the leggings skirt is shorter, and I like what Gaylene said

Thank you all for these insights! I will come back tomorrow with further photos.

Just to note....I DID try the butt vest with tall boots (1) and with the long cardi (2) in my earlier thread. It is so, so interesting what we see and what we don't see. Stylings might not be great, but I definitely tried those ideas.

Oh, and Una -- I have the size small of the Butt vest. Not XS. So same size as you. But, I do have a bum, hips, and thighs, which might be the difference. And I'm taller, but not by much!

BUTT WAIT... (HAHAHA!) I actually got the M, as did LisaP. So I am still in a size up from you. I will go back and look at your pics. Since I actually liked all of them, I didn't look that closely, but I will check again!

Ah! Maybe that was my mistake! Medium might be longer. But it would have fallen down on me...they are already bagging at the knee in my photos....hmmm.

I think Angie nailed it. It's to do with structure and polish.

I am liking the tall boots one now after seeing the soft polished look. I like you way way better doing UP than the soft feminine professional thing. It makes me feel like I've eaten too much cotton candy.

How's that for being difficult?

Nr. 1 is definitely a longer hem, and yess, the long boots help, too:-)). That said, nr 2 is growing on me. The more I see it, the more I like it, esp under a longer coat, for erreands, or so (but NOT for the university presentation you have just had:-)) so comparison is not really fair!!

I did pointed out before, IT'S NOT YOU, it WERE the structured shoes (and maybe the too polished upper half clothing, in general).

I think the first outfit is very you, and you look lovely in it. As others have pointed out, it's the column of colour and the extra length that make the difference for me. Also, I love the long cardigan and the boots with it. As JackieC says, the second outfit would be fine for your home capsule, but lacks the polish of the first.

I agree 100% with Angie:). And just to be controversial, I am going ton be totally honest as say that I think a longer length skirt suits you better and is more flattering...like the length of the dress in #1. And pls note it's nothing to do with your legs, which are lovely.

The difference is definitely the length - as others said it "reads" mini skirt, while the other one doesn't.

Oh, you know what else, the skirted leggings also appear to be maybe a bit tighter than I think they are due to the thicker fabric mix or something. So overall it just reads a bit short/tight, where the other outfit does not.

I agree with the comments that it's hard to compare the two looks because they have such different vibes and are clearly two different outfits for two different occasions. The first one really does read as a dress to my eye. the second has a strong horizontal break, which draws the eye down to your legs and calls more attention to the skirt length, while the first one has the strong vertical line of the open cardigan.

You look fab in both, Suz. This whole skirted leggings thing is REALLY interesting to me because I'm still in a slight state of shock that I heard such positive feedback when I posted the pictures of me trying them. I was not expecting it, even though I was pleasantly surprised that I found myself liking them on me. Honestly, I was mentally preparing myself to read something along the lines of, "Uh, honey, no." But put more nicely, you know.

The EF skirted leggings do have a longer skirt than the ones you're trying on. That's obvious just by looking at the photos of 5'7" me wearing them. But the EF ones are thinner too. The legging portion is not much more substantial than tights, and in fact, I think fleece-lined tights would give more warmth. I wonder if skirted leggings may work for you, but not this particular pair.

Hi Suz, I haven't weighed in on these yet, although I have been following this and your other thread with interest! This is what fascinates me most about personal style - how is it that two things which look similar on a checklist (soft, shorter, black, etc.) can look so completely different, with one working better than the other?

In my opinion, the zip is what makes the skirted legging "not Suz" - first of all, it really draws attention to the skirt, second of all, to me, the zip combined with the skirted legging look amps up the retro 80s factor of the skirted leggings. I would be curious to see you in plainer skirted leggings where they didn't take centre stage so much.

Echoing the sentiment that it's certainly not a matter of body flattery - they do look great on you - but the first outfit to me reads more modern classic, which is more Suz-ish (imho!) than cute retro, which is what the second look makes me think of. Not sure if that makes any sense at all ...

ETA - Just saw Diana's 'faux skeggings' in her WIW wore post about the holey knits - that look I think could be very Suz-esque ...

Gaylene's explanation of why the shorter skirt works better for Una than for you makes sense to me. Some of us (myself included) will never be perceived as "fierce", no matter what we wear, much as we admire that vibe in other women. Your first outfit, with its long lines and longer skirt, does indeed seem more "you." I'd be interested to see you wear skirted leggings with a longer skirt.

Thank you all so much for your thoughtful comments.

I've been mulling some more about it myself. And here's what I think.

I think RACHYLOU is right. In the sense that neither of these outfits is especially "me." Or ideally "me." Or something.

In the past year, I've been trying really hard to collect wardrobe items that work well for my casual life. Things I would actually wear -- not just things that expressed my style perfectly, but might go sitting unworn in my closet.

The problem is, my actual life demands comfort, which includes an element of softness (especially in winter).

But my preferred style is, in fact, more "crisp" or structured.

This puts me in a bind. The outfits that are most personally expressive are also the outfits that I'm not comfortable wearing for my work-at-home life. My "crisper" items -- like button front shirts, jackets, tailored trousers -- go unworn for long stretches of time unless I am travelling to the city or working there.

In summer, I can wear them more often and more easily, because the weather calls for them.

Outfit 1 was more than appropriate to the occasion. I was extremely comfortable in it, both physically and socially. (One of the other presenters was wearing a virtually identical outfit.) The "shortness" of that skirt doesn't bother me in the least, to be honest. In fact, it doesn't even feel "short" to me, worn like this with tights. So I will respectfully agree to disagree with those of you who feel it is still "too short." It would be, in a corporate setting, or if I were a different kind of person -- but for me, worn to this kind of event, it's not.

The long, straight, vertical lines of this outfit helps make it feel slightly more "me," perhaps, than Outfit 2. But overall the outfit is too soft for me. And not "dynamic" enough. There is something missing.

Outfit 2, to my mind, HAS at least some of the dynamism that outfit 1 lacks. At the same time, it remains a bit too soft/ slouchy for me. And I wouldn't be comfortable in the butt-vest.

So. How to combine dynamism with the softness I require in my winter? That is a new question.

That's the million dollar question, Suz ... I struggle with that too. If the thermometer could be set for 15C and sunny, and the agenda set for errands, lunch out and an afternoon meeting, I'd have no worries stylewise! It's that darn reality that messes everything up ...

If the under layers in outfit #1 had been woven - you would have felt crisper. Wearing a knit over a knit takes away the sharpness you're after.

One solution is to wear pants more frequently. You might be feeling the jeans rut.

Angie, I am feeling the jeans rut. That's why I tried to diversify with skirts/ dresses, because that works really well to stave off boredom for me in summer. But woven trousers feel too "precious" for my at home wear a lot of the time. It's not that they are actually uncomfortable. It's more that I don't feel as free to curl up on the couch, run out for a skate at the square, go out on my long walks (they're not as warm). Stuff like that.

So...it's a puzzle. Hmmm.

I prefer #1 to #2 for you as well. #1 reads more sophisticated for the reasons everyone else has mentioned (length, column of colour), while #2 seems too soft.

I don't have time to read all the responses (and I didn't read all the responses in your butt vest thread either) so forgive me if this is repetitive.

Skirt #1 is more of an A-line cut, and even if it's same length as the other, appears to be longer/more modest. (the vertical lines of the cardigan + column of black help with that as well).

Skirt #2 tapers in -- and therefore it is way more body con. AND short. Also, there's the zipper on #2. I may have poison eye here, but that zipper detail reminds me of a sexy little denim mini I had in college, and wore at all the parties.... because of those factors, I might even say that the skirted leggings are MORE sexy & revealing than plain old leggings! A zipper on a skirt (whether functional or not) implies an invitation to unzip. I know that's why I wore it when I was in my 20s.... just saying.. it makes this version of skirted leggings more "date night" than MOTG, to my eye. You are a sexy woman, Suz (you've got rocking hips and thighs), but I always think of your style as being more modest and less come hither.

"Angie, I am feeling the jeans rut. That's why I tried to diversify with skirts/ dresses, because that works really well to stave off boredom for me in summer. But woven trousers feel too "precious"...."

Yes, Suz! I totally relate to this! Plus skirts and dresses are mostly feeling too precious right now too. So you can see why these appealed to me as well.

Summer seems to offer more variety -- more viable skirt silhouettes (because no hosiery required), shorts, clamdiggers, etc.

- fellow jeans-rut sister

I wonder Suz if maybe leggings and a short straight skirt - mini tube or not - wouldn't be the better way to go. Ie, the original look. You'd have more control. And a mini tube to my mind gives more structure. The other thing is, the leggings are black on black. You're not a PIB, so that may also be a factor.

I don't know what I'm missing that's causing all the discussion, but I think you look fantastic in both photos. You look comfortable, modern, well-proportioned, and stylish. I don't know what could possibly be wrong with either outfit.

So I have a weird issue with wovens that perhaps I should share. I don't like wovens with knits, especially knit bottoms with woven tops. When I wear woven tops (which I rarely do) they are structured pants for an overall strict vibe. To me, wearing a crisp shirt with these skirted leggings would feel a bit like I was dressed in two outfits. I may be confusing "woven" with "crisp", though. And I certainly don't associate 'woven" with comfortable at home clothing.

Suz, I also want to point out that you have set an EXTREMELY high standard for yourself in how you dress - impeccable, meticulous and polished (but not precious), you are a platinum Fabber as far as that goes. So we all hold you to that. I feel like my style, being more "sloppy" as it's been put, doesn't have the bar set as high. Should there be different standards for different categories within our wardrobe, or among Fabbers for that matter?

I have that too, Una...

Una, you should try the softened shirts at LOFT. I just bought three of them.

Una (though Rachy is not an IT) I am going to go out on a limb and say that woven tops are not comfy -at home wear for ITS up top but can be for other body types. Maybe not busty hourglasses or extreme pears (because the bottoms of the shirts bind their hips unless unbuttoned). It's similar to why jeans are super comfy for ITs in most cases and also for slim rectangles...but don't feel like comfy "at home" wear to apples or hourglasses. The clothes are working against your body.

In my case, a woven top isn't fighting with my body so I can easily wear it. I want the "comfort" on the bottom because at home, I curl up on the couch, bend and crouch, run out to go skating, etc. Having said that, the "crisp" versions are simply too "cool" to the hand for me to wear them in winter. Flannel shirts have helped here, thanks to Angie's advice.

Janet, I am glad I'm not alone in this feeling about trousers and jeans rut. Although I wish neither of us were contending with it!

Thirkellgirl, it's about my personal style -- it's not only about how it looks in terms of figure flattery. It's about how or whether it is expressive of who I am.

Jennifer, thanks -- yes, the cuts of the skirts are different to a degree, although the blue dress is less A line than it might appear in the pic -- it's a ruched bodycon thing in fact.