I was feeling poorly yesterday, and the weather being hot again did not improve my mood (high in low 80s/high 20s). All I cared about was comfort, so nothing form-fitting or heat stroke inducing, and feeling autumn-like despite the uncooperative weather. I started with a cotton cardigan in a super fall colour: this russet isn't the most flattering of shades on me but it's not terribly unflattering either, unlike most autumn shades (mustard yellow=train wreck), so I was thrilled when I finally thrifted a top in the right shade. I wanted to pair it with a woven cotton dress for ventilation and this white one has a couple of inches of ease all around but is fitted without need of a belt, so ideal for lounging. I really love the sewn details on the dress: the little gathers at the waist and the neat woven neckline. It just lacks pockets, which I think is a waste of a lovely full skirt. I thought the juxtaposition of russet and white would be interesting too. In the house, the air conditioning is set to 76 F/24 C, so I could just get away with thin cotton socks to give me a bit of cosy texture. And then I put on my very favourite brooch, a bumblebee, for extra emotional comfort, and called it a day.

When I headed out for my walk later, I decided to put on fall-ish shoes, these olive-y brown loafers (super comfy, from Aurora Shoe Co but came to me via ebay). I usually pair them with jeans or casual trousers, because they're so casual and a bit clunky, but I wanted to try them out here as another layer of contrast (and maximum foot comfort during my walk, since it was too warm for boots). They looked ridiculous with the socks, but without the socks it became a bit lower contrast and looked better. They were a bit visually heavy though so I slung a big scarf around my neck for balance: it's rayon, so not particularly insulating, and by making a big loop well away from my neck I avoided overheating.

This whole silhouette is very much inspired by Japanese sewing books and their stylings. When I was younger, I would have only buttoned cardigans at the waist if I was wearing a full skirt, but about a year ago I came across images online from Japanese sewing books (like http://www.japanesesewingbooks.....n-english/ and http://www.japanesesewingbooks.....e-dresses/) and was completely entranced by outfits that were quite feminine and yet had proportions entirely contrary to conventional Western figure flattery ideas. A lot of the clothing pieces had small tailored details, were in natural fabrics, and of a muted palette. A lot of the stylings use flat shoes too! Some of it was a bit extreme for my taste, but I liked the general aesthetic. It really helped me consciously realise some of my subconscious preferences and made me start buttoning cardigans at just the top button to get a flared out silhouette. Much to my surprise, I liked it on me, and now it's a hot/warm weather default as long as my cardigan has a well placed button. Of course, now I really wish I could sew so I could just make my dream pieces instead of scouring thrift stores for them!

Happiness was as high as it could be. The outfit indulged my desire for autumn and didn't contribute to my physical discomfort and made me feel a bit like a nineteenth century consumptive as I brewed yet another mug of tea and puttered around making soup. Which probably doesn't sound like a good thing to anyone but me. lol

All comments, suggestions, and critiques welcome! Even if you skipped my Proustian outfit narrative and just looked at the photos. ;D Does anyone else love looking at Japanese sewing books? Does that style have a name, because saying 'Japanese sewing patterns' seems a bit clunky?

ETA: avoiding eye contact in pics due to utter lack of makeup or smiling. Sorry!