Last Saturday our dear friends Bridget and Derek took us out for a belated birthday celebration at the Queen Mary, my favourite place to have High Tea in Seattle. I felt both celebrated and spoiled. I usually have tea with girlfriends at the Queen Mary, but it was brilliant to have the company of our fabulous boys this time round.
In true Seattle style, you’ll see a variety of dress codes at the Queen Mary. From people wearing sports gear and sneakers, to jeans and t-shirts, pretty dresses with heels, and everything in-between. I wore a creative business casual outfit that day, one that I often sport when out and about with clients.
I’ve been off my skirts for a while, apart from my new midi and this four year old cream and black high waisted number. For this leg of my style journey, I’m after something other than a “pencil skirt, blouse and heels” ensemble. Stirrup leggings with pencil skirts do it for me, and I am still all over wearing cropped leggings with skirts. I saw this look on the streets of Hong Kong a few years ago and instantly fell in love with it. I absolutely understand that wearing cropped leggings under a dressy graphic pencil skirt is not everyone’s cup of tea. Most would probably prefer the outfit sans the leggings. I like how they add an unexpected edge, dress down the outfit, and above all, keep me warm.
This pencil skirt tapers in at the seams which adds curves to my hips. I like a basic button down best with this skirt, so my Brooks Brothers shirts come to the rescue. I chose black to bookend the black leggings on the lower part of the outfit. A little scrunch and pop adds interest to the look.
To combat the severity of black straight up against my pale and blonde face, I added a new pearl necklace. It was a gift from a good friend who lives in Europe and I simply adore it. It’s solid, well made, different and gold.
Black, white/cream and red is one of my all time favourite outfit combinations because it’s classic and strong. Ms. Valentino came out to play and complimented the gold accessories with a smile. She is still my very best handbag of all time.
I first finished off the look with two toned Stuart Weitzman ballet flats, but Greg and I agreed that the outfit needed a little heel. So I popped on the my taupe peep toe booties to balance out the proportions.
High Tea was DELICIOUS and we had a super time chatting, laughing and eating. After tea Bridget offered to take a few shots of Greg and I which is a VERY rare occurrence because Greg usually takes control of the camera. Derek said something that cracked me up, Greg was about to kiss me, and for Bridget, that was a camera moment. As you can see, my Greg also bats for Team Polka Dot.
Our statuesque friends Bridget and Derek always look great. They like to wear bright colours, which makes my heart sing. Thank you Bridget and Derek for a wonderful morning at the Queen Mary!
When a top is tucked into a bottom that has belt loops, the outfit looks better to my eye when it is worn with a belt. Empty belt loops look naked to me, and I desperately want to add the coverage. It adds a polished touch to the outfit. I guess my preference makes sense because I bat for 
