I wore this on Friday to give a presentation about Cuba to a group of middle schoolers. I managed to snap a quick photo before I left the house that morning, but my hair is still a little damp here. And boy, I cannot wait to get to the salon this week — my greys are taking over!

I wanted to wear something that straddled the casual/professional line and hinted at my creative career. I don’t want to overshadow or compete with the vibrant photos I’m showing, but I do want to display some personality.

I went with black skinnies, long black vest, patterned blouse, and tall burgundy boots. I pulled out this magnetized brooch I got years ago to punch up the vest a bit and pull out more of the burgundy from the boots. I was standing behind a podium for the talk, so I think this strategy worked.

In retrospect, I think the proportions of this vest look better with bootcuts, but I didn’t want to go as casual as blue denim, and I thought long black vest + long black bootcuts would be too much black.

It is not necessarily my favorite outfit lately but it worked well enough. I did like wearing the brooch — I think I’ll have to try it on a hat or coat too.