What I wore:

Burgundy cords, black burnout velvet top, black/white Nordic long cardi

Short freshwater pearl necklace, amber pendant, amber ring, milkmaid braids

Outdoor version: cognac riding boots, black parka, teal bag

New piece(s): black burnout velvet top

Assessment of new item(s) – fit, etc.:

Ok I have struggled with this top in the past. I’ve nearly edited it out several times but now I’m really glad I didn’t because I’ve decided I actually do love it! The cropped, boxy cut can be tricky, but I think conceptualizing it as a layering piece that can add a hit of subtle pattern and texture to outfits will really help me use it effectively going forward.

Is the outfit elevated/cohesive/refined? Yes! Ok, I really pulled out all the stops here and I think it paid off – I am giving this outfit its own post because I think it’s my favorite yet. The idea here was to revisit those burgundy corduroy pants that kind of fell flat in their first outing. I had the idea to dress them up with velvet, sleek tall black boots, plenty of jewelry, an elaborate (by my standards) updo. I just love the result.

Where is the contrast? Casual/dressy, obviously. Value contrast (black and white cardi, black velvet and pearls). Texture: both unity and contrast. Hear me out. Corduroy and velvet have contrasting textures – one a bit rough, one lush. But also, because of the burnout velvet, both the pants and the top have a combination of pile and cut (I feel like I’m missing a couple of technical words here that would help me explain my meaning). So they also have a similar texture – the top just on a larger scale. So it is sort of the texture version of mixing a small-scale pattern and a large-scale pattern. Am I making any sense?

I wish I owned: We have been talking about expanding my bag capsule and landed on the idea of something metallic, maybe pewter. But, I think for mostly dark, burgundy-based outfits like this one, I’d also really like a darker bag – probably burgundy.

Thanks for looking!