I've been giving a lot of thought to my present-day personal style, as well as where I see myself evolving in the coming year compared to what I used to wear. (Some of Angie's recent blog posts on describing your style persona and analyzing your favorite outfits have given me some great food for thought.)

Sometimes it's easier to identify where my style is going by pinpointing where I'm moving away from. I'm less inclined toward horizontal colorblocking - creating high color contrast between my chest and hips. I'm moving away from colorful solids and am more drawn toward pieces that create textural or visual patterns - ikat and animal prints, overlapping layers, stripes, or just combinations of visible layers (turtleneck + dress + scarf, or blouse + waistcoat + blazer.)

I am still in love with pencil skirts and probably always will be, but more and more I like wearing them as if they are dresses, as I've been lucky enough to find tops that match some of my bright, knitted seamed pencil skirts. I'm less wary of booties than I used to be - years ago I really only wore knee high boots or pumps, and now I'm wearing colorful short boots that contrast with the color on my legs. I'm also less hesitant about volume around my bust - lately I've become hooked on the idea of creating faux-infinity scarves by loosely wrapping and pinning my large, patterned wool scarves around my neck. I still heavily "bat for Team Dressy", but I'm moving into a less authoritative, buttoned down style - often literally, as I enjoy the contrast of an unbuttoned waistcoat over a midi dress.

My locks play into this vibe as well - I find that the longer my hair is between cuts, the more I try to experiment by stripping away some of the polish, the classic elements of my style. When my hair is short and choppy, it adds a bit of edge and playfulness, and I don't feel quite as conservative or staid. I'm also more likely to wear glasses, earrings, or pearls when my hair is short and piecey.

Looking through photos of what I have worn in the previous year, I think that the outfits or photos below are most representative of the direction that I see myself heading. But, as usual, I'm still trying to nail down the essence of what has shifted. (Aside from the obvious additions of a shorter 'do, new specs, and my dream handbag!)

Now, if you don't mind, help me verbalize what you see here. What words come to mind with this collection? And if you didn't know me at all, what kind of first impression would someone wearing one of these outfits give you?