We are enjoying unusually warm temperatures here so I thought today might be a good day to experiment with the roomy shirt and shell combo.

But I don't think it is working particularly well here.

For reference, I'm wearing an older cotton cable knit shell from Winner's. It's not exactly "boxy" but it is not super fitted, either. I'd call it relatively fluid fit.

Underneath I am trying my Pleione mixed media top (one of my NAS shopping mistakes, but we will get to that in another post). On me, this is a very roomy top. But it is fluid so it drapes.

I'm also wearing my Ann Taylor leopard print pants, which I pulled out of the donate bin. These pants (bought, stupidly, in petite) are an extremely annoying neither here-nor-there length. I had them let down to the last possible fraction of a cm. but they are still too short for regular length. And now they're not real "ankle" pants, either. I keep wanting to get rid of them but I absolutely love them at this time of year for comfort and the fun pattern. So I end up wearing them each fall and then putting them away.

Note: the outfit is not uncomfortable at all. I'm not tugging, pulling, or otherwise feeling fussy about it; it's more the proportions and visual look I wonder about.

Onwards to the analysis.

First with the vest at regular length.

Next with vest cropped a bit -- this I achieved simply by rolling the welt under.

Next with pants rolled a bit.

Next with pointed bronze Donald Pliner booties instead of the almond toe Munros. I could also use my black booties or my ink blue Zaras (though those ones need a trip to the cobbler).

Next with oxfords.

I dunno. Scratching my head about this one. Does my eye just need to adjust or do I have to do something different here? Is the vest not boxy enough?

ETA: So, now it's warming up even more and for comfort, I'm actually wearing #6! May add my Kenneth Cole cardigan (AKA my other NAS mistake) later this evening when it cools down. But for now, sleeveless is fine...)

It interests me how I revert to my uniform of the semi tuck and pants whenever in doubt...