Emily's post made me run over and watch the first Outlander episode (available for free online in the US here), which as she said is full of lovely post-WWII style.

After watching the episode, I felt like putting together a 1940-ish ensemble, so today I defied the 100+/40 degree heat and reached for a fitted skirt. This one is the least full of my skirts (and actually up for debate as to whether or not it deserves a place in my closet, although the giant patch pockets endear it to me), which seemed better for the 40s (I think it was actually homemade in the 70s). I knew I'd need to keep the top sleeveless & breezy to keep myself comfortable inside, and this lacey cream blouse, with pintucks for good measure, seemed a good option. My hair needed to be off my neck, but I'm still not up for anything fancy, so I just pulled it into a low ponytail. I actually wanted feedback about whether the ponytail looked alright, but it doesn't show in the pics! Oh well. Usually I'd add some accessories, but I worried anything would compete with the blouse's delicacy, so I left it simple. I also couldn't add a belt because the skirt has ties in the back.

To be honest, I suddenly realised I was running late and needed to get out the door, so I wore these shoes because they're the only slip on summer shoes I have & they were next to the door & I was in a rush. I do also have my Dansko cognac chunky heeled sandals, if this longer hemline requires a shoe boost. I've thought about raising the hem a bit, but I think then the giant pockets would look wonky.

For sun protection while driving, I opted for a blue jacket after admiring Claire's so much. Mine is lightweight cotton, more suited to my climate as I (sadly) don't live in Scotland, and another piece that I'm considering culling, although I love the colour & shape, because I suspect it's just too big. Inside (I wore this to my book club meeting), I stuck with just the blouse & skirt, because I thought the bare arms really helped the proportions. And I went for a walk close to sunset so that I wouldn't need the jacket, as I'm sure I would have overheated in a fitted skirt & any extra layers!

In light of IronKurtin's post, I'm deliberately trying to be silent about how I felt in the outfit & present it more neutrally so that people feel comfortable giving negative as well as positive feedback. As I said, both the skirt & jacket are up for debate already, and this is a slightly different silhouette than I'd usually wear (longer hemline, less full skirt) and all feedback is welcome (I did just eat a lovely Tex-Mex dinner with fro-yo for dessert, which the bias cut of the skirt is kindly highlighting for you guys, lol). Feel free to dissect/criticise/nitpick to your heart's content: I have a tough skin & just enjoy talking about style & clothes, so it's easy for me to separate myself/my body from possible problems in the outfit. Of course, if you like it, that's good too!

And after writing possibly the longest disclaimer ever, I'll shush for awhile. After people have left comments, I'll let you know how I felt in it! For newbie members, my guiding style mantra is 'storybook gamine.'

ETA: Oh, see I hadn't thought about the length of the jacket as being the issue. Here it is in quick webcam pics with the shortest jacket in the my closet: is that better? Or should I aim for something in between? And thanks for the quick feedback.