On Wednesday I wanted to not think about my clothes, so I opted out of the photo challenge. It was in the high 60s/low 70s (19-22C), with a projected high of 77/25C, so I wanted something that felt autumnal but wouldn't make me overheat. This sweater dress was the easy answer: it has lots of lovely texture but is primarily cotton (blended with wool and nylon) so isn't too warm. I got it as my birthday dress when I turned 24, after stalking it on the Anthropologie site for ages, and I've loved it ever since! I think I accidentally stretched the neckline out a bit by storing it from a hanger instead of on a shelf, and now that I'm older I prefer a bit higher neckline anyway, so I just threw on my favourite silk cami underneath, with lace detailing. Somehow my fox brooch was calling to me, so I added it with my gold bracelet & ring; my feet were chilly so I also pulled on some handknit socks for around the house. So let's see...navy blue and taupe, lots of texture, detail at the neckline, fit & flare silhouette...definitely in my comfort zone!

Since we've been having an interesting conversation about body shapes, I guess I should say that I'm pretty sure this is one of the most conventionally flattering pieces I own. The flutter sleeves don't exaggerate my shoulders, the knit fabric actually follows my own waist without a belt, and then the full skirt adds just a bit of breadth to my hips to balance out my shoulders/make my waist look smaller. And since it's a skirt, my legs look longer as the actual spot they begin is hidden. I also took my mirror down; I'd noticed in pictures that my body outline looked a bit different than it does when I look in the mirror, and I thought maybe the reflections of fabric from my wall mirror had something to do with that. I think I was right, but I'm probably too lazy to take it down every day, lol.

I decided to check out a new park for my walk, and I wasn't sure what the trails would be like, so I wanted to wear my real hiking boots. I switched my socks for brown ones to match (these are actually knee highs and usually I bunch them more artfully, hehe), and then I thought it'd be fun to see how much girliness I could take out of the dress. It was still fairly cool, so I added my utility jacket (now de-militarised, as Alexandra put it) and then bookended the boots with my glasses. I only need glasses for distance stuff, primarily driving and watching movies, and it's so sunny here that I use my prescription sunglasses most of the time. But it was overcast, and I figured the woods has enough distance that I wouldn't get a headache wearing them! They're a couple of years old, and it won't hurt my feelings if you don't think they're flattering, as I don't need to wear them in most settings. My first pair were slimmer and metal, but the smaller lens limited my field of vision, because glasses slide down my nose (no bridge) and the metal never felt great, so when my prescription changed I knew I wanted something different. These were the only larger plastic ones in the store when I went, and they were so cheap I was able to get the sunglasses via insurance and pay for these out of pocket, which was important since driving was my priority!

Anyway, what does everyone think of the jacket now? More my style/flattering enough or should I send it back to Goodwill? I only had 6 matching buttons so just replaced the front ones & cuffs; I thought I'd wait to add buttons to the pockets until I knew I was keeping it. And of course any comments/suggestions on the entire outfit are always welcome.