So around a week ago I posted a few photos of some of my flea market finds that Sunday, including this vintage 80's knit sweater/jacket in my beloved earth tones. What sold me on it was:

• it was "my colors"
• I loved the slouchy look and how it draped (even though it is clearly too large/oversized on me it is not overly long on my petite frame)
• it was quite weighty so it would work well as a warmth layer
• the fact that it is woven entirely out of strips of leather!!! I looooove leather
• it was cheap

Yesterday, after getting it back from the cleaners, I wore it to the office. I initially thought I'd go with the whole simple column-of-color look to counteract the oversized/slouchy effect of the sweater. I wore a long sleeve hunter green t-shirt under it and paired it with a pair of hunter green wax coated skinny jeans and a pair of deep green chunky heel, lace up boots.

When I put it on I felt like, even though the woven leather sweater is a bit of a "statement piece" because of the fringes and material, the outfit felt unfinished. I then tried a pale belt and pale boots. I didn't like the belt because the vintage clasping hands buckle on the belt were just "too much" when combined with the sweater.

I did like the pale boots, though, even though it broke up the column-of-color effect. I thought the lighter beige and taupe of the boot brought out the same colors in the sweater (and I like the fact these boots look a bit like WWI military boots). So the pale boots stayed even though the green boots were probably more flattering in terms of leg-lengthening effect. Ultimately I decided on a darker brown vintage belt. Which I thought made the outfit look complete but didn't visually chop me in half.

I've included photos of both the belt and boots that "didn't make the cut" and the original photo of the sweater on hanger when I brought it home from the flea market.

So what do you think? Should I have stuck with the green boots or do the pale boots work even though they're not as conventionally flattering?

Either way I knew the pale, clasping hands belt was a definite no, but provided a photo anyway of it (where it hangs out on one of my antique dress forms when not in use because it is a freakin' cool vintage belt). When I wear it, though, I usually keep everything else super simple and let it be the center of attention (ignore the vintage gold dragons belt above it. That was never an outfit contender with this outfit. It just hangs out on the same dress form with the hands belt).

Vintage knitted leather sweater: via flea market
Hunter green long sleeved tee: Splendid (via Zappos)
Hunter green wax coated skinny jeans: Juicy Couture (via consignment)
Leather and Suede boots: Restricted (NWT via ebay for a whopping $25! Woot!)
Enameled Cicada Bug pendant necklace: vintage thrifted (although some new retailers are now reproducing this design. The new ones are really tinny and cheaply made compared to the original)
Wood & Brass Nouveau Style Ring: Jan Michaels (via flea market at same time as I bought the sweater)
Copper Earrings: via Artist's boutique in SF years ago
Washed leather messenger bag: Campomaggi (via ebay)