Carol has been drawing our attention to the shirtdress and button through shirt of late. Well, Carol, it turned out to be a great reminder for me this week. We'd had hot temperatures for days so I was tentatively planning one outfit for my kid's graduation....only to find that the day itself dawned much cooler and nothing without sleeves would do. What to do?

My trusty shirtdress to the rescue!

We had a very long day, with arrival required two hours before the ceremony, then a looooooooong ceremony, followed by photos, followed by dinner out. Mr. Suz and I had to twiddle our thumbs for an hour and a half between arrival and ceremony, so we elected to go for a walk, and for that, I brought a casual option of my outfit -- denim jacket and sneakers. Back to the car and quick change jacket and shoes and presto, I was ready for the more formal event! (Mind you, people showed up in all levels of dress, from bright pink Docs and shorts to ball gowns and sky-high heels.)

The outfit felt great and we were proud of our graduate, who has had a long and tumultuous road to get here.

What I wore: 1901 dress, Naturalizer shoes, Zara jacket, Pom Pom London bag and rainbow strap in solidarity with my kid. Denim jacket and Cole Haan sneakers for the walk.

This dress is absolutely stunning quality fabric. It barely wrinkles (despite being cotton). I wish Nordstrom had kept up with that 1901 label.

I don't wear this often, but wow, I'm so glad to have it in the closet. Ditto for the little Zara jacket -- it hasn't had a lot of outings but it has still been an excellent purchase. YLF has taught me the value of keeping seldom worn items in the closet if they fill a specific role. No shopping required, and no last minute panic.

How about you? Have you pulled an oldie but goodie out for service lately and thanked yourself for hanging onto it?