Springing, or Holiday Dress

So, remember how I'm the type to dress for the holidays?  Well, green is my favorite color and I promise, I wore this on Tuesday and didn't realize until blogging it that it would post on the 17th.  Well, Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Given how I spent my entire life before college my background, St. Pat's is one of the High Holy days and though I haven't laced up those dance shoes for gosh, nearly eight(!) years, it still strikes me as odd to carry on with life as usual around this time of year.  Today, for example, I am studying for tomorrow's exam on Reproductive Physiology, when I *should* be drinking Guinness.  Alas...

Occasion: seriously professionalizing

You may also recall how strange it was to dress like a responsible adult for three days in a row.  This past week only -- "only" -- had two such occasions, but Tuesday had three different events totaling 6.5 hours of my day which mandated professional attire.  6.5 hours!  It's as if it's for real, now.  (And what 6.5 hours they were!  Lab with preggos, feeling their bellies and learning to do ultrasounds; interviewing applicants; and learning/performing actual pelvic exams, speculum and all, on an actual woman, who was a phenomenally patient and gracious teacher.)

Weird pose -- trying to show off all my little bits, and not look like a dork in the process.  Success on the first, not so much on the second.

Sweater: INC, thrifted | Blouse: INC, thrifted | Skirt: Express, inherited from an old roommate | Tights: Target | Shoes: b.o.c. by Born, thrifted | Watch: plundered from the mister | Earrings: old favorites

Coming up next, I've got a 10-day trip featuring four vastly different environs: a professional conference, relatively formal social events in Florida, Orlando's theme parks, and family time/Irish dance viewing in Boston.  How will I piece together 10 consecutive days' worth of outfits for two or three different climates and fit it all into one suitcase?  Truthfully, I have no idea -- so, tune in to find out!

Comfy Cozies

After long, hard weeks, the weekends are for rest and recovery.  Returning to favorites -- comfort foods, comfort clothes.  Warm fuzzies and cool neutrals.

Occasion: a studious Saturday

Grey and navy, stripes and corduroy, rustic earrings and cozy socks.  No shoes, because I'm not leaving the house.  Perfect for a long day of studying, punctuated by cups of tea and finished with an episode (or three) of the good Doctor. 

Shirt: Old Navy, thrifted | Corduroy skirt: thrifted | Leggings: Target | Socks: Smartwool, via REI | Earrings: Target

I like ice cream and clever t-shirts and unique earrings and good cheese, but if you want to make me love you forever, and I am so not exaggerating, the way to my heart is with really nice socks.  I like cute shoes, and I love going barefooted, but deliciously thick socks are one of the best things about cold temperate living.  

True story. 

Pattern Mixing x Three

I have worn this outfit three times in the past six days.  This was a week of exams, leaving very little brain power for anything else -- when you find something that works, you run with it.

Occasions: 1) studying at home  2) exams & studying at school  3) churching

This is also a [kind-of] three-way pattern mixing, too -- I was drawn to the bright poppy colors and large-scale floral print (#1) of this dress, and especially how the impressionistic rendering is very much ikat (#2) in style.  Then, top it off (bottom it off?) with the argyle tights (#3).  The brown oxfords are a recent thrift score, and I was quite pleased to find that they color-match well with the tights, which I've had for ages.

Dress: thrifted | Jacket: thrifted | Tights: Kohl's | Shoes: thrifted

To be completely honest, it wasn't exactly the same outfit each time -- the second day I was cold, so I had a green sweater over the dress & under the jacket, and today was gloriously springy, so the dark tights & oxfords were swapped for cropped leggings and crochet skimmers.  Still, variations on a theme, which is now one of my favorite outfits.

We've talked about repeating outfits before, but what about tweaks?  What do you do with your favorite ensembles -- wear 'em strictly the same each time, or change things up a little?