Conference Me In

    I flew to a conference last week (and forgot to remove my name-tag in some of the photos) so I was forced to plan my outfits out ahead of time. It was in Boston and I basically under-packed for the weather. I wish I had brought one extra layer to put over a sweater/ underneath my coat. I wish even more that I had brought a hat. Next time.

     First up, my solution to standing out in a sea of black suiting:

Sweater | 360 Cashmere
Pants | Halogen
Shoes | Coclico Arya

Dark Florals

Top | Tanya Taylor Nessa (secondhand)
Pants | Citizens of Humanity (secondhand) 

     As someone who generally loves solid colors, and eschews prints, I was shocked that I was so taken by this top. At first glance, it has a lot going on - bright color, embroidery, long sleeves and an off-the-shoulder cut.  That being said, the print has a bit of a nostalgic pull for me. When I was little I took a Ballet Folklorico class (it is Mexican Folkloric Ballet...and pretend there is an accent on the second "o" in Folklorico, I can't figure out how to do it on Blogger), and a lot of the shirts have this same embroidery flower pattern. I don't remember particularly liking or disliking the dancing, as a child, but I did love the outfits.

     Did you ever engage in extra curricular activities solely for the outfits? Honestly, I feel like most of my excitement over youth soccer involved these elaborate fringed ponytail holders that one of the Team Moms made and sprayed with glitter glue.

Various States of (un)Dress

Dress | Tanya Taylor  (also here, one size up and $15 less)
(and here for way more, if you are into that)
Sweater | J. Crew
Shirt | American Giant

       One of the things that I struggle with, clothing wise, is being too precious with my clothing. If it is a little more expensive, fancier, or more delicate than what I typically wear, then I'll set that piece aside and tell myself that I need to save it for a special occasion. I made a resolution, last year, to do a better job wearing what I own (since it does no one any good sitting in the closet), and I have mostly been trending in a positive direction. 
     This dress is a prime example - I love the print and the open back, but it felt a little too fancy for what I wear on the weekend (and in particular the vibe of the Bay Area) and then obviously too skin-bearing for work. This dress is 100% silk, and the print is amazing. The print sort of looks like flowers but up close is more like paint splotches and I love the blue/red color palette. Also, I am wearing a 0 and it was a little big in the bust. 
       I persevered, and here are the results: