Fall Style: I'm Outside! #OOTD Back to Work
This week I went back to my 9-5 in-person. Even though I'm on a hybrid schedule where I have an opportunity to work from home for a couple of days during the week, it's the most I've been outside my pandemic bubble in 18 months. It's also the most I've been up at dawn, dressed and wearing a bra for more than 8 hours in a day for just as long. I foresee making the transition from any kind of bra with a wire to bralettes in my very near future.
Speaking of wearing items for an extended period, let me mention shoes; specifically, shoes with a heel of any kind. After traipsing around my apartment, "the bubble", barefoot or in house slippers, to and from the mailbox and garbage shoot in flip-flops, or in sneakers for a walk around the block or during the few and far between errands out in the world, my feet have not been burdened by the feel of shoes in almost 2 years. I put them on to take outfit pictures and create fashion look books, but -even then- it's a temporary inconvenience for a few hours and it's back to barefoot city. Has this quelled my love for shoes? Absolutely, not! In fact I've purchased quite a few in the past few months in preparation for Fall and returning to work in-person, but most have been heels to upgrade my look and complement my new, more mature, style. However, after being mostly flat-footed for so long, my first foray back into the high-heel life was a struggle. It was touch and go on that walk from my apartment to the car and during short walks to and from the office kitchen, but by the end of the day my sea legs returned. To be fair, they weren't a familiar pair of old heels that my feet could navigate on muscle memory alone, but new ones, which upped the ante for my first heeled trek in the outside. Thankfully, the shoes were cute, so I persevered. A couple more wears and we'll be old friends. They were the perfect accessory to complement an old plaid shirt and a new pair of high-waisted, wide-leg trousers.
GET THE LOOK!
Plaid Button-down Shirt
No, it's not Burberry, but it sure does look like it, and for a fraction of the price. I love the color and pattern of this plaid and actually fell in love with it before knowing about the Burberry brand. I discovered the plaid on Ebay, but the vendor didn't have my size. During my hunt for another vendor who may have it in stock in my size, I stumbled upon the Burberry version for hundreds of dollars. And then I realized the shirt I saw Ebay was a dupe (or blatant copy) of the Burberry tartan. Ah, well. When you have good taste and short money or prefer not to spend exorbitant amounts of cash on a shirt, there's always dupes. I purchased mine around 2014/15 when the shirt was a hot commodity. Now, you can find them "Used" or NWT on places like Poshmark for less than $100. My dupe is still going strong and was of surprisingly good quality, although not Burberry quality, which is fine by me. I vibe with the style; the branding is not of any importance to me. If you like the look, I've linked some dupes below, as well as the actual Burberry shirt if the extra quality and branding is your jam.
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Utility Pants
Cargo pants, how do I love thee? Always a fan, but they often come in and out of style. When they were in fashion hot and heavy around 20 years ago, I had them in every color and fabric. Throughout the years, though, I only kept a few pairs for more relaxed "weekend" looks, but they seem to be making a comeback beyond leisure. For my look above, I wore this dress-pant version for work with a nice shirt and heels to elevate them for a semi business casual ensemble. The pair I'm wearing is from boohoo, but is no longer available. Similar styles are linked below if you have an appreciation for utilitarian/cargo pants; wide-leg and high-waisted.
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BooHoo (NA)
Shoes & Belt
These are the shoes I'm wearing in the photo. Not too high and easy to walk in; at least they are now. The little gold trim detail at the top of the heel is such a nice touch to bring what could be an ordinary pair of neutral shoes to life. Adds a little extra pizzazz and makes them look like I paid extra, when in fact I saved my coins!
The black belt is on the wide side as it's a tad larger in size than a typical belt, but not overly big as the standard wide belt. It's the Goldilocks of belts. Not too big and not too thin. I love the utilitarian look of the buckle and strap that doubles over the wide part of the belt. This is absolutely meant to be worn on the outside and not slipped into a belt loop; perfect for cinching in your waist over shirts, dresses and jackets.
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Eyewear
I've never been drawn to square shaped eyewear, but in my quest to try things I don't normally gravitate towards - to shake things up a little - I picked up a pair. Normally, I try to stick with eyewear that's small and fits my petite head. Anything too big could easily take over my face and appear overwhelming. These, however, didn't feel that way even though they're a smidge oversized. Maybe it's the clear brown acrylic that makes them feel lighter and appear less like they take up a ton of real estate on my face. I LOVED them! The exact pair I'm wearing is linked below, along with a couple of other similar styles at various price points.
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SHEIN
Jewelry and Watch
Saw this watch in a magazine AD, years ago, and it was lust at first sight. From the time I was a kid, Timex had a reputation for being a quality watch. It's slogan used to be, "It takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. They eventually went from being very expensive to more affordable, but also kinda fell off the scene as an "in your face" brand. Other watch makers began to dominate the market, but it seems Timex continued to thrive quietly in the background. So, when I saw the ad in a magazine I was somewhat shocked they were still around. I was in the market for a good watch at the time, not so much for providing the actual time, but just to accessorize outfits. Something that was two-toned (gold and silver) was on my wish list, but I laid eyes on this baby and my mind was changed. Didn't buy it right away and a few years passed before I thought about it, again - this time, cheaper than when it originally came out. Thirty dollars was well spent for the Metropolitan watch, which I now see retails from $40-$50. It really does class up an outfit, takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'! Not too flashy and not too boring. Just right.
BAG
Recently, I wrote about adding more fun and smaller bags to my wardrobe. However, that doesn't mean I've given up on the practicality of a large tote for work. It's great for carrying larger items like a laptop or tablet, along with any other essentials you may need for a day spent far from home at the office. This black croc embossed bag is one of my favorites. I believe I picked it up at a Ross or Dds Discount store for less than $30. It's about 5-6 years old and for a bag that I don't believe to be genuine leather, it's held up quite well. Because it's black it, it pretty much goes with any and everything and I love a croc embossed detail, which I think gives any outfit a touch of class and luxury without paying luxurious prices! Below, are a couple of similar affordable options, as well as the real deal on the higher end of the price spectrum.
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