I read Angie's post today before I got dressed for work, so I had her concepts in mind as I put the outfit together. I planned to wear this olive dress today, but I wasn't sure what accessories or footwear I would add. The dress can be kind of a blank slate for me, as I have lots of warm- and cooler-weather pieces to add to it. (Which is a good thing, because I will be wearing it often through December, as it is part of my work "uniform" this season.)
Today I was wearing my white sports watch, and when I put on the dress, I liked the crisp white watch with it. So I decided to try my stone colored knit double-breasted jacket, and then added cream-and-taupe sandals that also echoed the light tones of the watch and jacket. The jacket and sandals are bookends, and I would say the sandals also bookend my hair--thus, I used idea #4, bookending, from Angie's list. The chunky sports watch with a dress and jacket is a nod to #2, irregular juxtaposition, and I would say the jacket itself incorporates this idea, as it is a double-breasted blazer made out of a very casual fabric, linen-cotton knit, with raw edges. To go further with #2, I might have worn my white sneakers, but I felt there was enough sporty-casual going on already here.
On the dressy or more feminine side, I added brass-toned earrings, a statement-y bolo necklace with a stone that echoes the light tones of the jacket, and a brassy bracelet. I like to wear brass jewelry with the color olive; I prefer brass to gold, because it's more casual and muted. Perhaps this would be considered shine, as in #1, color, pattern, texture, and shine, but it is shine on my terms, i.e., not too shiny! I defnitely thought of #1 when I added the bag with a burnished pewter faux leather and mixed denim-based prints. I feel like this bag really adds something to this otherwise pretty quiet, subtle outfit.
The pieces: Dress Jove in olive and jacket Bony, in pearl (OSKA); cream and taupe sandals (P.Monjo); bolo necklace (Madewell); brass earrings (Marjorie Baer); brass bracelet (Jenny Bird); white sports watch (Casio, Baby G); mixed print bag with pewter faux leather base and handles (made by me).
It was fun to invent and analyze an outfit using Angie's tried-and-true tips for creating interest. Thanks for looking, and I welcome any comments or ideas you'd like to share.
