A Study in Style

Every night evening before I go to sleep, I lay out my outfit for the following day (don't laugh - I used to do it for the entire week when I was in high school).

Sometimes I keep it understated and timeless, sometimes I favor splashy prints, sometimes I'm inspired by silks and exquisitely embroidered details, sometimes I build my whole outfit around a long-forgotten accessory, sometimes I err on the feminin and floaty side, sometimes I play professional with a cropped blazer and tailored trousers, sometimes I go for a cozy flannel and a sweater stolen from the boys, sometimes I'm cheered by preppy stripes and tiny polka dots, sometimes I'm drawn to empire waists and sequined sashes, sometimes I throw my hands up in the air and just pair black yoga pants with a running zip-up...

I don't think I have much of a particular style just yet. The finer points are that I'm pretty matchy-matchy, admittedly picky about how fabrics feel agaist my skin, and very fussy about things that wrinkle easily or stretch out after an hour. Since nothing looks appealing in my closet today, I thought I'd take a virtual shopping trip to create tomorrow's look.

This outfit would be just perfect for a leisurely walk through the farmer's market before a brunch date downtown (although who am I kidding? You know I'm a breakfast or lunch type of girl).

Onyx flare jeans from DL1961 and Jenna's cardigan from J.Crew (a sheer genius cropped and fitted sweater with three-quarter sleeves that would show off the tails of a corset-inspired tank from Girls from Savoy) would ward off dawn's brisk ocean breeze.

Ray-Ban® Small Aviator™ RB3044 sunglasses, made especially for smaller women's faces (and easy to pull from Marc by Marc Jacobs' packables striped shopper), would make an appearance by mid-morning to help soften the summer sun.

After strolling through Portland's cobblestone streets, I would be feeling thankful for my comfortable walking shoes (playful black and white spot plimsolls from Boden) and quite pleased with my $30 cherry red bling studs by JoJo.

By the time we sat down to hear the specials at our favorite bistro, I would be covertly admiring my royal blue manicure (Mezmerized by Essie) and my new Saundra Messinger silver ring (with a tiny diamond cushioned in her signature matte finish). 

So maybe that's my style: a fitted but functional mostly black and white study of splurges and saves, brightened by a few punchy bursts of color.