That Grey Skirt

I had something entirely different laid out for this morning, but it seemed too much "work", by which I mean it felt like I had to hold my stomach in all day. I was going to wear the yellow pencil skirt, a black and white long sleeved top and a yellow skinny belt. It looked good, no doubt, but it also felt, I don't know, sort of attention-drawing. I didn't feel up to that. Puzzling.

So I went to my closet and thought about Favorite Things.

I love this J. Crew striped shirt. They don't call it the Perfect Shirt for nothing. It's just the right length for my new (ahem) grey skirt. Then I thought about my red Boden boots, also beloved, and the rest was easy.  Seriously, when I put this on I didn't even REMEMBER this picture. From, you know, five whole days ago.

Funnily enough, the Rotary "boys" (all in their 60s) made a big fuss over me and the red leather boots at lunch.  I felt like a go-go dancer (young and blithe). So trying to avoid attention didn't exactly work out.

Purple, Camel, Red and Goals

Quite chilly this morning, so I'm in cashmere (I swear this sweater is purple, not blue), wool and boots, but no tights yet, I can't make myself put them on. I'm plenty shielded from the wind and the magical Skimmies give me a nice smooth line. Magical, I tell you. This outfit is a little bland, eh?

A patterned skirt would have been a better idea.

Delightful chunky Loft bracelet on sale! Love!

Over the weekend, I thought about wardrobe goals. I was reading an article about three women and their clothing budgets for fall (from $400 to $3,000), and what they planned to purchase. My own goals are decidedly blurry, if you don't count "stumbling on things I really like and deciding whether or not I can afford them". I want to thin out my closet, as it feels crowded, and I want to raise the ratio of delight in each piece. I had the unsettling experience of muttering to myself for a week, "Gee, I sure could use a purple scarf, that would jazz up my fall wardrobe no end," and then FINDING a purple scarf in my closet. I don't even know what I own.

So I spent some quality time sitting on the couch, thinking about what I have ardently wanted in the past year, what I stopped wanting, and what I still want in my closet. I decided that most of the things I currently want are ephemeral or too driven by trends - something burgundy for example, when that color has never been that flattering on me. I have lots of purple and dark red in my closet; that'll do, pig. Ditto with a pair of bright blue slim jeans - really? Will I still like those two weeks after I buy them?

Last year I really wanted a pair of beige suede ankle boots. I have beige flannel pants that I wear frequently, and dark shoes look a little jarring. They need to be a bit dressy; last year I wore my leopard boots in this situation and that was generally fine. Leopard is the new beige. Anyhoo, I saw these at the mall over the weekend:

Nine West Bleaker

I didn't try them on, so have no idea if they are comfortable.

I also have wanted a new military-style olive jacket for a long while, and since I couldn't find one (I did but waited for it to go on sale, and thus missed my chance) that sort of morphed into a parka of some kind, with a hood. I have several dressy fall coats (leather, suede), and a true winter coat with a hood, but nothing that would be good for the frequent walks I take in cool weather. I tried on a few at the mall, but they were all too voluminous in the hips. I looked like the Liberty Bell.

This summer, I started yearning for a cognac/tan shoulder bag. I really liked my Kenneth Cole bag (eBay), but as nice as it is, the handles don't stay on my shoulder. I am always fussing with it. A crossbody bag or a single strap hobo might be more stable. I've bought and returned two bags that weren't quite right, and this quest has become about the things I don't like: chain handles, dark interiors, glazed leather, heavy hardware.

The last item I've been thinking about for the last year is short red boots. Hard to find without a high heel, let alone in the "right" red. I showed you the Miz Mooz western option last week. How about these?

Nine West Paperlane

The dilemma is that I think I would also like to wear them with dresses, and the ankle boot might not be the right silhouette. Maybe I would MAINLY like to wear them with dresses, not pants. And if I do wear them with dresses, do I need a similar red belt? You see how difficult it is to set goals? And DEAR LORD, these are such white girl problems.

There you have four reasonable fall goals:

1. Casual, hooded, short-ish, warm coat
2. Brown-ish handbag
3. Beige ankle boots
4. Red short boots

None of these are really absent from my closet (perhaps #4), but rather are improving on what I already own. My faux shearling short jacket doesn't have a hood. It's a tragedy.