Cute? Or Flattering?

I am generally more entertained by commercials than the show I am purportedly watching. When I first saw those A T & T commercials with the little kids (especially the one where a girl pretends to be a werewolf), I fell off my chair laughing. 


A clever commercial in rotation now is the "X or Y" commercial from Ford, where the car owners consider that AND is better than OR. My favorite is the police that protect OR serve. "Hey, stop right there! Can we get you something to eat! We have a nice sea bass with rice or roasted vegetables!"

Hee hee. Oh, all right, I'm easily amused, but this made me think of yesterday's outfit (no picture, sorry), which was definitely cute. But was it flattering? All the pieces were cute: pink linen jacket, a tank in navy and pinks, and a raspberry pencil skirt. The jacket is styled like a denim jacket (seen here with a dress):

 

That pale pink is a good color on me and there is pretty embroidery inside the cuffs. But is it flattering? It is a little boxy, and the wrinkly nature of linen mixed with denim jacket styling means lots of rumpling around the placket, pockets, etc. The jacket construction means it is impossible to alter as well, so I can't nip in the waist a bit. And for me, having a waist is EVERYTHING.

Sometimes it feels like someone is moving the goalposts. What kind of world do we live in where cute is not enough!!! Ahem.

This morning, I cast a stern glance at this combination:

Talbots swishy skirt, Lord and Taylor cardigan, Kenneth Cole sandals. Now, I have been stopped by strangers on the street complimenting these shoes, and their lightness certainly suits the airy fabrics I am wearing. Better than these shoes:   

But the longer leg (because of the three inch heel) is more flattering than the perfectly flat sandal.

So. Cute? Or flattering?

Spots and Blooms

I trundled two large bags of clothes off to Goodwill on Sunday, and saw these along the way.

It was delicious outside; cool but brilliantly sunny, and Des Plaines looked its best. Many yards had been mown for the first time, all the fruit trees were blooming, and the air smelled fresh and sweet. As I was walking, a friend pulled alongside and called out "Happy Mother's Day!" Ben called me in the morning too, of course.



The next day found me back at work, and I wore my new Ann Taylor polka-dot jersey dress. Still cool enough then to wear tights and boots, but it is 80 degrees today.

The face and the empty dish say volumes.

This definitely needed a bright red necklace or a splash of non-matchy color, but I couldn't quite get there. Here is the dress on its own. It is very stretchy and flattering, but boy, I think I look pretty darn big in this picture. Hmmm.

Black and Blue and White

Obvious, easy and sharp. I get a lot of mileage out of this Talbot's cardigan, don't I? I'm wearing drapey black crepe pants, a white button-front shirt and the workhorse sweater, all from Talbot's, and heeled ankle boots from Anne Klein.

i tried to get a shot of my fluffy chiffon pin, but did so while I was wearing it (badly) and then didn't want to take the time taking it off, shooting it, and then putting it back on. It has a fussy clasp.

Try not to be blinded by my collar.

 Next time I'll wear a black and white scarf that I bought a while ago - polka dots!

A World of Meh

So, I wore this to the all-staff meeting on Wednesday. Talbot's cardigan and ruffled sleeveless knit tee and velvet pants.

And that is the last you'll see of these black flats, which I loved so much for so many years. *sniff* I had to retire their cream boot cousins last year. They were like a teddy bear whose fuzz has worn off and who has only one eye.

Kenneth Cole Reaction back when that name meant something.

And then I wore this on Thursday (those are Me Too walking flats). Kohl's Apt. 9 dress via eBay, pink linen J. Jill jacket.

It was finally warm enough to try out these new sandals at work (not on the pavement) to see if they would be comfy.

 

Earthies Sienna!

They were very stable, and they look so cute on! I only wore them for a few hours yesterday, so I'm going to give them a callback audition on the next warm work day. I'm a little concerned that the pale, leather-covered heel will ding up pretty quickly. I didn't pay much for them (6PM, my friends, the show that never ends.)

You can tell that nothing thrilled me this week. Monday night I left my phone at work, and Tuesday it was dead when I got home and I didn't want to wait around in work duds while it recharged, so no pics either night. I can't remember what I wore AT ALL, except that I wore the Born boots both days. Ha!

Cobalt and Black, with Elf Shoes

Constant reader, for some reason yesterday's blog post did not register in Google Reader. Scroll down for more Chic Librarian fun!

This Titian blue cardi is a garment that I treasure, and I fear the inevitable day when it must be retired. "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!" I really need that on a t-shirt. The cardigan, tee and velvet pants are all from Talbot's.

This outfit could use a red scarf, don't you think? Again, the accessories are not bold enough. The shoes are fun, people always notice them, but they're not as comfortable as they look. The soles are thin and I feel every grain of sand under them, as if I were the Princess and the Pea.

Rieker loafers, Fossil watch, legacy necklace from my dear friend Rob, and turquoise earrings from eBay. I just ordered a big red nautilus ring, which will help, but a red scarf is going on my wish list.

I spent two hours in a payroll webinar today, and I'm kind of fried. Have a great weekend!