Amiable's Blog

I've been enjoying repeats lately. I have summer casual and smart casual capsules working pretty well for me, and am enjoying that.  Here's a few combinations from the first half of July that weren't repeats.  You've seen most of the pieces, I think, but this was the first time I wore them in these combinations.

#1 - #2 red drapey top with striped tube skirt.  Added a jacket for frigid A/C at church. This was the first outing of these nude sandals, and may be the last - the straps weren't comfortable on me.

#3 striped top with boyfriend jeans.

#4 - #5 apple green shorts with button-down top - one chambray, the other woven.  This has become a pretty favorite combo.

#6 - worn for indoor A/C - white jeans with buttondown.

#7 - worn for a July 4th bbq wedding.  I was actually on the dressy side of appropriate, believe it or not! (The bridesmaids were a bit less formal than this outfit)  These white sandals here served me well that day. Do they look current?  

Based on this ensemble, I decided to wear olive and denim together.  It turns out that I like the combination - never mind that the skirt is rumpled.  (Hmm... may have to change that before venturing out this evening).

#1 is how I'm wearing it (birks rather than espadrilles, no topper for a warmish day - mid-90s, F)

#2 is more literal to the ensemble, but the parts don't actually work well here, I see.  (Changed to espadrilles, added a while leather jacket, and tucked the top).

This skirt is new to me - filling the "casual skirt" hole.  I'm thinking that even with it ironed, it might not be flattering enough to really earn a spot in my wardrobe.  What do you think? 

I know, June is over, but I'm still working through my June challenge.  The challenge was to photograph every outfit, rate outfits and items, purge what doesn't work, and make capsules of what does.

My hot-weather casual capsule is here, and I'm happy with it.  Of course, since posting that, our weather has been definitely moderate, not too hot.  I need a moderate temps capsule.

Here's my favorite moderate-temp outfits from June and vicinity.

Some observations:

• I have more variety in moderate temp outfits than in hot-temp outfits
• Moderate temp outfits tend to be less casual for me (partly because church is the most air-conditioned place I go)
• Moderate temp outfits can contain one hot-temp piece with one slightly warmer piece and usually still suit me well.
• Skirts and dresses are generally not warm enough for me in moderate temps, so there's less silhouette variety (I'm fine with that).
• My style in the moderate temps is less well defined.  

As far as a capsule - I think this really goes in to two.  Smart casual in #1-3 and just plan casual in #4+ (veering to very casual in #8-#9).

My favorite is #1, and I felt the most "like me" in 6, 8 and 9.  

I think I'll call my moderate weather casual capsule this:

• boyfriend jeans (#8-9)
• skinny jeans (#4, #7)
• mesh sweaters (I have three, but the only one shown is #6)
• all my hot weather rolled sleeve tops (#1-3, #7-9), but with longer bottoms
• Striped top (#4)

And my moderate weather smart casual capsule this:

• capris (#1, #2, and I also have a black pair and a bright pink pair)
• all my hot weather rolled sleeved tops  (#1-3, #7-9)
• black moto vest topper (I have two other vest toppers to try)
• occasionally a jacket topper (#1, or black moto jacket or jean jacket)

My moderate weather capsules mix nicely with my hot weather capsule to account for just about the whole range of summer temps.

Still to be analyzed/shown:  Hot weather smart-casual wear.

What are your thoughts?  What will make my summer style more coherent and more "me"?  Do you see holes in this moderate-weather capsule?  (My hot weather capsule still has a couple of holes - those are on the previous post)

I've had these culottes for a year, and only worn them once.  I realized that it's because I don't know what top to pair them with.

And this top is in the same boat.  I've had it years, and it doesn't really look like much on the hanger, so I keep forgetting about it.  But when I try it on to purge, I always like it and it stays.  But I don't know what to wear with it.  I keep thinking that it needs something the right beige color on bottom...

Anyway, I decided to pair the two orphans into a smart-casual outfit today, and I think it might work?  

What are your thoughts?  This top, in particular, should it stay or go?  And what else can I wear it with?

In my recent casual hot-weather wardrobe post, I mentioned that I had a few tops that were so far unworn.  This is one of them.

I love the color - it's why I bought it.  Dark red is one of my very favorite colors on me.

However, this has a very dramatic hi-low hemline, and I wonder if it's too much drama for me.  Also, the sleeves are neither tank-top nor sleeved.  Maybe these are cap sleeves?  I feel like it makes my arms look fat....

I wore it today, and the tissue-weight knit was very cool and comfy - I was pleased.

What do you think? Is this top worth keeping?
(feel free to tell me to take a better pic - this one was in way less than ideal light)

No time for outfit commentary at the moment, but here's what I've worn since my last post. :) 

I'm hoping to start work on a "best of" (both outfits and items), and start getting rid of what just needs to go really soon....

I felt like my outfits for week 1 and week 2 of this challenge were pretty successful, and I was tempted to just repeat those outfits.  But I also wanted some variety, and there's so many options in my closet.....

So this week, I added some variety.  And rather than being fun, most felt frumpy.  Oh well - lots to eliminate!  Here they are:

#1 wearing today - I reverted to my FFBO formula of a buttondown with jean shorts, and like this combo.  This outfit stays.

#2 same top with jeans.  The jeans are rumpled, and maybe too big? What do you think?

#3 tried to do a sporty new formula of a knit skirt and tee.  It felt frumpy.  I think both pieces will either go or get altered (perhaps shorten the skirt into a knee-length?)

#4 If I had steamed or ironed this shirt it might have worked here - it's just a button down with boyfriend jeans, and normally this formula works for me.  I like the boyfriend jeans, I'm not sure about the top.

#5 mesh sweater with jeans that need to either change shape or go.  They'll be added to my alterations basket.

#6 I actually liked this outfit - though I wonder if flares miht have been a better jeans choice.  Both of these pieces stay.

#7 outfit combo suggested to me, and while I like the color combo, it feels to texas-tuxedo to me.  All the pieces stay, but I don't think I'll wear them like this again.

What do you think?  Are my assessments accurate?

I'm checking in at the end of the first week of Sterling's June challenge.  I challenged myself to photo every outfit, and rate both the items and the outfits - eventually purging items that don't work, and coming up with capsules of items that do.

I didn't photo every outfit this week (missed one), but there's extras tossed in here that I didn't post from the end of May.  Here they are reverse-chronologically.

#1 - gingham shirt ensemble (from today's post).  I was scheduled for my kids to play in the park with friends, and didn't want to try to pull off white jeans, so went with dark shorts instead.  In the mirror, this outfit seemed to emphasize my broad shoulders, and I didn't like that, but I like the photo quite well.  

#2 Worn out on business (hotel bathroom photo).  I'm loving this black and gray brocade pattern sweater.  It's a bit cropped, so I'm wearing a cami under it, and blue skinny jeans (it was casual dress code).  This may have been my favorite outfit all week.

#3 Another winner in my book - but a bad hotel-room photo (very little light in there) - it's a teal sheer top over a black tank and black bootcut jeans - topped with my black leather jacket because it was chilly.

#4 - a flying outfit - blue bootcut jeans and a plum lightweight sweater.  The sweater is fine, but the jeans make my butt look big, I think.  

#5 - A summer casual outfit - turquoise mesh sweater with navy stripes and darkwash jean culottes.  I'm not a fan of this outfit, nor of either piece - the shorts in #1 are much better than these, and the sweater is just weird proportions.

#6 Olive and black - black cropped pants with my olive shirt and the black vest I bought this spring.  I don't think this works right, but I can't quite figure out why.

#7 A new favorite-ish summer top (it's blue/white railroad stripe with blue extra thick splotch type lines - I'm not even sure what to call it, but it's more interesting than just a basic stripes shirt....)  With the culottes that need to be purged again :)  New-to-me watermelon bag in use - happiness is high on that!

#8 Trying to downplay the brightness of my floral cropped pants with black - does it work?  Somehow it doesn't seem quite right to me, even though I like all the pieces quite well.

What are your thoughts?  Life is pretty busy for me right now, but I'm working toward finding a better work-life balance, and assuming that I'll be successful, my participation here might be able to pick up again.

Life is particularly busy right now, so not only is my participation minimal, but I've missed photographing several outfits.  One of the non-photo ones has become a favorite and been worn twice in the past week - but neither time did I get a photo.

Here's the photos I did get though.  Nothing super special.

#1 is my gray drapey eShakti tunic with black skinnies and my new moto vest.  Does it work?

#2 is new-to me ankle pants (navy), and a new-to-me shirt too (went Good willing last week!).  Oh, and the new-to-me watermelon bag too.  I'm on team wear.  The jacket is the one Kate sent me a couple of years ago.  I still completely love it.

#3 is white and carmelly cognac.  I liked this color combo quite a lot.

#4 was white and brown with blue jeans.  This one didn't really work for me, and I suspect the white lace shell, and maybe also the brown leather bomber, need to move on.  We'll see.

Anything stand out to you that I'm missing?

Yesterday was windy all day (see my hair in pic #2?), and it turned into a stormy night (6 tornadoes were spawned by the storm, though our local sirens were just a warning.  We did get 7 inches of rain though).  Due to extremely muddy conditions, I'm back to indoor shots.  But I do like my outfit today - it's a version of Angie's Lilac, Toffee and White ensemble from last fall.  Mine is lilac, cognac and cream.

Yesterday, I wore gingham checks with jean culottes (at least, I consider them culottes - perhaps they're actually long bermuda shorts).  My feet were so so happy in my birkenstocks.  Made me resolve to find a way to wear them more of the year.

What are your suggestions to improve either of these?