Mostly pantsless 2011: the art of layering

I tried something new the other day... used my sweater to create the silhouette of the outfit, belted on the outside of the sweater to create an interesting touch. I also added my new charming moss green tights to the mix, since I'm in such a fall mood.
I'm really proud of how the outfit turned out.

Mostly pantsless 2011: transitioning into fall

The majority of my clothes are shared across seasons... my huge collection of scarves and cardigans, and my love of tights and leggings to make any skirt or dress on the planet fall and winter friendly makes this possible. Obviously, I own a few things that don't really transition that well: I don't do the shorts and tights things, so the few pairs I do own only see the light of day when it's hot out. I have a couple pairs of sandals that look ridiculous with tights, and get saved for those days when it's warm enough to go barefoot. And my one and only pair of flats are a trashed up pair reserved for the beach (since I don't have any flip-flops in the shoe collection... any and all sandals are heels and classy looking). Of course, the same goes for my winter wardrobe... a few of my scarves are just too warm to be used to accessorize in the summer, my wool pea coat is impractical for anything over 40 degrees, and I keep long sleeved shirts as pretty much a cold weather only staple. The rest of my wardrobe is totally layer friendly and pretty much a year round thing. But as stated last year, I LOVE fall looks. Today is warm-ish, but just cool enough to make thinking about fall clothing slightly practical.
So, took a short, short-sleeved LBD, and made a fall friendly outfit that still works for summer:




The button down is really, really thin, lightweight fabric (and is Converse for Target, around $25), so it doesn't add much extra warmth for a day like today, but it keeps the outfit looking great for fall.
I love the look of the zipper on the leggings and the buckle on the shoes right to each other... not only does it balance out the belt, it also keeps the outfit looking very "rock", which I do tend to strive for.

A side note about these shoes:
They are Madden Girl, which I'd never bought before, and was surprised to find that they were unbearably uncomfortable at first. It took a few times wearing them, but they broke in excellently, and now are probably the most comfortable pumps I own. I normally wear a 6 or 6.5 W, these are a 6.5 M and fit absolutely perfectly.

Mostly pantsless 2011: my favorite look this summer

Just a basic dress look for me... loving how relaxed and easy it is to wear, yet still so stylish and put together...