Good stripes/Bad stripes

I wore this striped Target dress last week, but I didn't post it because I didn't like how it looked. The stripes were highlighting all the wrong parts of my shape. I have the same dress in polka dots, and it doesn't look the same at all. See?



Today I wore this new striped dress from Old Navy. Much more flattering!



So what's the difference? Why is one more flattering than the other?



1.The size of the stripes. The ON alternates with small and large stripes, while the Target has equal sized ones. The optical illusion of the ON one is better for my proportions.

2. Fabric. The ON is a cotton knit that holds its shape; the Target one is jersey so it conforms to my body...and tends to sag in parts now that it has been through the wash a few times.

3. The colors. Even though both are blue, the bolder colors of the navy and sky blue are better against my complexion than the navy and grey. I just don't do as well with muted colors as I do with saturated.

I'm glad I bought both dresses because I don't think I would have been able to pinpoint why the Target one wasn't working for me anymore. I do love duplicates, and I won't be stopping that habit. But this exercise definitely proved to me that not all duplicates work as I want them to.

On today's outfit, we had a lunch picnic at work today so I went with a flat sandal (my mustard Keens) and switched out bags to a Target straw tote.



++++++

Daily Food Tracker: Wednesday
Breakfast: whole wheat waffle with peanut butter (I had a little bit left in a different jar), watermelon
Lunch: 2 pcs cold fried chicken, coleslaw, raw carrots, 3 pieces watermelon, sugar cookie
Snack: 4 two-bite brownies
Dinner: portabello pork sausage on a whole-wheat bun, grilled romaine with oil, gorgonzola crumbles and strawberries

Piper asked on Monday what "fake peanut butter" is. I buy Better'N'Peanut Butter, which is definitely an acquired taste. It has the consistency of Fluff and tastes a little like tapioca pudding, but it spreads like peanut butter and after a while you get used to it and you forget how good real peanut butter is. It's not terrible, but it seems like it the first time you eat it. :)

Lunch was a work picnic; I brought the watermelon, and had a few pieces for breakfast while I was cutting it up. So juicy and flavorful! The watermelons have been crappy all summer.

For dinner, my husband grilled up some awesome portabello sausages and a bunch of veggies. He likes zucchini but I don't, so I asked him to lightly grill a head of romaine that I sliced in half and brushed with olive oil, then added some cheese and fresh strawberries. It was fabulous. If you never had grilled lettuce, give it a try!


P.S. Lorena, the Pacific brand soups are pretty good! I like the butternut squash and tomato flavors the best.

P.P.S. This outtake shot made me laugh.

Monday: Grumpy, the least-fun Dwarf

Hello internet! I was away all weekend, and spontaneously took the time off from posing for outfit photos too. And I managed to not get one from Thursday's regular outfit as well. Sorry!

But I forced myself back into the swing of it on Monday, or I was worried it would be weeks before I did. I don't know what the matter is with me, but I am in a horrible mood and not liking anything I own, and especially how it fits. (Hmm, well that part is easy to deduce why. Time to get serious again!)



Anyway, it was freezing and threatening rain on Monday, so I bundled up. Long-sleeved Alfani patterned dress, brown swirly-patterned tights, brown Franco Sarto riding boots, Old Navy denim jacket, and two necklaces, pearls and a gold-and-yellow-stone one from J Crew Outlet. I have to tell you that as much as I like this dress, it is really depressing that it is still cold enough to wear in mid-May. I want to wear cute light spring stuff!

Ugh. Like I said, I am GRUMPY. Too much time away; getting back to real life is such a hard adjustment sometimes. I will be better tomorrow, promise!

Monday: Playing with Patterns and Textures

Angie at YLF, who is just a genius at style consulting, frequently makes the comment that wearing monochromatic doesn't have to be boring if you combine textures into the outfit. I took that advice to heart today.



Really, this is just a black and grey outfit; the knit top is actually grey with a blue wicker-square pattern on it.



So it's all black and grey: black sweater vest from Loft, grey-and-blue knit top from BR Outlet, dove grey scarf from Gap, pewter mech bracelet from BR, black textured skirt from Forth & Towne, charcoal striped tights from Spanx, and grey plaid black oxfords from DSW. But I think it's one of my favorite outfits in a while; I love the way it blends both business and casual. Even the fringe of the scarf adds its own texture!





Closeup of the tights amid the other patterns:




Not much else to say; I am exhausted and heading for bed. One more week before my transfer, and I've got a lot to do!