Friday, October 30, 2009

Day Forty-Four: Pearls With A Hoodie? Why Not?

Wednesday was one of those blessed "Clothes Optional" days at my house. While I'd never go for full starkers--we have too many windows and too many FedEx and UPS folks coming and going--there are times when I can certainly get away with sweats and jammies. Writing days. Reading days. Three-movie days.

P and I did go out for a lovely date/lunch. I neglected to take a photo, but I'm wearing the basics in the photo below. Off-white shirt, pearls, blue jeans. Earlier I was also wearing shoes, and a gray cardigan. The cardigan has weird buttons and looks a tad grandpa-ish. Photos next time. I also wore my zippy red scarf and rain boots.

Pearls are pretty much always appropriate. They instantly add elegance to an outfit. I'm always sad when they add a tad too much elegance to, say, a black dress for daytime wear. Pearls on black have a very evening look--unless they're paired with linen or a fun, nubby sweater.

The pearl studs I've worn since I was sixteen came from my parents. They're much more polished than the pair I bought at the mothership. There have been a few times when I've temporarily misplaced them, but otherwise I've kept track of them for 31 years. Pretty good for someone who's lost two pearl bracelets, a white gold bracelet, and dozens of single earrings.

Did you know that pearls can lose their lustre if they're put away and not worn for years or even months? They need a person's body warmth and skin oils to remain wearable. Here's a great site for all the pearl knowledge a girl could ever want: Pearl-Guide.com.

I bought this 18" strand of cultured pearls for about $20 at the mothership. (Nearly all pearls on the market now are cultured. These are small because they only took months instead of years to form.)



Ensemble: White Stag Cotton 3/4 sleeve top: $10; Faded Glory blue jeans: $15; Green Tea hoodie: $19 (Sam's Club); Cultured Pearl necklace: $20; Pearl studs: $7; no shoes        Total: $71

Yesterday I went shopping with a former student of P's. She's starting out as a new teacher, and she needs to be comfortable, but not frumpy. I'll tell you more about that later. Also, I need to figure out my H'ween costume makeup!

TTFN!

4 comments:

  1. Hey gorgeous,

    Am loving the latest post! Can't wait to see the Halloween costume. I've got mine almost ready. It should be my scariest one yet. :)

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  2. Ooh, can't wait to hear about the shopping trip! I was at the Mothership today. We have two in my town, and the one right by my house has not gone through the recenpt WM remodel yet. The one on the other side of town is amazing, tho. So, I went to that one. I found some amazing pj's that I will hopefully be purchasing as part of my birthday shopping spree. : ) They look totally comfy & were only $12! Just had to share!

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  3. Eeek, I didn't know that about pearls! I have a nice set my Aunt brought back from Tahiland and I haven't really brought them out in years because the clasp likes to slip loose. I hope they aren't ruined!

    The hoodie is really cute, by the way!

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  4. Sweet Michelle--I can't wait for pictures!!!!

    Carrie--How fun! The aesthetic makes a difference, doesn't it? Funny. It definitely does for me, too. I bought some pj bottoms myself today!

    Becca--Yes, get them out immediately and sleep in them for several days. What a wonderful aunt you have.
    Loved, loved, loved our shopping trip! Remember to accessorize. Those sweaters scream for a long necklace--something fun. We may need to look for some on makeup day. You're such a good sport. (Nora is wildly jealous, btw!)

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