Day 77: The Off-White of Things, and an Early Christmas Present

Off-white is definitely in my Summer color palette. I've always loved warm shades of white: ivory, pearls, orchids, white roses, raw silk. For a while I wanted to look like Linda Evans so often did on Dynasty--vulnerable, soft, and ahem innocent.

In the past weeks, my color choices have been very, very limited. These days I can wear a somewhat broader palette than I could even five or ten years ago, throwing in some red or vibrant blues. But I have to use strong colors carefully. If they're not well presented or done in the right fabric (how many times have you seen unfortunate turquoise satin, or a poorly dyed black sweater?), they look cheap.

Did you ever have one of those days when you just wanted to feel really good in your clothes? All of last week's holiday preparations left me feeling weary and a little flour-spattered. And when I'm working a lot, it's a chore to plan my outfits.

On Monday, I had no particular place to go except for the usual child-toting/grocery store errands. But I was very tired of all my black and gray clothes. So I brought out the whites. I wish the mothership would carry more attractive winter white pieces--it would be very encouraging over the coming looooong months.

This is what I came up with:

The bottom picture is with a bomber jacket and one of my favorite scarves. I'm not thrilled with the sweater-longer-than-the-coat thing. But I guess all the kids are doing it.

While I dislike acrylic clothes, the sweater is still nice and soft. I enjoyed wearing it. The longer necklaces I bought are helping, too. I felt pretty good at the end of the day.

Ensemble:

White Stag Ruffle cardigan: $15; George satin-trimmed tank: $7; Nine West Jeans: $15; Shoes: $15: Scarf: $5; Earrings: $35; Necklace: $7

I'm planning a pre-Christmas surprise present....stay tuned!