Apparently I don't shoot enough all white outfits to remember how difficult it can be to do in shadow. Hopefully none of you are blinded, because I had to turn the ISO down on my camera a couple notches to even get this much detail.

Regardless, this is a dress I picked up in February and absolutely love how it looks - with or without the belt. It's so clean and crisp, and after a quick run of my steamer, an absolute joy to wear. Ok well, an absolute joy besides the fact that I have to put it on before makeup, because I find it almost impossible to pull on (it goes over the head)  without touching some part of my face.

If anyone has a strong opinion about this dress I'm taking votes. Despite the fit being so similar to other dresses I own I can't decide if it's actually flattering or not, so I'm wondering if I should just call it quits and try re-selling it.

I'm not sure why I've held on to these jeans for the past few years, but I think the every once in a while I wear them still allows me to put them in the good purchase category. I guess I just can't decide if I love the fit or not. Despite the times I've worn them they're still a different silhouette than I'm used to, and ultimately I guess I think it's good to keep trying new things (even when they're not really so new anymore).

So before I did a season welcoming hair chop (no worries, nothing drastic) I took these outfit photos - and I have to admit they turned out better than I expected! I've only ever worn this sweater layered over buttons downs, because for some reason I had it in my head it would be too tight to wear on its own. It's a vaguely retro inspired look in the end, with the pencil skirt and leopard pumps, and I can't wait to wear this to work.

It is as terribly, brutally cold here in DC as it is pretty much everywhere else (except Boston - props to the NE for surviving the apocalyptic levels of snow you've gotten this year). And on Valentine's Day I made the dumb-ass decision to try and take blog photos as quickly as possible without my coat.

Not a good plan.

*I've also mentally dubbed this my "Meghan Trainor" outfit. Was I a bit over dressed to be hanging out in Michael's and Home Depot? Yes. Did I care? Of course not!

This dress might need a little bit of tweaking (I'd like to take the shoulders in slightly so it sits smooth against my body) but I just had to wear it before sending it off. I picked this up on a whim during Nordstrom Rack's extra sale off sale event this past July, and despite the fact that the tag said size 12 it fit wonderfully. I love the retro feel and the fun pattern. Summer might be ending but I get the feeling I'll still be pulling this out whenever I need an extra lift.