9 Days - True Elegance

I know I should be a bit more pragmatic about my wardrobe for this dinner, because our intended guest of honor is a self-proclaimed Ked wearing woman who has a closet full of men's suits because they're "easier". It seems silly to scraping together this artifice for a woman whose greatest trait is her desire for people to be THEYSELVES.

In a perfect world, I would be able to internalize this and show up in my usual garb of a t-shirt, jeans and shoes I bought at Walmart. But this is not a perfect world, we're having dinner with Isabella Rossellini and dammit, I am NOT GOING TO LOOK COMPLETELY ENSEMBLY CHALLENGED WHEN MEETING HER.

OK, maybe I am. But at least I will have put effort into it, which is a lot more than I can say for my usual style of "if it's clean, it's on."

These babies are no stranger to this blog, because they were the first article of clothing picked up. I really have no rhyme or reason why I chose them, other than the fact that they're fun and funky, they're my beloved wingtips and they have a heel which makes them feminine. We won't discuss the fact that I bought them at a Halloween store and that I think they are usually intended for strippers-in-training. WHATEVER.

Second purchase. At Holiday Market. With one thought. "Oh, those will probably look good with my shoes!" Which, I dunno. But it's blue and it's shiney and it has rhinestones on it. And it has a bow, so it's girly. I don't know, but I love the SHIT out of this purse.

With these two items my color palette was set. Black, white and blue. I will either look contemporary elegant chic, or like a black eye.

I pretty much knew from the beginning that I'd be going with slacks and I knew for DEFINITE I would be going with wide leg slacks. I found these awesome pants at Macy's in Tulsa (Oklahoma is, apparently, good for something. Repeat that and I'll deny, deny, deny). They have a wider waist with three buttons, giving them a touch of that 30's/40's Ginger Rogers slacks I'd hoped for. And those delicious wide legs are wide. And awesome. (and comfortable)

Because *I* am awesome, I am going to be wearing a t-shirt. A t-shirt! A magical blue t-shirt that matches my purse exactly. I found it at the GAP. It's soft and has some style with the neckline and it's the most lovely shade of blue. It's stupid comfortable. So despite all my good intentions, I am going to meet Isabella Rossellini wearing a t-shirt. Brilliant.

Of course, it's probably going to be cold in NY and I couldn't just wear a t-shirt. So I found this long-sleeved cotton wrap/jacket that is cute, trendy, fitted and above all COMFORTABLE. Rather than wearing it open I am going to pin it closed under the bust with a brooch which will, hopefully, make the lines a bit more elegant. This darling came from Dillard's.

My outfit is cool and comfortable, it feels like me, it's got lots of blue and I think I won't look completely ridiculous. I guess I managed to live up to Isabella's belief that everyone should go with what they know, what makes them comfortable, and own it.

 True elegance is for me the manifestation of an independent mind. - IR

BONUS: with everything together, I paid nearly the same amount for this whole outfit (including shoes and purse) as I paid for the boots I'm wearing to see The Addams Family.

But that is a whole 'nother blog post.

Until tomorrow, I leave you with...

Your guess is as good as mine.