“I say, please dress to please yourself. Listen to your inner muse and take a chance. Wear something that says ‘Here I am!’ today” ~ Iris Apfel

SATURDAY

Well, THIS was a day! Remember last week when I didn’t do Week in Review cuz really all there was to say was anxietyanxietyanxiety? Well, Saturday was the crash landing after that week. And it looks it, ha ha. Moving on.

I’ll give the outfit a 4.5/5. Minus points for dingey tee shirt.

Cream V-Neck: Ellos.com, 3x. 2019
White Tee: H&M, 3x 2017
Jeans: Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda, Scottsdale wash, 20 short. 2021
Sneakers: Black Converse Shoreline slip-ons. 2020

SUNDAY

Feeling a little more up to being human today. Showered. A gold star for me.

4/5. The neckline on this black tee so bugs me. When I am King, necklines will have no gender.

Red Plaid Button-down: Sanctuary, 3x. 2020
Black Tee: Amazon/Daily Ritual, 4x. 2019
Jeans: Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda, Scottsdale wash, 20 short. 2021
Sneakers: Black Converse Shoreline slip-ons. 2020

MONDAY

Uhm. I dunno. Ha. It’s sort of dreary out…but not especially cold. Still, I wanted to be a little cozy at work, so…grey cardigan. And I love this – what I call “Business Blue” – blue with the charcoal grey…but my FAVORITE part of the outfit is the little ruffly cuff bit that peeks out from under the cardigan sleeve. I love a nice detail.

That’s exactly why this shirt appealed to me – the tiny ruffles at cuff and collar. Sadly, it’s not a stand-up collar, but…at least I got the ruffly cuff peek I wanted.

Jeans, sneakers, check check. No surprise there. I wish I could find a pair of COMFORTABLE black loafers that I really like. I wouldn’t wear them with this length jeans probably, but I would with a cropped length.

Still, even without stand-up collar and loafers, I’ll give this outfit a 4.75/5. The Magical Cardigan makes every outfit better. I’m on the hunt for similar style in several different colors.

Blue Button-down: Loft, 3x. 2021
Cardigan: Dean & White, 2x. 2012
Jeans: Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda, Scottsdale wash, 20 short. 2021
Sneakers: Black Converse Shoreline slip-ons. 2020

TUESDAY

bettye standing in living room in khaki cropped jeans, black flats, and a navy button-down blouse

Another Oops I Overslept outfit. I had actually put all my outfits together for the week but in my overslept state I didn’t have time to do anything with my second-day hair so my instinct was to improvise a more casual outfit but I just didn’t have the brain cells at that point so I grabbed this “feels unfinished” outfit. Whoa. That’s a SENTENCE.

It’s the same theory as “I ate one cookie so I may as well eat the whole box,” meaning once you’ve taken a single step in the wrong direction, the pull is strong to just keep going that way. In my mind, Bad Hair Day warrants Schlubby Outfit. But why? Why not try to IMPROVE the situation with a better outfit? Nope. Ha.

The Psychology of Dressing, amiright?

Anyway, I like the combination but I just feel it’s missing that One Thing. I already have the long black cardigan scheduled to go with another outfit this week, so that was out (and that would have been the obvious choice). I’ve worn this with The Grey Cardigan but I just wore that yesterday. I want to wear the brown cardigan with a dress later this week. Hmm, I have a not-yet-worn navy-and-white stripe (I-do-love-a-hyphen) top I could wear UNDER the navy blouse and wear the navy converse – I might give that a try for another time.

So…I’m giving this a 4/5. It’s fine. It’s FINE. It’s just missing something. My hair, on the other hand, gets a 2.3/5. It’s sad, really,

Button-down: Navy Cupro Kennedy blouse from Universal Standard, XXL. 2020. Got off Poshmark.
Jeans: Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda, don’t know color name (wish I did cuz I love this color), 22 short, self-cropped. 2016
Black Flats: Aerosoles Betunia. 2020

WEDNESDAY

Hm. Uhm. Harumph. I am not happy. Who even am I?

I have always LOVED dresses in the mild weather. As soon as I can go out with bare legs, I want to be in a dress. They’re so EASY. They’re so COMFY. Yum.

BUT. I was SO UNCOMFORTABLE all day in this. Not physically uncomfortable. The dress is comfortable (if slightly heavy). Mentally uncomfortable. It feels SO unlike me.

You’re seeing it here with the cardigan, which HELPS. But…I had to photograph the students outside today and it was warm. Cardigan came off in the first ten minutes and then it was Bettye: Sister Wife/Photographer.

Wowie. I JUST bought this dress last summer. It was nice autumnal colors, a good fit, and comfortable. But fall 2020 was like a LIFETIME ago.

I look at myself in the mirror and INTELLECTUALLY I can say it looks fine. Nice even. For someone else. But it FEELS so wrong. It’s lovely to have both (looks nice AND feels nice), but for me, “feel” will almost always trump “look.”

I think I will put it away and reassess in the fall. But I will not put myself through THIS feeling again for this dress. Oofah. I need to go watch a Run BTS episode.

Dress: Target/Ava&Viv, 2x. 2020
Cardigan: Old Navy, 2x. 2020
Shoes: Chestnut Kelly & Katie loafers, 2019

THURSDAY

Ok. Phew. Back to normal, ha ha. I went with THIS IS WHO I WANT TO BE over This is Seasonally Appropriate…although Mother Nature dropped me a gift and made it grey and rainy, so I’m fine with a button-down/pullover combination.

When I woke up this morning my second thought was “I WANT TO WEAR MY CONVERSE AND BLACK JEANS.”

My first thought was (as always), “wait…I have to do all this AGAIN??”

I’m just going with a clean 5/5 cuz I FEEL so good in it today.

Crewneck Pullover: Catherine Malandrino black cashmere, 3x. 2019
Chambray Button-down: Charlotte Russe, 3x, 2016
Jeans: Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda, blackwash, 20 short. 2021
Sneakers: Black Converse Shoreline slip-ons. 2020

FRIDAY

Tomorrow (Saturday) I’m going to a bridal shower so will be wearing a dress (let’s hope I can handle that emotional trauma better than the other day, sheesh), so today I’m dressed for Saturday on a Friday.

This chambray top is a comfort item for me. Right now I need all the comfort I can get.

I do love olive green with the faded chambray color.

I’ll give this a 4/5. I like the elements but because it’s REALLY a weekend outfit, it’s a little on the sloppy side for work. Oh well.

Button-down: Tencel chambray from Charlotte Russe, 3x. 2016
Olive Tee: Asos, 3x. 2016
Jeans: Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda, Crystal White, 20 short. 2021
Sneakers: Black Converse Shoreline slip-ons. 2020