Plus Size Outfit of the Day ~ April 10-16
“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
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
jodie filogomo
Oh, I love Iris Apfel and her give no thought to others approach.
My favorite look is the last one…maybe the unexpected color combo??
As for the floral dress. It’s hard to put your finger on it. I just ordered one like it and am thinking of removing the last ruffle. Granted if you do that it won’t be a dress but more of a tunic, but would that be better?? I see so many of these Little House on the Praire like dresses lately!! Not sure if I’m read to be Laura Ingalls
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
bettyewp
I think it’s more than just the length. For one thing, IT’S NOT BOY CLOTHES, ha ha. Besides that I think it’s a combination of things, the length and the fullness and maybe the dark color and the sleeves, oh god those SLEEVES. I NEVER intended to wear it without something over it. But it got so warm I had to lose the cardigan and then it was all over. I am NOT a puffy sleeve girl. Nope.
Rita
Thursday’s outfit is my favorite too. Though I really like Tuesday’s despite it being a last minute look. I love chinos with a white or navy top, so classic. As for Wednesday, I know what you mean about it not feeling like you. Do you think in the Fall you can wear a pullover sweater with it and make it look more like a sweater/skirt combo? At any rate, I think it’s a good idea to put it aside for now and see what ideas you can come up with.
bettyewp
I do like the look of a sweater over a dress so it looks like a skirt and top. In theory. It doesn’t work well with this dress – maybe it’s the length, maybe it’s the fullness, maybe my sweaters are too long for that look to work, but…it’s just not good. It’s already stashed away – out of sight, out of mind.
Leslie Susan Clingan
Call me crazy but I love the dress on you. I like the cardi with it, too. And think it would be cute with maybe a shorter wrap – a denim jacket maybe? But the colors are so pretty and I like the swing, the movement in it. Hope you will give it another go.
Laurie E
I have to say that I like the classic lines and fit of the navy top with the off-white? jeans. Proportion looks very nice, and an easy office look.
Our hot weather this week could also be influencing me, as the idea layers is making me uncomfortable.
bettyewp
I WISH I could find these jeans in off-white. They’re ALWAYS out of stock in my size and I would LOVE to have them.
I can wear light layers to work almost all year-round cuz we have uber-air-conditioning.
Penny
Oh Bettye, I’m so sorry you didn’t like wearing the dress as it really suits you and you look really good in it. Plus the cardi is so right. Anyway, don’t listen to me, if it doesn’t feel right then it’s not right 🙂 I also like the navy blouse and jeans – nice!
bettyewp
Thanks, Penny. It was such a disconnect. I looked at the picture of myself in the dress and thought, “she looks nice.” Ha. SHE. The woman in the picture. Not ME. But WEARING the dress was just so…not right.
First, I think the dress just IS not right for me. It’s cute, but it’s a LOT. It just feels like a lot of fabric. And those sleeves? What was I thinking? Well…I was thinking I would always wear something over top. It was really intended for autumn wear when it’s cooler and I would happily keep the cardigan on all day and those puffy sleeves would never see the light of day. So it was my bad wearing it on a mild spring day.
Second, I’m having a tough time with dresses (and anything overtly feminine) right NOW anyway, so…this was like a double WHAT, ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS OUTFIT whammy. I’m still working on what I can wear this year in the warmer weather, I’ve always been SUCH a dress wearer.
Life continues to challenge!
Sally in St Paul
Monday wins the Internet with the peek of ruffle cuff. Wasn’t Rufflecuff a house at Hogwarts? It must be because that shirt and cardigan combo is magical.
https://www.withinaworldofmyown.com/
bettyewp
Yay I Win! Ha ha 🙂
I know nothing about Harry Potter. I may win The Internet but I guess I lose Harry.