Proportions

This little dress is so darn comfy; I just love it. Somehow it manages to achieve that perfect balance between not constricting my waist, and yet still flattering my figure. I really dislike most empire-waist tops and dresses because they make even the skinniest gal look pregnant. And looking pregnant is fine, if, ya know, you're pregnant. But not otherwise. I don't care how comfortable the garment is, hiding your figure underneath a tent is not flattering, ever.

The secret to this dress's success lies in the shaping of its bottom half. The small pleats in the center and the slight flair at the bottom make the dress drape nicely around my curves while still leaving plenty of swingy space for me to feel comfortable and unrestricted in. And then the belt isn't right up under my bust, but down just a smidge towards my natural waist, which, though probably due in part to the fact that I don't have a big bust to fill out the top half, does help to even out the proportions.

I'm spending this weekend in Arizona, where I'll be meeting Mark's family for the first time. Wish me luck, everyone! I'll be back next week to announce the winner of my anniversary contest. I'm so glad I'm not one of the judges, because everybody looks fantastic! Best of luck to all my entrants, and thank you so much for participating. By the way, there's still time to submit entries through the end of the weekend!

Hat: San Diego Hat Company
Dress: Red Dress Shoppe
Shirt: La Redoute
Leggings: American Apparel
Boots: Fly London
Bracelet: Betsey Johnson

Blend

I can't believe I was ever unsure about wearing these shorts to work; my outfits with these have consistently been among the most complimented of any I've worn. It just goes to show that the hardest person to please is yourself.

I love the way all the different shades of brown and black blend together in this outfit. The brown boots are almost dark enough to be black, while the semi-opaque black tights are nearly light enough to pass for brown. The vest and shorts are matching but not: both pieces have the same herringbone pattern, but the scale is different (the pattern is a little bigger in the shorts) and the vest is lighter brown with some thin red lines scattered throughout. This gives it almost the appearance of being a suit while still keeping it interesting. Since I knew I was already mixing 2 shades of brown, I made sure that the remaining brown pieces were all different as well, so that the end result looks intentional rather than haphazard.

Here are the other ways I've worn these shorts. Which is your favorite?

Black shirt: Sunhee Moon
Vest: vintage
Belt: import store
Shorts: Mango
Boots: Bata

Anniversary

Today is the one year anniversary of my blog! A big thanks to all my readers, and especially my commenters. Your input is what makes this blog so fun and rewarding! And remember, to celebrate my blog's anniversary I'm running a contest, which you still have a few days to enter. I'm giving everyone through the end of the weekend, so get your entries in!

I thought I'd celebrate the year by posting some of my favorite outfits from the last year, one from each month that I've been blogging:


































It's interesting to see how much my photo quality has improved since I started my blog, not to mention how my hairstyle has morphed. I hope to continue to evolve the blog over the coming year, so feedback and suggestions are most welcome! Thanks again, everyone!

xoxo Audi