I'M WEARING: A TRENCH & A COUPLE OF STRIPES...

Outfit posts can be both fun and awkward at the same time. But I've also learned something good from doing them. I've learned about what it really means to shop in my own closet. I wear business-casual attire over 70% of my week and PJs for about 20% of my week - which means I wear the fun stuff about 10% of my week. Gosh I need to work on that... Anyway, it's sometimes hard for me to piece together laid back outfits since I don't get to wear them often. So when I plan these shoots, I often think it would be much easier and less time-consuming to just order or buy all new stuff. But that is expensive and doesn't make sense if you already have what you need to get the look you want. I just needed to carve out some time...

So this little outfit is the result of me shopping in my closet. Nothing is new and each piece is simple and classic. To make my shopping-in-my-closet experience easier, I started with a neutral dress (stripes are a neutral in my book) and "accessorized" it with things like blue jean jackets, cardigans and scarfs. I ended up picking a light trench coat. Trenches are my fave... I paired the outfit with a classic brown genuine leather tote packed with my favorite flower (for a little color), and some heels and big sunnies that I've had for the longest time. All of that made for a great shopping trip - right at home.

Dress: J.Crew, love this one and this one | Trench Coat: Donna Karen via TJMaxx | Tote: K.slademade, similar here and here | Sunglasses: Coach | Heels: NineWest | Watch: Michael Kors | Lips: "Burnt Red" by Bobbi Brown 

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Images by Paula Coldiron