Accessories: Who needs 'em?

In the ongoing attempt to become, if not adept, at least not completely incompetent at accessorizing, I've been digging through my jewelery box and top dresser drawer to see what I already have, before doing any spending. I have more than I thought. Started breaking out pieces, especially gold. I figure I'll wear what I have and see how I feel about it, now that it's been 5-10-20 years since I first purchased or received much of it. There are items passed down from my grandmother which I've never even tried on. Granted, some of them won't ever be. They are just fine as part of my daughter's costume trunk.

Here's one of the first combos, resurrected from the drawer of limbo:

Normally, this scoop/cowl neck knit top gets nothing more than my normal tiny hoops and a small silver & garnet pendant on black silk, if even that. This necklace was picked up at a boutique several years ago. I think it was the place in Decatur where I bought my all time favorite winter skirt. (Kaleidoscope) The Winnie-the-Pooh earrings don't necessarily fit with this, but they were a gift from the children. It's always good for a hug and an "Ooh! You're wearing my earrings" from my daughter. Can't pass that up. Wore my Citizen gold/stainless steel wristwatch, along with a mother of pearl ring I received 18 years ago, from a long ago boyfriend.

Gotta admit it. Taking that few minutes to think about what I'd put on with my clothes, I felt more put together. It was nice.

I'll keep working on this, and post a few photos when I get a chance to pin groupings up on the corkboard. It should help me plan out a "what I like" and a "what I need" list.

Dreary Dress Day

I had a lunch date today, so pulled a go-to dress out of the closet after my morning run. It is supposed to start raining this afternoon, so I dressed to not be on the bike in skirt and heels this time. I'll run and ride all over town in bits of spandex and wicking fabrics through the year, but a just-above-the-knee pencil skirt on a road bike is where I draw the line. (See, mom? Those comments on girlish modesty, back when I was smallish and mucking about outside in dresses, did sink in. Eventually.)

Wonderful lunch at Mirage. A pot of hot persian tea, and a steaming bowl of Khoresh-e-Gheymeh Bademjan: Cubed sirloin beef cooked with sautéed onions, yellow split peas, tomato sauce & sun-dried Persian limes, seasoned with special spices, and sauteed eggplant. Lively conversation about shifting demographics within neighborhoods, and about the book we're both reading (The Logic of Life, Tim Harford).

Saw myself in the entryway mirror when I arrived home. I was an accurate representation of the weather.
Grey, black and drab. Even my accessories, minimal though they were:

• Small silver hoop earrings.
• Tortiseshell glasses
• Stainless steel watch (is 1940 Ladies Oyster, with a sweep second hand. May look bland, but is a marvel of engineering to me)
• Platinum Ring

All grey, black and silver. No color. No "pop." If I'd remembered a necklace, it probably would have been a silver pendant on a length of black silk.
I think it's time to take a page from Rebecca, and get busy with the accesorizing. Not a lot of it, because I'm a big fan of the functional. A few necklaces from which to choose. Earrings with a touch of color. Maybe a scarf or two?

Like anything I know nothing about, I'll need to do a bit of reading. Imogen Lamport of Inside Out Style, has given some great advice over at Rebecca's site, so her own site is probably where I'll start.

Other than that, I probably need to get my daughter involved. She loves accesorizing. If I start where the princess approves, and cut it by two-thirds, I should be just about right. Besides, it's not often we get to bond over such a girlish activity.

See! Proof that some part of me yearns for color - this is my favorite handbag.