Professional Fairy Attire: Plum Snow Party.

 My mom says that figuring out which styles look and feel good takes a while. Until recently, I rarely saw full skirts, and I thought they would emphasize my hips. But pencil skirts make me a little wary, particularly because they tend to get shorter as I walk. This skirt was on crazy sale online. The only remaining size was one smaller than mine, but the skirt looked so pretty in the photo, I decided to risk it.

Wow. This skirt is so fun and so comfortable. I can take wide strides easily, and the length doesn't change! Even when I sit down, it's basically the same. I felt rather darling all day. No, I'm not wearing white tights. I only burn in the sun, so I decided long ago to embrace my outer Snow White. It does make the auburn hair look more natural!

Does this top look familiar? It's another shade of that cap sleeve tee! This jewel tone purple is so luxurious and makes me feel so fancy. I'll probably wear this one out first. And oh, the shiny purple T-straps are so fun. This is the challenge in the way I dress for work: how can I look professional but still unique and express myself? Josh says that dressing is just another way for me to express myself and enjoy life. I'm glad I have a husband who thinks that way.

I think I've written about this magical necklace. The designer must have been thinking of me. It's the most expensive necklace I've ever purchased ($50ish), but I've never regretted it for a second. It's just enchanting. This definitely seems like an outfit for a snow sprite party in a frosted grape arbor.

Top: The Limited
Skirt: The Limited

Shoes: X Appeal (Rack Room)

Necklace: Betsy Johnson

Professional Fairy Attire: Polished Metal.

I felt like being monochromatic and relatively casual on this day. This top (cap sleeve tee) is from The Limited, and I have it in several colors. Basic tops are so important, and I build all kinds of outfits around these with jackets, cardigans, and necklaces. They're soft knit, and the banding around the neck makes them look a bit nicer than most tees. I got these cute little crops at The Limited a couple of years ago. I was teaching and slowly building my wardrobe, and these seemed like a good way to bear the Carolina heat while looking professional. Heels dress them up.

And these heels are perfect! I saw them on Zappos but bought them super cheap(ly?) on Amazon. They're Madden Girl, Steve Madden's younger and less expensive line. I'd been searching almost two and a half years for gray heels. They're surprisingly rare, especially in round toe and low heel. The bows make them interesting. These are probably the most comfortable heels I own. I wish I had them in the black and burgundy versions too!

My mom put this necklace in my Christmas stocking. Stocking stuffers don't get much better. Most of my favorite necklaces are from Loft's crazy sales. I love the thin silver chain on this one. Instead of having several chains that tangle, this one has layered segments. It can still tangle but not as much, and I don't get so confused about how to layer the strands. The little shimmery gray bows, pearls, and silver flower charms are darling. The one pale blue porcelain rose is my favorite charm.

Josh and I recently put our vision insurance to good use and got new glasses. We'd had ours for four years (frames and lenses!). I got my squarish, tortoise shell-ish ones in a rush, reluctant to admit that I needed glasses at all. My recent headaches, however, reminded me that I do need them, and that I need to wear them most of the time instead of just at work and while I'm driving. So I wanted some fun glasses. I knew I wanted an interesting color, wide temples, and some embellishment. These were perfect, and the woman who helped me was delighted that I was "brave enough" to try them. I love the shiny black, the slightly rounded shape and wink to the cat-eye style, and the silver and rhinestone squares on each side. I barely take my glasses off now, and I feel prettier. They seem like me. My mom complimented them a few times (I'm not sure if any praise is more exciting to me than my mother's, especially regarding anything beauty or fashion-related since she is, well, lovely and stylin') and even wanted to try them on. They're like jewelry I wear every day, and they have other benefits such as giving everything sharp edges and making the world seem more three-dimensional.

Eyeglasses: Catherine Deneuve

Top: The Limited
Crops: The Limited

Heels: Madden Girl

Necklace: Ann Taylor Loft

Professional Fairy Attire: Feeling Prettier (January).

This was when I really started to enjoy my clothes again and feel good about the way I looked. I made a pretty big mistake on this day, though: I wore a dress. I didn't think about this until I tried to pump at work. I haven't worn a dress to work since, and I probably won't until I stop nursing (which I hope will not be any time soon). Still, this dress is the first one I bought for work. I nearly croaked over spending $60 or $70 on a dress. I've worn it dozens of times, though, and not just to work.

I think I've posted an outfit with this cardigan before. These heels are the ones my mom gave me for Christmas before I began my first teaching job. I can see in this photo how much my stomach had flattened. Even now, it's not like it was before I got pregnant, though I'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight.

My mom put this beautiful grey pearl cluster headband in my Christmas stocking last year. She found it at that magical shop, Versona. I felt pretty on this day, and I use this last photo for work.

Dress: Ann Taylor Loft

Cardigan: Old Navy

Tights: DKNY

Heels: Nine West

Headband: Versona

Professional Fairy Attire: Purple Pearls (January).

I wore this on the first day of my other classes. In this picture, I can see again how different I looked just a few months ago. I've already posted a photo of this layered purple pearl and cut bead necklace. I use this dark purple tank top constantly, either under a jacket or cardigan or as a layer under another shirt to fix sheer material or a low neck.

The jacket is one of my first pieces of professional clothing. For Christmas a few weeks after I got my first adjunct teaching job but before I started it, my mom gave me this jacket along with a few other necessities (black heels, a black silk short-sleeved shirt, and a purple cardigan). I wore it on my first day of teaching.

Around this time, I suddenly found that I could actually button my pants. No more BeBand! I had missed interesting patterns like this tiny white pinstripe on charcoal. 

My mom taught me that DKNY tights are best, especially the opaque black. She waits until they go on major sale. I've had these for over two years, and they haven't run.

The shoes are another Rack Room wonder. They're T-straps (Mary Jane's sassy sister). They're shiny. They're purple. They're amazing.

Necklace: Ann Taylor Loft
Tank Top: Ann Taylor Loft
Jacket: Jones New York
Pants: Ann Taylor Loft
Tights: DKNY
Shoes: X Appeal (Rack Room)

Professional Fairy Attire: Winter Woodland (January).

I wore this chocolate suit on the first day of classes this semester. The set came with both pants and a skirt!

This green V-neck is one of my favorite shirts. It's soft, and I can wear it for work or play. I like to dress up on the first day of classes to set the tone with my students, and I'll dress formally every now and then to keep them on their toes. I find this is especially important since I am a woman and young. Some of my students are twice my age.

The scarf was a last minute purchase at Loft. I spotted it in the check-out line, and it was too pretty to ignore. It was one of the first times I bought something like that just because I found it beautiful (it wasn't necessary). I do that more often now. I didn't wear scarves nearly enough this winter.

 I adore these shoes. I saw them at Rack Room a couple of years ago. Mom was down the row, and I called to her and held up the shoes. "Are those green?!?" she squealed. I found these when I first fell in love with green. My love for round toe shoes and Mary Janes isn't new. These were perfect, and I wear them as often as I can.

Suit: Kasper
Scarf: Ann Taylor Loft
Tights: DKNY
Shoes: X Appeal (Rack Room)