What shall I say... I came across a dress with a belt and matching jacket in what is called a "nude" colour, a nice retro print on white background, perfect for a day at the office but nice enough for going out afterwards without having to go home and change first.
Only 3 weeks ago, I was finally able to wear this for the first time - it was simply too cold until then.
Somehow, the pictures do not really do the outfit justice; I think I looked much better than this, and not as demure (almost frumpy) as I appear here with the jacket. I had two "problems" to solve before I left the house: which handbag to carry, and which shoes to wear.
The white shoes look HUGE, and the caramel ones are... well, completely flat, and therefore make not for a very elegant look and good posture.
Which ones would you have chosen?
I may have to go and find a pair of shoes better matching the dress, preferably the same shade of tan as the belt.
In other news, I heard and saw a cat fight in the garden below my bedroom window - Lucky (my downstairs neighbours' cat, right) in a staring match with his favourite enemy (left) - and my hair is finally shorter again.
(Picture taken this morning, which explains the somewhat sleepy look around my eyes.)
I have the impression that you buy a lot of clothes.
ReplyDeleteEverything you show here is very pretty and always tasteful; your clothes suit you well, which is a major consideration.
You must either have a huge clothes budget or buy at very reasonable prices. I love German clothes shops but as I can now only buy things from catalogues and I like mostly expensive clothes like the ones in Hahn’s catalogues, I can afford to buy stuff only very infrequently.
Just as well that living in the country and being retired makes dress codes pretty relaxed.
On average, I buy one new outfit a month. Sometimes it's a dress or a suit, sometimes just a top or a pair of jeans. I don't even have a budget when it comes to clothes - now that I am being better paid than ever before in my life, I can finally afford to buy what I see nearly every time I really want something. Also, nothing I buy is all that expensive. This dress and jacket were (together) just over 200 Euros, which is not that much for a smart business outfit that I'll be wearing for many years to come (some of my business outfits I've been wearing for 10 or more years).
DeleteAll my casual clothes, such as jeans, capri jeans, t-shirts, tops and sun dresses, come from cheap shops such as H&M, or even from Aldi. Likewise shoes - there are very few pairs of shoes in my wardrobe which have been expensive.
Work of course does require me to dress smartly for those days I spend at my customers' offices, but I like dressing reasonably nice also when I am working from home; most home office days, I go out for lunch (to my parents') or into town to meet a friend.
I just love clothes, full stop :-)
That is a pretty outfit and nice shorter hair style. I hope the cats are ok after their fight.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Terra!
DeleteThey didn't even touch each other. It was just a staring and growling match. A few minutes later, Lucky was sunbathing on top of the shed.
The outfit is really lovely on you Meike and that pale jacket will go with almost everything in your wardrobe!
ReplyDeleteIt almost looks like a French pink in the photos.
I would suggest wearing a court shoe, they generally come in different heel sizes so you can pick to suit. I would pick a shoe & handbag colour to match the jacket. The pumps are nice but suited more to trousers/jeans whereas a dress says 'heels'! Let us know what you find!
Thank you, Karen!
DeleteThe colour is difficult to catch on camera; it is a mixture of very light caramel and a hint of pink. The best I can really come up with is "nude", which is the offical name for this type of colour.
I agree with you on the heels, the dress definitely needs them!
Very pretty outfit Meike, and I like the hairstyle too, it suits you really well. That picture is quite good, I would never had thought that you had just gotten up.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Francesca! My hair is just not made for being worn longer than this. And that's the advantage of having an uncomplicated short hairstyle - you look alright even just out of bed, no need to spend hours in front of the mirror with styling!
DeleteIf I were a transvestite, I would go for the look shown in the third picture. The jacket is nice and summery but maybe it doesn't need buttoning up. However, I am to fashion what lions are to vegetarianism.
ReplyDeleteThe jacket needs buttoning up while I am waiting for my train because I'd feel too chilly otherwise. And at the office it needs buttoning up again when I go to meetings, because that is what is expected in this type of business environment. When I am at my desk or in the canteen for lunch, or when the meeting has started and everyone is seated, I remove the jacket (provided the room is warm enough).
DeleteI can't walk in heels so for me an easy choice ;)... Colourwise, actually I do think the white ones draw a bit too much attention to the feet, perhaps. So matching the jacket or belt or other accessories might be better? (Not to mention a good excuse to go shopping again, of course...) Either version of the outfit looks perfectly acceptable to me, though. Depends a lot on the occasion, doesn't it!
ReplyDeleteTrue, Monica; when I know I'll walk part of my way home, I'll definitely not wear the white shoes. And you are so right about this being a good excuse to look for another pair of shoes, which I definitely will do very soon!
DeleteWell we all seem to be agreed on the white shoes. I like the pumps but, as you say, heels are more appropriate.
ReplyDeleteYes, the flat ones seem to dress down the whole outfit.
DeleteOkay, here is what I think (and I have not looked at any other comments!)
ReplyDeleteI like the FLATS with the dress! You have such good posture and you carry yourself very well, so the flats look classic and elegant. AND I love the dress!! It's gorgeous!
Love your short do! And by the way, don't expect to see ME first thing in the morning SANS make-up, NOT going to happen! LOL. xx
On the day I took the pictures and wore that dress to work for the first time, I did indeed wear the flat shoes - because I knew I wanted to walk home, something I certainly will not attempt with the white shoes :-)
DeleteSo you wear make-up to bed, in order to NOT be seen without it first thing in the morning? ;-) Just kidding, I know of course how you meant that.
Usually, I only wear make-up to the office or when going out at night (to dance or dine, for instance).
Oh my! I have to agree with Kay G. ... I vote for the flats. That may be in part because I just don't like white shoes, but I do like the color of the flats and you do have beautiful posture so wearing them shouldn't change that. AND, I also like the new hair cut!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jill!
DeleteI still think the flats look a bit too "casual" (to avoid the word "drab") with the dress... but I did wear them that day nonetheless. Thank you for saying I have beautiful posture! One of my customers has remarked on that, too. He says he wishes he'd be able to sit at his desk the way I do, all upright and looking as if it was no effort. Maybe dancing has something to do with it.
As always, you look very smart, Meike. I think I would have chosen the carmel flats to wear with the dress. Carmel shoes (no matter how high or low the heel) are my favorites, as they seem to make your legs look longer and your feet disappear.
ReplyDeleteTo feel less prim, you might try just unbuttoning the jacket and leaving it open. Unless the day is super cold that probably wouldn't make any difference to the temperature, but would make you look less "buttoned up." No pun intended! :)
Thank you :-)
DeleteWell, the intention was really to look prim. Jackets that are cut that way don't look right when they are left open, I find. Admittedly, I have never thought about the colour of shoes influencing the apparent length of legs; most of the time, I simply choose the colour that goes best with the rest of the outfit.
I wonder what happened to the comment I wrote....I think sometimes lately I am in such a rush that I don't push "publish" before going to the next place......I like these outfits very much though I am light years from buying anything for business! I wonder whether you have any rules in Germany (unwritten ones) about when it is permissible to wear white shoes in the spring and when you must stop in late summer or early fall....
ReplyDeleteHmmm... I am sure there are some unwritten rules about nearly everything to do with clothes, but I don't know them. One unwritten rule that we have (the three of us who form RJ's company) is that we should always look a tad smarter than the customer. That means that even in high summer, when everyone at the office looks as if they are going to the beach, we wear proper business attire (ties and long sleeves for the men, tights and closed shoes for me).
DeleteIt's just that kind of thing expected from us, and we don't mind to fulfill it.
When the time of the year comes round to wear my autumn and winter clothes, I simply stop wearing white shoes, because they don't go with them, it's a bit of a different colour scheme then.
Black shoes I wear all year round.