Teal, Toffee & Tweed

It was a lovely half sunny fall day when Justin and I had a few errands to do, and then went shopping for presents for his upcoming birthday (and well, of course, some presents for myself as well) in the evening. Based on our activities and my mood, I changed from the more romantic outfit I had on earlier in the day, into a sportier one later. Both, in my opinion, were classy and cozy at the same time. Just what I needed for this autumn. :)

The staple of this outfit was my new velveteen slimming pants by Chico's in "Darkest Teal". I mentioned earlier in this blog that I had no idea that I could wear "skinny" jeans or pants with my full figure without looking, how should I put it, unflattering? To my huge surprise, the "So Slimming" line of pants by Chico's changed my opinion about such garments at once. I can't speak for other brands, but Chico's does understand them! I look in the mirror or at photographs of myself, and I see that these pants make my legs look slimmer and longer. And they are so unbelievably soft and comfortable! This pair of velveteen pants was a safe gamble. I ordered them online for only $12 just to give them a try. The original price was around $100, so I probably wouldn't have gambled on them if not for the incredible sale. I wasn't sure about the fabric either. It looked intriguing, but I don't think I have ever tried on such a fabric before. I love the little "jewel" button too -- what a nice touch! I fell in love with the look, the color and the feel of the pants as soon as I tried them on for the first time. :)

Here I pair the pants with the faux fir trim poncho sweater I purchased at Nordstrom Rack last year. The sweater is very cozy in what Justin calls "warm toffee" color, and the faux fur adjustable collar gives it a vintage charm. I just use a couple of little safety pins to style it the way I like -- it can be different every time.

I thought that dark teal and warm rusty reds went well together. Actually, this thought wasn't even mine. :) I will tell a story about it later in the post. But it gave me the idea to wear this lovely pair of the most comfy reddish-brown leather booties ever with my velveteen pants, to continue playing with different autumn textures...  

The big round ring with a natural semiprecious stone (Jasper I believe) was a great find at Chico's for $5 on clearance (a long time ago). I love it! It goes so well with so many of my favorite outfits, and it doesn't need many companions. I also tried a new lipstick in beautiful deep red "Bordeaux" by Rimmel. I haven't had red lipstick in years! I love the way it looks and the way I feel wearing it!

For the shopping spree, I wanted to wear something more practical I guess. So I tried to have the same basic outfit (pants + basic black tee + boots + accessories) with a different jacket. I picked my tweed neutral jacket by Chico's (old collection) with big round buttons and great details. It is very elegant, city-sporty (or, at least, active :), and warm for cool autumn days. I love the warm hues of beige/oatmeal with just a hint of gold -- the golden threads! I just added the teal scarf (Pashmina) to the ensemble -- and I was ready to go!

Let me tell you the earlier promised "teal" story then. :) 

A few years ago, as I just started working as a storyteller for our local libraries, I met Edna, this gorgeous, stylish, intelligent and very fun lady. She was in her 50s, but you would never know it! She looked just a touch older than me at my 36 I thought. :) Every time after my story time sessions came to an end, Edna (who hosted my story times as a children's librarian at that point) gave me a very nice little present. One time, it was this beautiful Pashmina scarf. I loved the fabric. I loved the texture. I loved the pattern. I was not sure about the color. I didn't think much of blue, and never had a lot of blue in my wardrobe. But Edna said that it looks very well with my hair and complexion. It was eye opening to me! And with time, not right away, but with some time, I fell in love with this hue. I guess teal has just enough green in it which makes it definitely my color. :) 

"Darkest Teal" Velveteen pants by Chico's. Poncho Sweater - Michael by Michael Kors. Tweed jacket by Chico's (old collection). Boots by Pikolinos. Pashmina - gift. Jewellry by Chico's. Lipstick - Bordeaux by Rimmel London. Purse by B Makowsky.

Photos, as always, by Justin Donie. :)

Location: Cottage