Red with Teal or Blue

Ta-daaa! To those of you who put bets on the color of my second beret and guessed red:

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I bought three berets this Fall: gray, blue and red. I thought that either I would share them all with my daughter, or that she would choose the one(s) she likes and make it (them) her own. And since she has just discovered her love of the color red, I was almost sure that she'd choose the red one, but to my surprise she chose the blue one instead, perhaps to match her new wool coat. The blue one was also the smallest of the three and just wouldn't fit all that extra fluff I have in my big head, so it seemed like a perfect choice anyway.

I wore both of these outfits when I was out and about with Anya, running errands, hers and mine. She was the driver (yay!) and my photographer (yay! yay!) on both occasions. We had some cold days, but mostly it was just wet and gray, with temperatures in the low 50s F, and some heavy storms thrown in (we even had a power outage for about 5 hours last Friday night).

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The 100% wool tartan blazer in this outfit is by Talbots, bought almost 2 years ago on clearance, for only $25 (the original price was $200). I love the colors and really appreciate the quality and details - I think it looks so chic and timeless! I paired it with my red blouse (also here in NOVEMBER 2017 and FEBRUARY 2018) and jeans by Eloquii (last year) which I also scored at $20 vs. $100 full price. I don't wear jeans often these days, but I like this retro style, they feel more like trousers - high-waisted with wide leg and some cool detailing.

Other than the red beret and fanny pack (belt bag), nothing should be new to your eyes in this outfit. The teal sweater dress is old, from Lane Bryant (here in DECEMBER 2015 and NOVEMBER 2016). The red faux leather moto jacket is from the previous season, by Eloquii, and I believe is available on their site in other colors (previously shown in JANUARY 2018 and FEBRUARY 2018). 

Both pairs of sunglasses are by Christian Siriano for Lane Bryant, and the long necklace with the enamel pendant is a thrift store find. We tried to show off details in the close-up shot below.

Now let's talk about fanny packs, or bag belts if you will. They became fashionable again, when the current trends turned their attention to 1980s. What's your verdict - yay or nay? I'll be honest - I have never been a fan of fanny packs, though as you can see I own one - and I like this particular one. I bought it over a dozen years ago when I was working at art festivals, from a fellow vender who made all sorts of bags out of tapestry fabric. And I used it a lot - it really is a convenient little purse for a day busy travelling or selling stuff, so you have all the little things within reach, and yet keep your hands free. I'm glad I remembered about my fanny pack when I went out that day - I really like it with this outfit. 

Oh, and on the last photo you can see my enormous earrings (I almost forgot to mention them!) - they are from Nordstrom Rack clearance, and cost me just a few bucks. I think they are a fun way to add some oomph to an outfit, at the same time looking cool and classy.

Wool beret - ModCloth

Moto jacket - Eloquii (old)

Sweater dress - Lane Bryant (old)

Embroidered suede boots - Kenneth Cole Reaction

Fanny pack - old, no name (SIMILAR HERE and HERE and HERE)

Jeans - Eloquii (last year)

Wool blazer - Talbots (1-2 seasons back)

Blouse - ASOS (last year)

Linking up with Visible Monday and Tina's Pink Friday

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