Monday, December 3, 2012

Autopilot Dressing

Last evening we attended the Jonesborough Progressive Dinner, a wonderful holiday ritual for Mickey and me. The event occurs in the oldest town in Tennessee, which is only about eight miles from my home. 

We take a tour of several historic homes throughout the town and have one course of the meal at each home. There is live music, and the owners are there to tell us about the home's history and architecture. Along the route, one of the Historians is on board the bus to tell us about the building we are about to visit and its relation to the town's history.




Knowing that we would be going in and out of the weather and in various settings, I opted for layers that could be peeled off as necessary. 

During the small amount of time I had to get dressed for the event, not one but two dear friends phoned. Friends always take priority, so of course, I chatted with them while getting dressed, which means I had a total of three minutes to actually think about what I was wearing before Mickey arrived. This thrown together at the last minute look carried me through the evening, but it isn't a winner in my eyes. Let's talk about why.

A better look would have been to button the jacket most of the way up, with only the scarf's top fold showing at the neckline. The open jacket and flowing scarf add too much width to my torso, which doesn't balance with the fuller leg tailored pants. Autopilot dressing means I don't have the extra few minutes it takes to apply a critical eye to what I've put together. The upside is that I accomplished what I wanted to by wearing festive layers that could be removed as needed but remain appropriately dressed for the event. (Wearing red is about as close to a Christmas sweater as I will ever come.)

The pants are from Chico's and the red long sleeve tee is also. The jacket is from Geiger. The shoes are from Ros Hommerson. The scarf is something I picked up at Ross, and the evening bag is from T. J. Maxx.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a great week!

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I think you look lovely. I do understand your point on the jacket.

Anonymous said...

Very very classy outfit! Festive, too!
I think you look SO lovely!!!

Patti @ NotDeadYet Style said...

Wonderful, classic look, Susan. You made me smile with your point about the "not a Christmas sweater" : > Thanks for sharing with Visible Monday and have a great week.

josep-maria badia said...

Beautiful outfit, I love the combination of black and red. I love the scarf and how you place it.

Unknown said...

You are just so stunningly beautiful. Very interesting thoughts about what you would have preferred to do with the jacket. I don't think my mind even thinks in that much detail in regards to styling. I can tell I'm going to learn a lot from you. :)

Unknown said...

Considering an ensemble is half the fun! We all know the feeling of going out the door after hurried dressing. I also appreciate your willingness to offer us an analysis of what worked for you or didn't. You look very polished here, but I can imagine that your alternate styling might have looked very modern. What a difference small things can make! Thanks for writing and the lesson.

Anonymous said...

great outfit, you could wear sheer ankle-highs or knee-highs under those trousers to avoid full pantyhose !