All things EARTH...

[Anita Latte]

Today is actually St. Patty's Day...

 

Mom and Dad were dressed in green from breakfast through dinner...but this wasn't planned...it just sort of happened.

 

Mom is wearing a knit tank (she thinks it's Banana Republic) with those same Cache sand capris with the gold accents. Merrell sandals. I am wearing the coral shirt (I DID get the wine stain out!! YAY!) and the Khakini colored Athleta All Terrain Skirt and my Merrell sandals.

 

 

Today is the day that we had to pack. I DID change for dinner, but we don't have a photo. :( I wore my avocado colored shirt that was a clear favorite from my green color party with the same skirt. I wore my new beaded bracelet from Belize and matching earrings and my Bronze Jambu sandals. Mom didn't change for dinner, but then again...Mom didn't stay for dinner...Johnny Rockets lunch did her in. It seemed EVERYONE thought eating at Johnny Rockets was the thing to do for lunch today...and so we waited...and waited...and waited...and we finally were eating lunch after 1PM. And YES, we had milk shakes, and fries, and onion rings, and big ole juicy cheeseburgers with TONS of goodies on them. She was going to sit with us at dinner but the smell of the food and the fact that the waiter would have brought her food anyway...she left before appetizers were brought to the table.

 

After dinner...we finished packing...I decided to wear this same green shirt off the ship with my multi-pocket shorts and Merrell shoes. Mom wore the same outfit she was wearing off the ship the next day...clean underwear, of course. ;):rolleyes:

 

And this pretty much concludes the picture portion of this pictodiary.

 

Coming up...Final thoughts and Summary!

[Anita Latte]

TOPS:

 

I wore 6 different tops...I had also packed 2 other shirts that I didn't wear.

 

I obviously prefer a semi-fitted shirt in the evening to a fitted shirt. I could have easily repeated the shirts I did wear, if needed, because I only repeated the Avocado Green at the end.

 

OVERLAYERS:

 

Two. Yellow Hoodie and Purple Cover Up.

 

The hoodie was essential. I wore it more often than I thought I would, and I never wished I had more than the one. The cover up was essential. Didn't wish I had more. Only wished it matched my swim suit better. Fast drying fabric in the cover up was probably the key to being able to have one.

 

DRESSES:

 

Two Formals. Loved having two. Will definitely repeat.

 

One Wet Dress. Or at least, one quick drying dress. ESSENTIAL. The pockets made it perfect for when I wanted/needed to wear something that could withstand getting wet. Will definitely repeat. Will definitely watch this style for more Earth colors.

 

One Casual Sundress. Last minute pack that I was SO GLAD I packed. Sometimes, you just want to put on ONE item of clothing.

 

BOTTOMS:

 

One Capris. Could have skipped. Only wore these to the ship because of the cooler weather, and a concern that I should have longer bottoms in case the air conditioning made dinner uncomfortably cool. I need to remember that my legs don't really get too cool. If I feel cool, then layering my tops generally works for me.

 

One Shorts. ESSENTIAL. Single pair did the trick for the week. Never wished I had a different pair. LOVED the zippered pocket.

 

Skirts. Packed 3. Wore 2. One casual (pockets!) and One Dressy (pockets!).

 

LOVED the All Terrain Skirt for the ship...the one zippered pocket was perfect for the sea pass card. The pencil skirt was perfect with whatever shirt I wanted to wear. I did not need to take the animal print skirt; it was not appealing to wear because it didn't have pockets and the coordinating shirts were more fitted. Also, it was the skirt that was more fun in these planned outfits...and that didn't seem as fun to wear to the dining room as having a more fun SHIRT.

 

OTHER:

 

Swimming Suit. Packed 2, wore 1. One fit better than the other, and since we didn't swim much, I never faced the dreaded trying to put on a wet suit...so I always chose the better fitting suit. I do wish that my suit went with my cover up more...but the suit that I really wanted to buy would not ship in time for the cruise...but this is on my shopping list because this swim suit works, but is literally too big...not easy to see in photos because the style, one piece with a high neck and still good elastic at the legs and arms isn't revealing even though the suit billows around me when it gets wet.

 

I do wish that I had a 2-piece suit.

 

AND I wish that I had swim suit bottoms (or other meant to be seen bottoms) to wear under the All Terrain Skirt because I flashed the ship one day going up an outside stair case in the wind.

 

Pajamas. 'Nuff said.

 

Robe. If Mom hadn't given me the robe they provided for Dad, I would have missed having a robe. I needed to be able to leave the humid bathroom before getting dressed.

 

SHOES:

 

Red Shoes. One pair of formal shoes. These were comfortable enough for walking around the ship.

 

Merrell Sandals. ESSENTIAL. Considering their current condition, I need to be searching for this functionality to replace these shoes.

 

Teva Sandals. Needed wet sandals, would like different ones than these because there were times I would have worn wet sandals but didn't because style and colorwise, they didn't go.

 

Jambu Bronze. Great smart casual shoes. Perfect for walking around the ship. Would pack again.

 

Beaded Bronze sandals. Worn once. Slippery sole. Would not pack again. Would just wear the Jambu.

 

Target Shoes. Wore only on embarkation day to wear with the capris. I hadn't worn them enough before this trip...they were not broken in...they were not good for exploring the ship. I let my "fashion sense" override my good sense...I should have worn my Merrells.

 

EXERCISE CLOTHING:

Didn't wear AT ALL. I brought several ZUMBA outfits...nothing that was generic because I was hoping to be able to do a class...or three...but I realized on board that I would have felt uncomfortable working out in them and may have benefited from having something "normal."

 

BAGS/PURSES:

 

Large Shore Excursion Tote: ESSENTIAL. Why do I think the ones we got are AWESOME? Zippered top closure. Zippered interior pocket (wallet/cash/essentials). Additional side storage pockets (sunscreen/rewetting drops). Large capacity. Sturdy handles. Lined interior. Snap outside pocket.

 

Smaller Tote: I have several. I planned on bringing at least one. Since we did not spend too much time at the pool, this was not a big deal, but in the future, I would definitely bring a smaller tote BECAUSE:

 

Cinch Backpack: This was DH's "tote" and it was used. Essential for the man...and if we were ever going to go separate ways on board, I would have wanted my own tote (above) but as it was I let DH carry the things we might need.

 

Formal Purse: Didn't need. I DID just let DH carry my Sea Pass card and lip gloss though. So maybe I would actually like one for the future. But I don't HAVE to have one.

 

JEWELRY:

I packed too much. LOL. BUT...I liked having the choices here...and it wasn't a HUGE overpack. It was a very good thing that I had already planned options for my outfits...it made it very easy to not have to think so hard...which sounds ridiculous...but really...it's true. I WOULD like to find at least one more "generic" pair of earrings/bracelets/necklace because the antique gold ones seemed to be worn a lot and it's not that they are uncomfortable...they are CHEAP...and they could get irritating after a while.

 

TOILETRIES/COSMETICS:

 

Make Up Remover!!!! Wish that I had packed some. For someone that doesn't often wear make up...I just forgot...and that was a bummer.

 

Playing with make up before cruising is something to do...I was glad that I did.

 

Body Glide. This anti-chaffing stick product is ESSENTIAL for those that need it. HIGHLY recommend. My men use this especially on the days when they would be doing a lot of walking while wearing their swim suits. This brand name is a runner's product, but there are several now available I think. It is sold in a package similar to traveling size stick deodorant and while I have read that stick deodorant will do the same thing (same active ingredient in smaller %), this product has no added fragrances.

 

And this concludes my side of this Wardrobe Report!

 

I think I'll post the FIRE summary over on the FIRE thread...that way further conversation can continue with less confusion.

 

Thank you to everyone posting compliments. Please note that this pictodiary was brought to you with the EXPRESS intent of motivating everyone to do the same during their travels. We expect reciprocation!! :p;)

[laurspag]

Anita, I haven't posted much here lately, but I've been following along! I like your picture diary you've given us, so to speak. I find it very interesting to see what people bring, and why.

 

I wear dress pants to work all week, and my outfits need to be subdued due to the nature of my job. (banking) As a result, I dress up every night for dinner on a cruise. Formal nights are full length gowns (except the Monarch 4 night cruise. I opted for a shorter cocktail lenght) and I wear dresses every night. I wear lots of jewelry throughout. What I am doing on port days dictates my attire, but I give a lot of thought to it, just the same. I absolutely love the ability to mix and match my outfits so easily. I would not be able to do that if I wasn't loyal to my earth colors.

 

I do find certain colors to be tricky still. Curt posted a picture from the awards (not sure if the Oscars or Golden Globe) or someone wearing a blue dress that he identified as an earth blue. I saw a dress in JCPenney that exact same shade on clearance, so I grabbed it, knowing I got the right color. Once I get around to ordering my color cards from him, it will be easier.

 

I also plan to post some pictures of random clothing I have, to show how so much of this is coming together.

 

Keep posting, everyone!

[laurspag]

This is the blue dress I was just talking about...I love it. The dress next to it is an ivory and gold thread dress. It is also very nice.

 

This is the dress I plan to wear on one of the formal nights on my next cruise. I was very happy with the wonderfual dark chocolate brown color, and it is very flattering.

 

I am contemplating this dress for formal night #2. It is a wonderful soft gold color that is works very well for me.

 

My formal night dress from last year's 4 day Monarch cruise was a shorter ivory satin dress. Although it was really nice, I felt the ivory was not deep enough for me. It was better than regular white, but didn't quite fit the bill.

 

I happen to also have a coral satin dress that is very much spring/fire. It's one of those things where you know it isn't your color, but it doesn't look bad, so you keep it. I know that down the road when I replace it with something else, I won't mind letting it go to a new home. In the meantime. I am looking for a statement necklace that picks up both the bright coral tone, and has some muted tones with it, whether they be beige or whatever. If I can mute it down a bit at the neckline, it will help a bit.

[laurspag]

Now, see what I mean about the ivory? My haircolor is a bit redder than my normal color here. I am currently sporting a slightly weaker reddish brown, lol. I am thinking that I could do something different with a necklace with this dress also to help.

 

The hubs is a summer, but he really gets away with a variety of colors. Spring colors look very obviously bad on him, and he had a chocolate brown shirt that he got rid of that he decided wasn't quite right for him...thank goodness, lol.

[laurspag]

 

Anita, I really like this dress, and how it goes with your shoes and all. I am having trouble finding styles I cann wear, and I have found I need to avoid certain things - really loose dresses, and gathered dresses. I am best wearing something semi fitted or even fitted. I wish I could wear this dress! But, with the size of my chest....holy cow, lol.

[MJC]

Hi Earth ladies,

 

I really appreciate Anita's summary, especially details about why things worked or didn't work. So helpful.

 

More comments to come, I hope, but I'm away at a conference and the days are long. I want to tell you about my plan for packing an Earthy wardrobe, and how it got derailed by ONE ACCESSORY! Can you guess what it was?

[laurspag]

For those of you interested, this dress is available at JCPenney online, for just $20.00. They only have one size left though - a 10. It's a great earth color!

 

[laurspag]

I just realized that you can't tell from that picture above, but it is a great rust color. It's hard to find things in that color.

[MJC]

I just realized that you can't tell from that picture above, but it is a great rust color. It's hard to find things in that color.

 

I agree, I have one tshirt in that color that was an experiment to see if I would like it, and I haven't found anything else since.

[MJC]

I thought I'd share these photos from April Vogue.

 

The article on harvest colors for spring was full of bright yellows and oranges, nothing for us earth girls. http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i438/Marjaline/April%20fashion/?action=view&current=AprilV04.jpg#!oZZ4QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1093.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi438%2FMarjaline%2FApril%2520fashion%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DAprilV01.jpg

 

Interesting choice of leather and pantsuits for spring, not to my taste but it just goes to show that fashion is all over the place right now. http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i438/Marjaline/April%20fashion/?action=view&current=AprilV04.jpg#!oZZ3QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1093.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi438%2FMarjaline%2FApril%2520fashion%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DAprilV02.jpg

 

I love the yellow dress on this auburn beauty - even though most of the yellows in stores are too citrusy and bright for me, it goes to show that there are some buttery ones out there if you look. http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i438/Marjaline/April%20fashion/?action=view&current=AprilV04.jpg#!oZZ2QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1093.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi438%2FMarjaline%2FApril%2520fashion%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DAprilV03.jpg

 

Finally, the cute Chloe dress reminds me of Anita's, and love the neutral shoe - the kind of thing I would pack as a staple that goes with everything. http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i438/Marjaline/April%20fashion/?action=view&current=AprilV04.jpg

 

Enjoy!

[cooki801]

I am new to all this color stuff but after looking at some of the links it seems I am an Earth.

The one thing that I have to wonder about is blue...I have been told lots of times that I look really nice in blues and not just the few that appear in the palette of Earth. My skin is definitely a warm undertone (doing the bathroom test) and my eyes are green with golden brown and sort of turquoise flecks so that says Earth. As for hair...I just think it is sort of a medium brown LOL but if I try and color it lighter it does pull red so I am guessing I have the red undertones.

I enjoyed the recent posts by Anita (?) and her every day dressing and then comments. I would love to know more about your Roatan excursion and if you have a link to the provider.

[Teacher_91]

<<Please note...I do not know if what I am about to share is the result of a less expensive dress? My formal dress was all of $49.95 purchased on sale from $69.95 (still not expensive for a formal) from Dillards. In general, the dress is well made with a built in bra (YAY!!) BUT I have a lesson to teach everyone reading this thread regarding your dress and picture taking. We ended up passing on several professionally photographed formal pictures from this formal night because of this lesson. EVERYONE ready? Here it is:

 

BE AWARE how your zipper looks when you are photographed...and NOTE if you need to have a "good side" face the camera. My dress has a side zipper that is VERY unattractive in photographs if my left side is exposed.>

 

YIKES! I think the two formal dresses I bought have side zippers on my 'better' (I say better because I'm not particularly photogenic) side (the left!) I may have to rethink these dresses!

 

Now I'm off to read the rest of the thread. I'm enjoying it! :)

[Teacher_91]

I am wearing a steal of a deal...seriously...a Chaps dress that I picked up on the clearance rack at Kohl's for 90% off...$8!! Woot woot! I decided to wear pearls: an inherited necklace with a pair of drop earrings and an inherited 3-strand bracelet. I wore those red shoes again.

 

 

Coming up...Our LAST Sea Day...:(

 

I love this pic of you and your Mr.! :D

[laurspag]

I am wearing a steal of a deal...seriously...a Chaps dress that I picked up on the clearance rack at Kohl's for 90% off...$8!! Woot woot! I decided to wear pearls: an inherited necklace with a pair of drop earrings and an inherited 3-strand bracelet. I wore those red shoes again.

 

 

Coming up...Our LAST Sea Day...:(

 

I love this pic of you and your Mr.! :D

Me too! Do you have another picture of this dress? I'd really like to get a look at the color while I'm waiting for my cards to come in. It reminds me of Natalie Portman's dress from the Oscars last year.

[laurspag]

I am new to all this color stuff but after looking at some of the links it seems I am an Earth.

The one thing that I have to wonder about is blue...I have been told lots of times that I look really nice in blues and not just the few that appear in the palette of Earth. My skin is definitely a warm undertone (doing the bathroom test) and my eyes are green with golden brown and sort of turquoise flecks so that says Earth. As for hair...I just think it is sort of a medium brown LOL but if I try and color it lighter it does pull red so I am guessing I have the red undertones.

I enjoyed the recent posts by Anita (?) and her every day dressing and then comments. I would love to know more about your Roatan excursion and if you have a link to the provider.

 

You are sounding a lot like a fire or earth.

 

Curt, who got most of us going on the seasons/colors would probably say certain things regarding your posts. For example, do people flatter you, or the color or outfit? Sometimes, a person is drawn to a color they like or that looks good on them, so they will say, "great shirt!" Also, wearing the right colors will help you look your best, but it doesn't mean you look dreadful in everything else. It's like taking a test....you can barely pass, or you can ace it.

 

We'd love to see some pictures of you! Try out some of the experiments you see Anita and others do. It is a great idea.

[laurspag]

I thought I'd share these photos from April Vogue.

 

The article on harvest colors for spring was full of bright yellows and oranges, nothing for us earth girls. http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i438/Marjaline/April%20fashion/?action=view&current=AprilV04.jpg#!oZZ4QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1093.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi438%2FMarjaline%2FApril%2520fashion%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DAprilV01.jpg

 

Interesting choice of leather and pantsuits for spring, not to my taste but it just goes to show that fashion is all over the place right now. http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i438/Marjaline/April%20fashion/?action=view&current=AprilV04.jpg#!oZZ3QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1093.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi438%2FMarjaline%2FApril%2520fashion%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DAprilV02.jpg

 

I love the yellow dress on this auburn beauty - even though most of the yellows in stores are too citrusy and bright for me, it goes to show that there are some buttery ones out there if you look. http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i438/Marjaline/April%20fashion/?action=view&current=AprilV04.jpg#!oZZ2QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs1093.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fi438%2FMarjaline%2FApril%2520fashion%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DAprilV03.jpg

 

Finally, the cute Chloe dress reminds me of Anita's, and love the neutral shoe - the kind of thing I would pack as a staple that goes with everything. http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i438/Marjaline/April%20fashion/?action=view&current=AprilV04.jpg

 

Enjoy!

 

I too love that last dress. I could never wear the style, but it's really sharp looking.

[Teacher_91]

Hello All,

I've been reading through this thread (bottom to top :eek:) and now I'm wondering "what" I am. I don't think I'm an "Earth" person. I tend to be drawn to black (LOTS OF BLACK), red, and some white. I also like brown and occasionally deep yellow or deep pink (fushia?) I've recently been told that I look good in turqoise. Any ideas on how to 'identify' me? :D

This is a GREAT thread. I have enjoyed looking at everyone's pictures and reading their insights. :)

[cooki801]

I am going to try and attach a picture...so far I haven't had much luck doing it as my photos seem to be too large in pixels LOL

It's not the best example as it was taken with a flash in my house.

[cooki801]

I forgot to say that that is my DH and I think he might be my opposite LOL He had very blond hair before it went grey and fair skin with a pink undertone

[cooki801]

Welcome Teacher91 I am new too.

It was helpful to me to check out this site

http://fireiceearthandair.wordpress.com/2010/01/09/earth/

and scroll down a bit to get the theory of where you fall in the color ranges.

Good luck

[Anita Latte]

Hello Cooki and Teacher91,

 

Figuring out what colors are best suited for you...clear or muted...warm or cool...is not a piece of cake (unless you are ICE). You really need to think about this as a science project. Pictures are the tools you use to determine how your skin is affected by color. In order to determine how your skin is affected by the different colors in pictures, you need to take a series of pictures where the color you are wearing is the only variable in the series of pictures. Natural lighting is best. No flash. And because you really need to study your face, you need to take a photo that focuses on your face...and have your face be unaltered by anything other than the color...so no makeup and pull your hair back so that your face can be clearly seen.

 

If you feel confident that you should wear warm colors...then you just need to determine if you should wear muted or clear warm colors. Your pictures could just focus on contrasting these two. Pick something that you can clearly identify as warm/clear and warm/muted. For yellow, you could pick sunshine yellow and mustard yellow. For red, you could pick clear tomato red (orange red) and brick or rust. For green, you could pick granny apple green and army green. Whatever you pick, just be sure that you can clearly identify that your test colors are warm and clear or muted.

 

At that point, you could see which colors made you go gray. A FIRE wearing muted looks gray, total lack of natural skin tone in a pale, washed out way...Mom (Pam/Member123) is a perfect example in several places...I did a contrast picture with her on this thread and it has happened in her color parties over on the FIRE thread. An EARTH wearing clear also looks gray...still a lack of skin tone color but because EARTH people don't have that translucent skin...instead of being washed out, EARTH gray is like over-saturated gray, and dark, a very unnatural kind of tanned look. I posted an example of this on me with coral earlier in this thread.

 

Just because you are drawn to a color does not mean that it looks good on you. It takes a long time for us to understand what "looking good" actually looks like, what our healthy looking skin tone actually looks like.

 

The only way to learn this information is to conduct the science experiment. It takes time and effort to get the right pictures in order to study them and make accurate conclusions. This is one reason why our color parties have hit something of a stand still...because it's WORK! ;)

 

If you are starting from scratch, and aren't even sure about warm v. cool...then your pictures have to include a wider range of colors. Unless Curt has changed his methodology, he would use black, brown, gray, white, cream, aqua, coral, and navy to begin the process. And then, you might have to take more photos after he analyzed that first round of colors. I confidently speak for everyone that has worked with Curt to say that we highly recommend that you do work with him. He is a color expert with a fantastic eye. He spends less time on the fashion board since becoming a daddy but can be reached through the website previously mentioned.

 

Doing the work to determine your colors...and then working on your wardrobe is an amazing thing. In a very real way, it simplifies life...shopping is easier in some respects (especially sale/clearance rack shopping)...and wardrobe planning is easier (most of your colors will work together to make easy mix and match capsule wardrobes for different purposes...work, travel, etc.)...and most of your shoes will "go" with most of your clothes so long as the style is appropriate. I could write more on the benefits but I really need to get ready for Zumba.

 

Hope everyone is having a lovely morning.

[Anita Latte]

Good afternoon everyone!

 

I'm spending some time catching up on our conversation...

 

Margaret and Laura...I think I saw that Chloe dress, or one similar to it in InStyle magazine in a runway spread...I remember it specifically because I really liked the colors and it did also remind me a little bit of my one dress...and I think I saw it or something similar in Dillards? I'll have to look...the problem with the Dillards website is that I can rarely find anything that I found in the store on the website. :confused: hmmm

 

Fashion is all over the place...I think that if you can stay somewhat current in the shoe and accessories department...then you can take the colors and silhouettes that look best on you and make it "fashionable" or stylish. And not really worry too much about what is "in style."

 

I wasn't completely positive that the plum/wine/purple of the dress was EARTH...but I did like the color with golden jewelry and with other EARTH colors...I don't have another picture yet of that dress, but I could probably take one...it really is a PURPLE kind of dress, which I like so much...if you look at DH's tie...you can see that he has a more reddish "wine" color in the tie. The dress is a really great style...very flattering...even more flattering than the brown one really.

 

JCPenny always has great sales on dresses. Rust IS a harder to find color in dresses...I have a ton in day wear...unfortunately, I'm going to be holding off on clothing purchases from now until...well...IDK...if you haven't caught the news on my Zumba thread...I'm moving to Georgia this summer.

 

Thus, the great process of CURATING (as opposed to de-CLUTTERING) begins. I have plenty of time for this process...DH will be starting work April 30...but DS and I will finish the school year (beginning of June) and my Zumba contract (end of June) and we will have the month of July to play with because our current lease isn't over until the end of July. I am praying that the renters that are currently renting our home will want to renew their lease again. DH will be staying with family until we all move out and get our own household set up.

 

So back to CURATING...this is my new word...the process NOT of getting rid of things...but rather, the process of sorting through one's possessions to find the best of the best and to treat these precious objects as they desire to be treated. I read an article in some magazine in a waiting room recently and it was talking about this idea. For example, the writer had saved many letters that her Grandma had written to her. She read through them all again...picked ONE to save...and now it has a special home...and whenever she wants to, she can read that letter...and not be overwhelmed by the "collection." I think the idea is that you end up valuing and appreciating what you have more because it becomes more rare and special...and quite frankly...easier to care for.

 

Bringing this idea back on topic...I will be going through the clothing ONE MORE TIME! :eek: And making some serious decisions regarding every single item...all over again. Does it ever stop? Remember though...part of the issue is the weight loss...YAAAAAY!!...and so...I know this process will continue until I reach my goal.

 

As to the shape of that one dress...I've owned that dress for a while now. It has gotten much looser with the weight loss but it did fit nicely in a skim the body kind of way...the style just lends itself to still working because a sheathe dress like that is usually flattering to many, so long as the arm pit area doesn't start to be too big and show too much bra...why do you think it wouldn't work on you? We don't need to get too personal here...but my girls are 3D's, if you KWIM...and you can see how the dress looks...

 

Laura...I LOVE the blue dress. I'm going to have to go read Curt's awards evaluations to see what you are talking about there...when I was in Dillards recently, I found that same blue...not on the top of a dress unfortunately, but on the bottom...and it is STUNNING...you definitely have to snag that rare find when you can! Congrats!

 

I agree with your assessment of your ivory dress...I think that something that was a richer color would be more flattering...but you're correct...it's better than white...but I'd love to see any of the other dresses you posted before the ivory one. The gold dresses seem like a very nice gold...not too bright or gaudy and that can be difficult to find. So have you settled on what you will be wearing?

 

When Mom was here, I tried on an AMAZINGLY fun dress...in the store, the color was seriously ORANGE-RED...and it looked fabulous on...but I'd have to see it in natural light to be completely confident. But here is another dress that I wouldn't mind owning:

 

http://www.cache.com/detail/cherry-red-pointed-hem-dress/O5050J07704475/60

 

This dress SCREAMED to go dancing...the black shoes are HORRIBLE...and I am just so surprised at how this dress looks online...ANYWAY...I'm watching this dress for a SALE!;)

[MJC]

I want to tell you about my plan for packing an Earthy wardrobe, and how it got derailed by ONE ACCESSORY! Can you guess what it was?

 

Back to my conference wardrobe dilemma. You know, we urban ladies LOVE our backpack purses. Hands are free for packages and whatnot (like conference materials), plenty of room for the eReader and a small umbrella. Of course mine is black. Add that to my black raincoat (a necessity that weekend) and the need for a professional wardrobe for the week and you can guess what my capsule wardrobe looked like.

 

Then I came home to some beautiful sunny but cool weather, and here I am having to wear my big black raincoat. Depressing.

 

However, to make lemonade of lemons, it was another instance when I learned where some gaps are in my move to a more earthy wardrobe. So, yesterday bought myself a new spring coat (the copper one I admired last month at Coldwater Creek, now 30%off!) and I'm on the lookout for a brown backpack purse that will meet my requirements of a little structure, some quiet pockets, and the right color. Not one of these bulging Elephant Man ones or anything too student-like.

 

Accessories can make or break an outfit. Like Anita said, with a classic wardrobe, the right shoes, bag, and haircut can keep you current without looking like a slave to fashion.

[Anita Latte]

Margaret, I was going to guess SHOES...but I'm not a handbag person normally. If I can get away with not having one, then I do. One of the reason I LOVE pockets! You know, I've never really thought about the whole backpack handbag idea...and I had no idea that this was so popular among the urban crowd, being a suburban girl my entire life.

 

I was looking around...you ever look at eBags?

 

I saw this one:

 

http://www.ebags.com/product/piazza/torino-backpack/221897?productid=10155217

 

Also comes in a brown color, but personally, I like the terracotta...I find all matters of orange to be a great neutral going well with lighter and darker browns and ALL other EARTH colors. Anyway...this bag gets great reviews and doesn't seem to be priced too high for cowhide leather. Not sure what you mean by Elephant Man bag...but this doesn't seem student like...lots of pockets...and bit more structured than slouchy. If I wasn't moving, I might want one for myself!;)