With the band

I'm not really into rock concerts. Ever since I almost passed out in a mosh pit, they just haven't appealed to me in the same way they did in high school. But if one of my favorite bands comes to town, of course I'll go to the concert, and I'll always buy a band t-shirt. I got this one last year at a Switchfoot concert, and on Tuesday I realized that I hadn't worn it in about a year. So I dug it out and styled it up for winter. (Let's face it - even though it's technically still fall, if the temperatures are bordering on freezing, it counts as winter.) I piled on the layers (and probably could have done with another pair of tights), and also apparently used this opportunity to wear five different things that clashed with each other. I was generally pleased with the look, though; it had a nice eclectic touch to it, and made me feel happy while wearing it. I call it my "I reached into the closet blindfolded and wore whatever I touched first" outfit.

T-shirt: from a Switchfoot concert

Cardigan: Old Navy

Jean jacket: thrifted from Rerun

Skirt: H&M

Tights: American Apparel

Socks: Gap

Shoes: Urban Outfitters

Scarf: thrifted

Bracelets: In Pink (yellow), Dress Barn (blue), thrifted from Village Merchants (green)

Spikes and stripes (Round two)

These pants (also worn here) make a big statement, and for this outfit I decided to skip a simple top and wear a shirt that's just as interesting as the pants. Quite a few of you expressed an appreciation of the shoulders on this shirt when I wore it on Halloween, so I decided to wear it again on a non-costumey day. And then, just because this outfit already had so much going on, I piled on the jewelry as well. (Because if you're going to go over the top, you might as well make it count, right?)

If you take outfit photos, it doesn't take too long to figure out which poses work best for which outfits. If I'm wearing a skirt I'll gladly face the camera head-on, but if I'm wearing pants I will almost always pose at an angle. I love my wide hips, but they look even wider in photos when I wear pants (especially wide-leg pants like these), and I don't have a problem trying to make myself look a bit slimmer in pictures. Do any of you have posing tricks that you use? What are they?

Top: Urban Outfitters

Jacket: Forever 21 brand, from Jen Loves Kev's closet sale

Pants: Anthropologie

Hat: Fred Meyer

Earrings: bought in China

Bracelets: H&M and In Pink

Basic neutrals

This outfit was inspired by one of my favorite style bloggers, Charlie. Her outfits are always full of simple basics, usually in solid colors instead of prints, and she always looks stunning. Sometimes I think dressing simply is more of a statement than wearing clothes with crazy patterns or designs.

I got this blazer at Forever 21 last week, and I'm very impressed by the quality. It's incredibly soft, has a decent lining, and was only $30! It isn't a color that I would have normally gone for, but again I was inspired by Charlie and her constant use of camel-colored overcoats and cardigans, and brought it home to discover that it goes with pretty much everything in my closet.

Turtleneck: Old Navy

Blazer: Forever 21

Skirt: Gap

Belt: thrifted

Tights: American Apparel

Boots: Urban Outfitters

Hat: Fred Meyer

Earrings: B. Lee Designs

Scarf: self made

Necklace: Bauble Bar

Bracelet: In Pink

You shouldn't dress like that on Sundays

This outfit originally included this black and white striped sweater instead of the plain black one, but when I looked at the finished product in the mirror, for the first time in my life I thought, "I'm too old to wear this combination." It felt more tasteful to switch to a solid colored top - although let's be honest, a neon color blocked skirt and polka dot tights are still not high on the tasteful scale. Case in point: when I was walking along the sidewalk, a homeless man who passed me by said, "You shouldn't dress like that on Sundays."

Sweater: Target

White blouse: free from aunt

Skirt: Forever 21 brand, thrifted from Crossroads Trading Co.

Tights: Asos

Shoes: Sam Edelman Kendall wedges from Piperlime

Earrings: Simply Jo Designs

Brooch: vintage, from my mom

Link love

Here are some ladies whose style I'm loving this week! Apparently, even though temperatures have been hoving near freezing in Portland, I'm really loving outfits with bare legs...

Top: Unknown, Chic on the Cheap

Middle: Cupcakes and Cashmere, Gary Pepper Vintage

Bottom: The Blonde Salad, The Cherry Blossom Girl

And here are a few other fun fashion-related links from around the web...

Fun and unique ways to wear tights!

A great discussion about the use of "courtesy of" items in fashion blogging.

I really like the way Keiko views fashion.

A weird but cool use of a scarf.

I don't normally like street style photography, but these are some awesome outfits.

When I read this, I laughed so hard I cried.

Smart, insightful words about the truth of beauty.

A splash of sunshine

This is an outfit from about a month ago that I never posted. I guess I was saving it for a rainy day, although it's not actually a rainy day today, and the rainy day I was referring to is more metaphorical than literal. I just didn't love the outfit that we photographed for today, so I ditched it in favor of this one containing these exuberant tights. I know I had trouble styling those red tights from yesterday, but for some reason I didn't have any problems with these yellow ones - as soon as I got them, I knew they would be perfect with this denim skirt. (Come to think of it - those red tights would probably be perfect with this skirt, too.) They were a nice little splash of sunshine on a gray day.

This outfit actually contains quite a few pieces that have already been featured several times this week: the shirt (on Tuesday), the spider necklace (on Wednesday), and the purse (on Wednesday and Thursday). I guess I have my favorites :)

Top and tights: H&M

Skirt: Gap

Shoes: Lulu's

Earrings: free from aunt

Necklace: Bauble Bar

Bracelet: won in a giveaway

Purse: thrifted from Salvation Army

Red legs

I've been wanting an opportunity to wear my new red tights, but have had trouble finding an appropriate outfit to wear them with. For all my love of bright colors, it turns out there's something very intimidating about wearing bright colors on your legs and not just on a skirt or a top. So I went on Chictopia to see how other people styled their red tights, and saw that most people wore them with black clothes. It's a safe pairing - one I was happy to try for my first time wearing such eye-watering tights. (I did wear purple tights on Thanksgiving, but they didn't feel quite as shocking as these red ones.) I've had this black skirt for a year, and - I'm almost embarrassed to admit this - have never worn it. I have a very full closet, and sometimes things just get lost in there :) I think the pretty lace detailing on the skirt is a nice contrast to the shocking tights.

Sweater: can't remember

Jacket: Forever 21 brand from Jen Loves Kev's closet sale

Skirt: thrifted from Rerun

Tights: American Apparel

Boots: Lulu's

Scarf and belt: thrifted

Necklaces: Forever 21 and Dress Barn

Bracelets: H&M

Purse: thrifted from Salvation Army