Break it up, Tie it together

The jumping-off point for this outfit was the gold sweater. I can't even remember the last time I wore it, so I decided I should fix that.

I had no plan, just a vow that I wouldn't wear it with black pants, because that's how I always wear it. So what did I wear it with instead? Black skirt. Very creative.

I'm beginning to think that I don't like this skirt. Despite being pleated, which is a style I'd wanted in my collection for some time, it just doesn't look good on me. It falls in a very straight-up-and-down drape, bringing out all the blocky shapes in my admittedly un-curvaceous figure. But that's all beside the point.

The point is that this outfit of unremarkable pieces has furnished me with a new motto.

When combining two solid-color pieces in one outfit, follow these two rules: Break it up, tie it together.

For example...

1) I wore the little belt for the sweater just a little bit below the waistband of the skirt, breaking up the expansive blocks of color.

2) I wore shimmering sheer pantyhose, for a subtle reflection of the gold in the top. (Also black shoes, which tie in with the black skirt, but black goes with everything, so does that really count?)