Out of the frying pan, into the fridge

Yesterday, the temperature outside reached 81 degrees. Today, it was forecast to top out at 62, and stay there for the foreseeable future.

This 20-degree shift meant I was forced to switch from a summer-clothes mindset to a winter one, without any kind of transition period. But that didn't go over so well. I love my summer clothes, and I wanted to wear a sundress!

So today I decided to try one of those styling techniques I always see on fashion sites but never in the real world—the strappy-dress-over-a-sleeved-shirt look!

When I layer my clothes, I usually want them to be easily removed and replaced, like a cardigan over a tank top, so I can adjust to fluctuating ambient temperatures. When the layers are reversed so the garment with the most coverage is on the bottom, that ease is lost. I'd have to completely take off the dress and shirt, then put the dress back on, if I decided I wanted to go sleeveless in the middle of the day. But with a forecast high well lower than I'd ever want to be in without sleeves, I felt like today was a good day to give this layering style a whirl.

Oddly enough, I railed pretty strongly against this look in my 2016 fashion review, claiming, "I don't like the look of ugly T-shirts stuffed under beautiful dresses." I still don't. The difference between what I complained about and what I'm wearing now is that my T-shirt isn't quite ugly, and my dress isn't quite beautiful. Both pieces have the same middle-of-the road, feminine-but-not-gorgeous, casual-but-classy kind of air to them, that makes them look like they belong together.

Do I love this outfit? No, not really. Wearing what essentially amounts to a jumper dress, I feel somewhat like a first-grader in her school uniform. Do I hate this outfit? No, not really. I like the idea of adding a little longevity to my summer dresses, without having to resort to my stale trick of throwing a blazer on top.

Maybe I'll work with this styling technique again sometime. Or maybe I'll just check the "tried it" box and move on with my life.