Office Birthday Party

Sunday night, I laid out some brown, black, and white clothing for work today, and, feeling content with the subdued but sophisticated outfit I had planned, put myself to bed.

Moments later, I jumped out of it. What was I thinking!? Monday was my birthday! Even if all I had planned was to go to work, I had to bust out some colors!

As I went to my closet for a re-do, I was disappointed to find that most of my clothes have already been worn at least once, so I couldn't do a fabulous first appearance. But I could do a splendid second, and so I found myself gravitating toward these pink ultra-wide-leg pants that I've only worn once before.

I'm pretty fond of them. The eyelets make them delightfully breezy on a hot summer day, and the generous leg opening makes them almost skirt-like in appearance—a fitting look for a celebratory day.

In keeping with my celebratory mood, I paired the pants with a sparkly sequin-embroidered top; and to balance the black, which stood out sharply from the pants, I wore black sandals.

I even invited my hair to the party, trying to coax some texture into it by means of overnight braiding. It was only marginally successful, but I think I'll try it again.

All told, I'm happy with my festive birthday ensemble. I worked in just enough color and shimmer and novelty to satisfy my need to make my birthday special, while still managing to put in a respectable showing at the office.