mad for loving plaid?

I don't know what's gotten into me recently, but I can't get over the idea of a plaid midi skirt with a crop top. Plaid skirts in any form have completely captivated me. Now, I had to wear a plaid skirt as a uniform for 12 years of my life. So you can be sure that the mystique of the plaid skirt was lost on me. I didn't get the sexy school girl thing, or the proper British look. To me, my black watch plaid kilt went had-in-hand with going to school every day. That's not to say I hated it. I was actually a fan of having a uniform and loved the basic piece that we had to wear with polo shirts. I just was not going to entertain the idea of plaid skirts outside of the classroom.

So I guess now I'm just far enough removed from school to appreciate this wardrobe classic. The plaid skirt looks best when it's taken up a notch. It can be sexed up with stilettos and jewels, or juxtaposed with a sweatshirt. The key is to take this look in the opposite direction of knee high socks and loafers.

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sparkly skirts

New Year's Eve is the night when all the glitz, sparkle and glitter come out from hiding. To make my look a little unique this year, I'm eschewing the standard LSD (not that... the Little Sparkly Dress) for a shiny skirt. It's a little bit of a challenge to dress-up a skirt to the level of all the cocktail dresses that will be up there, but that just makes it more fun.

Fancy-it-up with rich textures like lace, feathers and fur. Add jewelry that is glamorous, but not overly trendy and add wear it with quality accessories, like a structured clutch, patent heels and a fur coat.

Free People Glitzy Sparkle Skirt
J. Crew Naomi Feather and Sequin-Embellished Silk Skirt
Max Azria Stud-Embellished Silk-Chiffon Mini Skirt
Haute Hippie Sequined Wrap Miniskirt
White House Black Market Stripe Layered Skirt
ASOS Pencil Skirt in Sequins
Topshop Premium Metallic Pleat Skirt
Trina Turk Umar Lurex Tweed Pencil Skirt
Diane von Furstenberg Jayde Metallic Mosaic Skirt

as if!

Sometimes I'm attracted to a look or a piece of clothing, and there is no explanation for it. This was the case yesterday when I went into H&M while having some pairs of shoes repaired and walked out with... a plaid miniskirt. No, not tweed, not a pencil skirt. A plaid wool mini straight out of Clueless.

And then guess what I got next. Thigh high socks. What can I say? The spirit of Cher Horowitz posessed me. It's been more than 15 years since this classic debuted, so at this point, I feel like there's a novelty to emulating the quintessential 90s high school style.

Obviously, my mini won't be worn with a matching blazer, but I feel like there are cool modern ways to be inspired by these Beverly Hills queen bees. It's easy to wear it with a lady who lunches twist with a luxe cape and prim blouse, but I think it would be fun to go with a more British, outdoorsy look and maybe pair it with a different clashing plaid.

it must be fate

The universe is trying to send me a message. It has something to do with a leopard skirt. I recently posted these top three images on my Tumblr. Just last week, I bought a thrifted leopard pencil skirt with pockets.

No matter how hard I try, I can't kill my craving for these jungle-worthy skirts. The one at the top of my list is this body-con number by BCBG. However, at $198, it's got me playing the whole wait-and-see-if-you-really-love-it game. I do. I really love it. It's been a week or two since I spotted it, and I still can't get it off my mind, so I'm pretty sure it's going to be one of my next purchases.

The only thing that may prevent me from dishing out a cool 200 for this beauty may be this knockoff from--get this--Target. It's only $15. I mean... I think it's a sign. You better believe I'm racing to Target after work and try this bad boy on. If it fits well, I don't think much could stop me from buying it. If my wardrobe still cries out for the BCBG version, I won't even feel bad having both considering this one costs less than lunch.