Today's Everyday Fashion: If at First You Don't Succeed

Let's be honest here. Sometimes you get an outfit idea, you're really excited about it, and then you put it on and it sucks. It happens to the best of us. Today's outfit was a process so I thought I'd share my past FAIL and how I learned from it:

Left: FAIL I put this outfit together a couple months ago but something was "off." I eventually realized that a. the sweater flaring out over either side of the pencil skirt was making my hips look really wide, b. the sweater looked sloppy unbuttoned and c. in general this vest was way too long for this skirt (the hemline is only a few inches longer than the vest).

Right: PASS This outfit is having the exact opposite effect as the one on the left. I look long and slim vs. short and stumpy, the buttoned vest is having a slimming effect on my waist and the length of the vest looks stylish, not cumbersome. Today's lesson: if at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

Occasion: I wore the look on the right to a Facebook coaching session with some small business owners earlier this week.
Sweater vest: Forever 21, $22
Shirt: Banana Republic, $15
Jeans: Gap, $15
Belt: Gap, $10
Earrings: Urban Outfitters, $5
Shoes: Restricted/Endless.com, $39