WWMOD: An Important Lesson Re-visited

 
I just started putting away my winter clothes this past weekend. It’s been an unusually long, cold, and rainy spring. I regret to say that the weather changed last weekend to hot and soggy. That was not the change I had been hoping for.

 
 
 
How am I bearing up under the strain?
 
I’m trying. Trying to look more springy and not ruin any shoes.
 
To that noble end, this is what I wore one day last week.
This post brought to you by FedEx

Just kidding; The Directrice is sponsored by no one, despite my secret wish that Phillip Lim would realize I am his subconscious muse and my belief that I should be employed as a professional scavenger by YOOX
 
 
In an effort to lighten the look, I am wearing cropped, tropical weight wool trousers and a cotton jacket.
 
I also realized that my rubber-soled “court shoes” were perfect for a wet day. The uppers are a very light leather, treated with some sort of finish that is water-resistant,* but the soles are completely impervious to wet sidewalks.

Come closer and take a look at what’s going on here. I’ve had this jacket — a modest, cotton jacket from Talbots — for more than a decade. When I first put it on last week, I was profoundly unimpressed by what I saw in the mirror. But with a little experimentation, I came up with something that I was actually enthusiastic to wear.
 
I saw this in the mirror and a wave of sorrow swept over me
Then I had an idea: unbutton the jacket, show the top, and liven things up! But this was a step in the wrong direction: less shape, deeper sorrow

And then I looked upward and said to myself, What would Michelle Obama do?
 
WWMOD? Do I even have to say the answer aloud? She would add a belt!
The Photographer caught my reaction just as the FedEx driver started his engine: Just when I started to love this outfit, I will be run over by a truck? How cruel

Now, two specific pieces of advice. First, I tried on two belts (this one and this one) before trying the one I am wearing. The others were fine (an improvement over no belt), but this one was clearly better. Sometimes a little experimentation is needed. As an unexpected bonus, the grommets on the belt look like the ones on the strap of my bag.
 
 
 
Second, I only buttoned one button on the jacket — the one directly above my waist. Usually when I partially button a jacket, I button the second and/or third buttons from the top to give the jacket some ease through the waist. Here, however, I wanted to show the lace yoke of my top. Another option, when belting a jacket, is to not button it at all, but rather to cross one side over the other and let the belt do its best; that’s a more relaxed look.
Compelling lace detail
 
 
 
This outfit (sans belt) wasn’t the worst ever — not even close — but it’s more interesting and more flattering with a belt. This discovery has breathed new life into a long-serving jacket.
Is it weird that whenever I see a special delivery truck, I hope that it’s bringing me a present?

 
Blouse: Marissa Webb (still available on The Outnet, as is my Shogun jacket); Jacket: Talbots: Belt: Fausto Puglisi from YOOX (Note: The belt is way too long, so I have just tucked the end of the strap into the belt at the side of my waist; perhaps I will ask Fatima if should could make a sliding grosgrain loop to hold the end.); Pants: JCrew; Shoes: Cole Haan Zero Grand; Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs
 
* Note: I don’t think they were billed as water-resistant, this is just my personal observation.

6 thoughts on “WWMOD: An Important Lesson Re-visited”

  1. I love the outfit, and I think MO would also! The sneakers look intentional rather than sloppy, and they pull the outfit together while adding a spot of color. I especially like the crossbody bag – you are wearing the bag rather than the bag wearing you, which is often the case.

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  2. Your post (and picture captions!) are hilarious, and WWMOD is a mantra that seems likely to lead to the right answer in almost all situations…great post!

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  3. “Just when I started to love this outfit, I will be run over by a truck? How cruel.” HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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