Back to School - Oxford Comma

I did say I would participate in the Fashionable Academics "Back to School Conference," but I felt guilty because I'm not going back to school in any way, shape or form. I haven't been a student in over 10 years!

However, this doesn't stop me from playing with a student-y academic theme this week:
I kind of threw everything but the kitchen sink into this. I'm not sure if it works, but I liked it.

I liked the mash-up of the menswear items (velvet vest, button-down, L's bright red tie) and the girlier things (brooch, necklace, bracelet), especially these shoes:

They're the ones I got in Paris in May, and I've only worn them once.

A shot of all the chestal business:

The necklace is a double-strand. I hooked one of the strands through the pin on the cross brooch to evoke a watch-fob and chain sort of vibe.

The stuff:

Funky shoes, eh? I liked all the different patterns and textures in this: the window-pane plaid pants, the deep black velvet vest, the grey striped shirt, the spotted and striped tie, and all the swirly patterns in the jewelry.

A close-up:

The little cross brooch is the other thing of Grandma W's that I took (from her memorial table). It's missing a little seed pearl, but I like the bright blue stone. It's not top-of-the-line quality, but it's a solid little piece and I love it.

Vest (Surrey Classics, consignment), shirt (Club Monaco, consignment), pants (Esprit), shoes (Belle Women), tie (L's, Tommy Hillfiger), necklace (Plum), bracelet (St. Paul's Cathedral), brooch (Grandma W's).