Sparkle Week! Tonal Sparkle

One more day of sparkles after today, although I've been having so much fun with it, I might just have to extend it into next week? Hmmm...should I? Shall I? Anyway, this all started because my company's doing "Jeans Week" and really, unless they are some spectacular jeans (Versace?), that's just not me. But I am on board for sparkle!

Today's outfit is what I call tonal sparkles. This is how you take one uber-sparkly item, and throw a whole bunch of other piece in the same colour family. So super-sequined skirt, you can just calm the f*** down, because you are not the only purple/wine in town.

• Cardigan - Jacob, thrifted; last worn here in November with more shiny!
• Blouse - Violet + Claire, thrifted; last seen here (3rd outfit) in November layered under a dress
• Skirt - Beaded Drama, vintage 80s, thrifted; last worn here almost exactly a year ago in December 2015
• Shoes - Queen of Prussia Louise, Fluevog; last seen here in October with conservative culottes
• Coat (below) - Hilary Radley, thrifted 

"Your posts have been bereft of cat-itude lately, Woman."

So, if you look at how I last wore this skirt (I'll wait, scroll back up), I did the neutral top, then pulled out the two dominant colours in the skirt (purple and blue) and put those together into an outfit. It was okay, I didn't hate it.

But I loved this outfit! It's taking this very purple (with a bit of blue and fuscia pink tones in the sequins) skirt and going to the colours on either side of it: blue and red. Blue and red make purple, so they will always work. Instead of bright red, I shifted the tone of red to wine/burgundy and it all fell together.

Adding the printed floral blouse (with both blue and burgundy in the pattern) keeps your eye from zooming in on the skirt and creates visual interest at the top of the outfit as well as the bottom. "They eye has to travel" - Diana Vreeland. "Colour, pattern, texture, shine." - Stacey London.

Outerwear:

May as well get used to this combo of my Danier leather/fur accessories and this coat. It's not about to get any warmer any time soon!

The stuff:

Because the skirt is so long, I did a heel to balance it out. Proportion is helpful. I love these shoes, but after my WW meeting (and oh, they loved this outfit) my dogs are tired and ready for my fluffy slippers.

Minimal bling:

Dangle earrings and a couple of rings. The outfit didn't need anything else.

• Earrings - Myka, gift from L
• Gold ring - Frances Jewelers, Dad's, vintage early 60s
• Lapis lazuli ring - Wendy Brandes