What I Wore: Upscale Girly Date

Despite the fact that it's been 9,000 degrees in Chicago all week, I busted out some layers for a girly-date last night. Bet you can't guess what kind of layer it was!

Did you say cardigan? Five points for you.

sweater: Banana Republic
tank top: Target
skirt: thrifted
shoes: Target
necklace: Oh Nostalgia
purse: Coach Outlet (a gift from the friend I had dinner with, actually)

My friend and I went to a place called Cooper's Hawk, which I heard and immediately thought, "that sounds like a steak house" and then, "barf," but it's actually a WINERY. And a delicious one to boot. Their website said it was casual dining, but dammit, we felt like being fancy. It bums me out that people don't dress up much anymore, so I'm trying to bring that back.

You guys know that I don't wear much color, but lately it's been creeping into my brain and making itself cozy. Hence the turquoise wedges AND purple clutch in the same outfit. The necklace is purple too, but for some reason is photographing really dark. Ah well.

This is also one of the only skirts I've ever worn that has any sort of volume. I was kind of nervous back when I bought it, afraid that it would be a weird proportion to my bulky ribcage (thanks, scoliosis), but it's fine! What a delightful surprise! I should probably take this as a sign that I need to try new things more often.

So what are you wearing lately to stay cool? Anybody else embracing summer colors? Or dressing slightly too fancy for the restaurant you're going to?

P.S. Don't forget to enter the Shabby Apple giveaway.


P.P.S. For those wondering what the heck happened to my straight hair, I actually took these before I did that. The light was good, so I played dress up early.