Back to Seattle

A month or so ago, a good friend asked if I would go shopping with her. In her words, " Everything in her closet either had a tag for Delia's on it, or was purchased during her Seattle Grunge phase". Now at the young age of 30 and as a newlywed, it was time for a wardrobe update. We giggled about her dilemma while we shopped. Who shopped at Delia's that was over the age of 14, and how long ago did the Seattle Grunge Plaid phase transition out? We ended up having a great evening at one of my favorite retailers, Maurices and filled her closet with fantastic options for every occasion.

Later that week, I couldn't help but to swing through an Off Price Store located down the road from my house Peter Harris. ( You can see the definition of Off Price Stores on my Sidebar!) This location always seems to be packed with my teenage sisters favorite name-brands and I was hoping to get an early head start on some Christmas shopping. Greeting me was a wall of Plaid. Maybe it was the changing weather, or the fun colors but I couldn't leave the store without adding a fantastic plaid option to my closet. And so I did just that. I purchased a $12 Red Plaid Shirt with a tag that reads Delias. Some rules are made for breaking right?

I adore this shirt. It's made of the perfect kind of flannel, and it fits me just as I hoped it would. I added my Gray Vest for work, hoping to tone down the casual feel of the shirt. Later that night when it came time to get changed for dinner however I knew that I wasn't ready to give up the Plaid. Making this shirt ready for a formal restaurant proved to be less of a challenge than I had expected.

Adding Black Skinnies and a cute shrug can make everything occasion appropriate right? Luckily during our formal catch-up dinner with Johnny's Aunt who was in town we got seated next to a family with 2 children. I couldn't help but to wonder if it was my plaid that made the hostess feel as though we were hoping for a more casual dinning experience. Who brings children to a fancy restaurant, and who wears Plaid to a fancy restaurant right? Instead of course the 7 year old boy ordered Calamari and the 10 year old girl spoke with her mother about the characters in her Jane Austen novel.

Is Plaid Work Appropriate? Yes

Is Plaid Formal Dinner Appropriate? Those children may have been a bit more fancy restaurant ready than me, but I was warm and comfortable all night. Double Yes.

Red Plaid Shirt: Delias via Off- Pricing Store Peter Harris $12

Gray Vest: Kmart $6

Denim Trousers: Gap via Consignment Store $12

Black Oxfords: Kmart $ 15

Belt: Maurices $12

Gray Belt: came with a dress
White Shrug: Goodwill $5
Black Skinnies: Charlotte Russe $10
Gray Flats: Charlotte Russe $8
Bracelet: Hand-me-Down