Baby Blue Eyes

No matter what problems I've had with my body image, I've always loved my eyes. They're big, wide-set, and usually a blue so bright they've been described as 'piercing.'

I say 'usually' because my eyes have also been known to appear grey or even green. The change in colors seems to be based on my environment, mainly the clothes I wear.

I know that warm, rich earth tones, particularly coppery colors and greens, tend to bring out the blue in my eyes, so I put together an outfit today designed to highlight my baby blues.

Military-style jacket, Ann Taylor Loft, remixed

Ochre peasant-neck top, gifted

Black woven belt, Ann Taylor Loft, remixed

Sufi pants, Moresca, gifted, remixed

Sandals, John Fluevog, "Choice Hi" (style unknown)

Sterling earrings: gift from mom

Goldstone micro-mosaic brooch (worn as necklace): estate sale

Key (worn as necklace): antique store

Silver torc-style bracelet: Tuareg (northwestern African tribal group), antique store

Bronze Byzantine chain (worn as bracelet): Wolfgaard Armoury, remixed

While we're talking about it, I really rather like my face in general. I'm not conventionally beautiful, I know that, but I love my broad, high cheekbones, strong jaw, and clear, high brow. I have what my mother sometimes calls a shayna punnim (Yiddish for "pretty face"). It's taken me a bit of time to come to terms with my wide mouth (I was terrified of bright lipstick for years and even now have a tentative relationship with makeup that emphasizes my mouth over my eyes) and the great majority of my life to find a skin-care routine that let my skin be happy and smooth. I love the fact that at 31 I don't really have much in the way of wrinkles: people usually think I'm five years younger than I am. 

I thought these harem pants that I usually wear at festivals under skirts would look good with a fitted top and this jacket, and I'm pretty thrilled that I was right! I really like the color triad of muted versions of all three secondary colors. I'm not sure the shoes are entirely right, though. I almost wore the flower-bedecked BOC wedges I wore Sunday: I think those might work better. What do you think?

photos: Fabulous Husband

The tailoring of these pants is... strange (and leads to funny poses). It's not so much that they have a dropped crotch as that they're a long tube with hems on either end and a hole for the waist somewhere in the middle. They're inexplicably comfy, though. I didn't get any odd comments or even fishy looks while out and about today, so I guess they're not too funny-looking?