Shifting in Red

What patterned piece of clothing couldn't be improved upon by pairing it with a complementary stripe and a leopard print? And then let's throw a big ole necklace on top of it all. That's my usual state of thinking when I get dressed up in the mornings - perfectly normal, right?

So it comes as a bit of a surprise for even myself when I put this little shift dress ensemble together earlier this week and felt like it was fine enough as it was. I may have pieces with more frills, flares and overall zing, but this easy get-up had me feeling more feminine and lady-like than a lot of other outfits I've worn.

Could this just be a sign that I'm finally maturing into a proper adult and I'm no longer looking for loads of potentially extraneous embellishment? Nah, dresses are just easy.

Coat: Banana Republic factory (worn here - sim, sim, steal)
Dress: Boden ottoman shift (sim, flared, spotted)
Necklace: J.Crew gem stack (worn here - sim, bolder, lighter)
Bracelets: J.Crew (sim set), J.Crew factory chainlink & leopard (sim), Asos (sim)
Shoes: Michael Kors hamilton (worn here - sim, simpler, peep)
Bag: C.Wonder colorblock (worn here - this year's version in camo, sim, darker)