Black and White and Red All Over

Black, white, and red is a staple color combination in my life. Red is my favorite color to add to a monochromatic ensemble, and our apartment is decorated largely in those hues. I'm a confirmed creature of habit, so while I intend to work on branching out into the Wide World of Color, today's outfit of the day is standard-issue Emily. It's a freakishly warm January day here in Chicago (ok, it was 37 degrees Fahrenheit), so I was finally able to take some pictures outside!

No coat! Another benefit of a heavy wool skirt. (I hope my mother doesn't see these pics… she'd probably freak out about the lack of coat.)

Pictured: my thoughts on going outside. It's what dogs going for a car ride would look like if they had people faces. Also pictured: what have been called my 'Left Bank' glasses.

I've spent today doing some of my favorite things: stocking up on frozen spanakopita at Trader Joe's for those evenings when I'm too tired/lazy to cook, going to the gym and pumping the heck out of some iron, working, and reading. Right now, I'm rereading Lost Moon by Jim Lovell. It's the story of the Apollo 13 mission, as told by one of the three astronauts, and it's quite an interesting read. It boggles my mind that they got the Apollo 13 back to earth with less computing capacity than your average coffeemaker now has. Human ingenuity, people. Amazing!

Anyway. Outfit. (Once I get going on the subject of space exploration, it can be difficult to get me to stop.) Now that I live in a city with actual winter weather, I can start wearing wool skirts, cardigans, boots, and the like without wanting to keel over any time the sun touches me. I miss LA when it's in the single digits, of course, but it's been really exciting to rediscover the Joys of Layering!

Today I'm wearing a mid-length, A-line wool skirt that I bought on Amazon. At first I was a bit hesitant to buy it, since the quality of clothes from no-name manufacturers on Amazon is hit-or-miss, but this was literally the only wool skirt I found that looked conducive to twirling. 

Proper twirling pics are much harder to take than I thought! Poor Jeff got home from a day of meetings on campus and was immediately dragged outside to take these pics. But I'm planning to make it up to him by sorting out his professional website tonight. Oh, and by buying a tripod so I can take these myself.

This particular no-brand item was a hit! It seems pretty well made, and thus far, it's held up quite well. I loved this one so much that I got it in tan as well. I paired it with a white shirt and cropped cardigan on top, black leggings for warmth, and black boots with a low heel and a faintly Edwardian vibe. I'm also obsessed with this heart brooch because it's 1) red and 2) sparkly as all get-out!

Skirt available here, with Prime shipping!

Shirt, belt, and leggings: H&M from a few years back

Cardigan: Forever 21

Shoes: Rieker, also from a few years back (similar here)

Brooch: Femme De Bloom

I usually wear this skirt with solid tops, but after seeing lots of cute pattern-mixing on Instagram, I think I'll branch out into polka dots for next time. What kind of top would you pair it with?