Look who it is again, my spiced pumpkin sweater and chambray combo...but we're not gonna get into that again today, no. We're gonna get into this skirt, just look at it...it's awesome! If you ask anyone who knows me, or even a fraction of my taste, they will tell you how borderline annoying I can get with all things quilted (I have friends who call me quilted northern). I just like it....a lot...OK I love it!

It's not just that it's a quilted pattern that gets me going, it's the fact that there's added texture. I love texture, especially when it's applied as an accent or done in an unexpected way. In my world garments that have a quilted effect (or are like it's cousin twice removed; an embossed effect) automatically takes any look you you could dream of, up to an eleven on a 0-10 chic-o-meter...it makes perfect style sense....right?

So when I saw this gem here, at Shop & Swap 2014...for the low-low price of $30 (which is insane because the skirt is from the brand MYNT1972), I prayed to the heavens it would fit.

The Lord was on my side.

When I got home with my purchase I immediately searched for this skirt online (because I just had to know how much of a bandit I made out like), and though I couldn't find the exact skirt due to the probability of it being out of stock or out of season being high, I sat there straddling the fence on shock but lack of surprise when I saw how much similar skirts ran.

I think it's safe to say that this purchase was a serious WIN! #WINNING!!!

In general the clothing is too rich for my blood, regardless, I do feel that the clothing may actually be of high quality, which is rare. Most of the time you will see retailers or brands pumping out the same things made by the same overseas worker (to put it nicely) and it's sold (most of the time) by their competitors at a substantially lower price, for the same exact quality....I have NO time for that! I will NOT pay $200 for the same quality dress that is sold at Rainbow (no shade to Rainbow, I rocks with you). What's crazy, is that there have definitely been plenty of times when the less expensive brand won when it came to wear & tear, and did so without strong-arming my damn wallet.

Side Note: This logic, at least for me, is only applied to certain things. I do believe in many instances that you get what you pay for...but based on my experience (and my firm belief), the Hype Beast is real....don't believe it. Style is much more than a price tag, a label, how often you wear something, or whether something is "in trend".

And though this is my only piece from the brand, I've been fairly rough and tumble with this skirt, and it's just something I can see and feel upon touching it that has lead me to believe that (dare I say it) it may have been worth the money *Gasps and clutches pearls*....but if you can find a way to get it on sale ladies so that you too can have great pieces that fit your budget...do what you have to, find a way...stalk your prey.

GET MYNT'ED!

What I'm Wearing:

Sweater from Target. $24.99
Chambray top from Avenue.com. $30 (On Sale)
Leather Quilted Skirt from MYNT1972. $30 (Acquired at a Shop & Swap)
Boots from Charlotterusse.com. $15 (On sale from $45)

Once you get the job, you can start adding a little pizzazz to your work-wear. I'm more into the creative positions where one can up the ante a bit, and even if you work in a field that's a little more conservative and frowns upon too much personality; you can still spice things up and be taken seriously. And maybe it has nothing to do with your work environment, maybe you're just somewhat conservative, even so, you're conservative not dead. If the vibrancy is too much to handle, you can still add print and keep the colors neutral. A monochromatic print, either on the top or bottom, with say metallic accents would be lovely way to express that you mean business but you still have a sense of style and humor. Here I paired this vibrant floral print with two different skirts and changed out the necklaces, this gives you an idea of how to take a loud piece and dial it down just a notch or two. To me what makes the print work is the neutral back splash of the shirt,, it helps dial it down as well without dulling out it's shine. Keeping in the theme of playing with prints and textures I added a metallic belt to cinch my waist so as not to camouflage my shape. I chose a skinny belt because I didn't want it to compete with the glory of the top and a thick belt would have been way over the top (if it was metallic). Pairings are about balance, if you have too much of a "good" thing, it can quickly turn into a bad thing. I cuffed up the sleeves to give it a relaxed feel and I paired it with a neutral shoe because there was so much going on from the knee up, balance.

Here I'm Wearing:

A floral button down from Target.com. $24.99
A copper metallic skinny belt from Forever21. $5.80
A red leatherette pencil skirt from Forever21. $11.80
Jewelry from Burlington Coat Factory and A Soho Boutique.$3-$7
Shoes from the late great Daffy's.$34

Here I'm Wearing:

A floral button down from Target.com. $24.99
A copper metallic skinny belt from Forever21. $5.80
A navy tweed pencil skirt with gold accents from Target.com. $8.74
Jewelry from Burlington Coat Factory and A Soho Boutique.$3-$7
Shoes from the late great Daffy's.$34