Friends in High Places: Grownup Whimsy

My very favorite thing about blogging has been meeting so many wonderful and stylish people along the way. My blog girls are always who I turn to for inspiration, style advice, and a good kick in the pants when I'm having major blogger's block. So when Tara contacted me about her latest project, I was really excited to be a part of it. Her Friends in High Places feature is her way of showing how I feel about her--who best to showcase and complement your style than your friends? Each week she is collaborating with her favorite bloggers to bring you some truly inspired outfits following a theme.

This week Tara and I are exploring the grownup side of whimsy. She and I both chose items from our closet that at first glance might seem childish, and incorporated the piece into a sophisticated age-appropriate outfit. Since I am definitely partial to animal prints, prints of animals, and anything Ms. Frizzle might wear, the theme was the perfect assignment.

I present you with Tara's Point of View featuring Anthro's Montgolfier skirt:

I love how Tara took this brightly colored, fun, and flirty skirt and mixed it with classic pieces and solid colors to make it office-ready. Definitely a getting-dressed strategy to keep in mind!

Check out her full post to get the full details on her outfit on Little Girl Big Closet .

And my take, featuring the Two Wheeler shirtdress from Anthropologie:

Outfit details:

Anthro Two Wheeler shirtdress (worn as top) (its acorn print counterpart here, similar dress here, and top here)

Thrifted cream wool skirt (similar here and here)

Charlotte Tarantola "Field Game cardigan" (verrrry similar here and same color story here)

Frye Sunnie strap boots (similar styles here and here)
Marc by Marc Jacobs Dr. Q Groovee bag

I chose this dress because the print exemplifies whimsy. And while it was so easy peasy to throw on alone in the summer on its own, I've been stumped on how to make it more wearable for fall and especially for school.

And then it dawned on me when I spotted this skirt I recently thrifted. Of course, I could always layer over the dress! As a blouse, it's much more academic chic than summer picnic chic. Everything else in this ensemble quickly fell into place afterward.

This mini-project was such a blast! I'm a huge supporter of dressing to a theme, and sharing one with a friend makes it extra fun. I can't wait to see the other wonderful joint outfits that result from her new feature, and can't wait to see some of you participate as well!