Windowpane Skirt

Happy Friday, friends!

I recently picked up this skirt as the perfect transitioning piece for my fall wardrobe. I love that it’s got a great fall pattern but with the length of a summer skirt for those warmer days. I’m all about dressing for the season, but if it’s too hot outside who wants to wear thicker pants that end up sticking to your legs?

In the winter, the bold pattern of this skirt will pair great with black tights and a chunky knit sweater too. I tend to choose skirts over pants (if you haven’t noticed already). There’s just something a little more feminine and fun with skirts for me. But we’ll see if this changes once winter comes, won’t we? 😉 Coming from Texas, I’m without a doubt unprepared…but optimistic as usual!

I paired this skirt with a rich, forest green top that added some color to the otherwise black and white color palette. I love pairing a bold, neutral patterned piece with a brighter, solid colored one. I think they compliment each other perfectly, in the simplest kind of way.

I normally would tuck in my top to a high-waisted skirt, but this top is perfectly structured (hence the name) and looks great untucked and over top the slimmer shape of the skirt. I think it gives the skirt a whole new look and it’s definitely something I will be trying with oversized sweaters as the weather gets cooler. Sometimes, something as simple as a tuck (or no tuck in this case) can completely redefine a look you’ve been sporting all season into something new and different.

For some fall flaire, I paired the entire look with cognac accessories–these booties and this purse just scream fall, no? There’s just something about cognac leather that makes everything feel a little warmer and more fall-like, don’t you think?

And this chevron necklace adds just the right amount of gold detail without distracting from the simplicity of the outfit, which I think is my favorite part of this look–its simplicity. Having great simple pieces that pair well together makes getting dressed in the morning infinitely easier. You get the look but at a fraction of the effort. (And when it’s 5am in the morning, effort really counts for something.) If there’s one company that has nailed the simpler pieces, it’s Madewell.

And simplicity goes for more than just outfits. One of my favorite things about living in Colorado, and especially Boulder, is the ease with which I can get to the mountains. These pictures were actually snapped right at the Chautauqua trail head, which leads up to the Flatirons and other main trails in Boulder.

Living in Colorado has made getting outdoors and enjoying the simplicities of life a lot more accessible. And getting outside on a regular basis to smell the roses, as they say, is something I’ve come to really value as I’ve gotten older (and closer to the 9-5 5-midnight job I have as a graduate student). Being surrounded by such beauty recently has definitely put into perspective what it means to be alive. Living simply and in the moment has done wonders for my health (and sanity) since moving here.

What about you? Are you looking forward to any simple pleasures this weekend? If it’s not too cold, I’d encourage you to get outside one more time this weekend before the winter comes and just enjoy the beauty of nature around you. It may just brighten your mood and give you that extra energy we all need as the end of the year approaches. Have a great Friday!

Photos by Outside Ourselves

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Get the Look…

Top: Madewell | Skirt: Madewell | Boots: Steve Madden (similar here, here) | Purse: Fossil (similar here, here) | Necklace: J. Crew Factory (similar here, here) | Bracelet: J. Crew Factory | Watch: Fossil | Rings:  Aggie Ring, KD Ring gifted | Lips: Clinique (grandest grape)