Dressing for the Occasion

Shirt: Forever21, Thrifted // Skirt: Refashioned // Tights: JCP // Flats: Marshall's // Bag: Target, Thrifted // Belt: Windsor // Scarf: Daiso

I may have mentioned before that I'm taking a public speaking class this semester. It's an interesting class because since I'm an online student, it's online. So for every speech, I have to assemble an audience of at least two people (usually the other four members of my family and my grandmother), and videotape it, then submit the video. According to the last feedback I got from my teacher (two speeches ago), I need to work on my level of energy while presenting--apparently I tend to be more lethargic than animated. For the speech after that, which was my persuasive speech, I decided I would try dressing a little nicer and in colors that I found gave me energy. It seemed to help (though I haven't gotten my grade back, so I wouldn't know!), so I decided to try again for the speech I had to give this past weekend! I wore one of my new favorite tops with a brightly colored scarf and then a cute skirt, my favorite tights, and my favorite shoes. I ended up being very pleased with the look, and I think I was able to channel--hopefully!--just the right amount of energy into my speech. There's just something about dressing a little nicer than you might every day that helps give a confidence and energy boost, at least for me. It may sound a little silly, but I feel like it helps me to stand a little straighter and present better and with more confidence than when I was wearing a more casual, t-shirt and jeans kind of outfit.

This skirt is a new one! Well, new to me, anyway...I'd been looking for a knee-length, casual black skirt for awhile now, and a couple weeks ago, my grandma gave me this skirt, which she had bought for herself, and didn't realize that someone had already tried to alter it and had not only done a terrible job with the hemming, but whoever it was used white thread! She didn't want to have to take off any more length, so she passed it on to me, and I chopped off the bottom, sewed an invisible hem, and voila! A new skirt. I did realize after wearing it, though, that I still need to take in the elastic waistband a few inches...but that won't take long at all.
This scarf is actually kind of funny; my family was at the mall the other week, and my sisters wanted to stop at Daiso (a Japanese store where just about everything is $1.50), and right when I walked in the door, I noticed that they had a whole bunch of pretty chiffon scarves for $1.50! I had been looking for some new scarves, and had just put back a $7 one at Penney's, and I was incredibly excited to see these! I had to keep myself from getting all of them...as it was, I bought three--a tribal print, a floral/gingham print, and the floral one I'm wearing here.

I hope you all are having a wonderful week! This is my final week of school before break, and I'm incredibly excited! Just a few more days!