OOTW: Black and white, with a pop of color

My husband and I have been married for 12 years – 13 in June. I talk a lot. He doesn’t. Which woulnd’t necessarily make him a great listener, except he’s actually a pretty good one. But I do think sometimes he tunes me out. It’s not like I take it personally, how could he not? I mean, I talk a a lot. And some of the stuff I talk about is probably not that interesting to him.

For instance, the other day I was telling him of how I need to get some new makeup. Makeup without a lot of junk, but with better staying power than the current all-natural stuff I have. Because if I take the time to make sure my makeup is perfect nice, it kind of pisses me off if two hours later it’s all washed out and nearly gone, as if I simply forgot to take off my makeup from the night before (and forgot to wash my face before leaving the house, apparently.)

See, when I talk about this stuff I think he usually tunes me out. But as it turns out he was listening, because he was the one who told me about the Soirée Beauté taking place in Manor, on the Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich. (More on the event later.) He even offered to come home earlier and babysit so I could be there on time. Yeah, he’s a keeper.

So there I was, deciding what to wear. It’s not a formal affair, so no need to get too dressed up. Unlike NYC, here in Zurich you can easily run the risk of being overdressed. But, like NYC, when going out in Zurich you can never go wrong with black. Black is good, black is slimming. But it’s also boring when it’s the only color of the ensemble, and might make you look like a goth scarecrow. Or the scary guy from The Crow.
Solution: a fairly monochromatic outfit, with a pop of color. I ended up with something that looked more or less like this:

Basic opaque black tights and black turtleneck, plus a soft skirt and a black and white top, both flattering but not form-fitting. Make sure the skirt ends right at the knee or below the widest part of your calf, so as not to make legs stumpy. A platform boot creates height while making the high heel much easier to walk in. I chose to wear my grey boots instead of my black ones, keeping it neutral but less I’m-The-Ghost-Of-Christmas-Yet-To-Come. And then for a pop of color: my beloved Sasha satchel, which is perfect to wear on humid evenings when it might snow, because the satin nylon and patent leather won’t get stained.

I think I was dressed just right. I only wish I had added a hat, because by the time I left Manor, around 9 pm, it had gotten pretty cold!

Would you like to be the inspiration for one of the future Outfit of the Week posts? Do you need help figuring how what to wear for a special occasion, or what to pair that fabulous new top with? E-mail me!