Wear to Work: Speckles + Double Burgundy

H&M speckled dotted cropped cardigan // H&M yellow lace cami //

H&M eggplant purple origami pleat skirt // Forever 21 burgundy tights //

Urban Outfitters patent leather oxblood oxfords (on sale) // Jewelmint Calypso necklace (c/o) //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

Last weekend, autumn came out to play much to my bare legs' dismay. Thus before heading out into the brisk cooler morning, I threw on my pair of trusty thicker burgundy tights from last season and matched them with my new oxfords in the same shade. This lengthens the legs modestly since they're flats, but are a twist to the classic black-on-black trick. The eggplant shade on this skirt is an elegant jewel tone for the colder months, and the origami pleat in the front adds a subtle detail that makes it less "ho-hum pencil skirt." Pairing it with the ever-popular burgundy/oxblood makes for a fall-appropriate palette while further extending the illusion of longer legs. By the way, scored the skirt and dotted cardigan for $5 each during an H&M sale a few months ago - thrifty work wardrobe win!

I wore this look under my white coat for clinical class on Monday (10/20) and to meet my Med 1 mentee, who is really sweet and fashionable too. Meanwhile, my nightly read (Dan Brown's Inferno) turned into an engrossing page-turner and I had a roarin' time kicking off Halloween festivities at "Dr. Gatsby's" mansion. This amazing scene was complete with an octagonal open foyer, mini spiral staircase, rope bridge to a fully furnished treehouse, turning bookshelves, fireman's pole, rooftop access, and med students/residents/doctors decked out in 1920's suits and flapper dresses. The eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg presided over the dance floor, and we were all beautiful little fools for a night.

P.S. I love, love, love Ohio's fall foliage. Can't ever get over it.

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Fall Neutrals + Matching Leopard Details | Wear to Work

Old Navy beige v-neck cable knit sweater // Forever 21 burgundy wine lace pencil skirt //

Target faux calfhair leopard print flats // H&M leopard print super skinny belt //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

Because I'm impatient and need to catch up on kidney knowledge before delving into editing NYFW eyecandy ... today's outfit, a go-to work ensemble that gets me through hot summer days and chilly air conditioned indoors without losing pints of sweat. Featuring neutrals and matchy-matchy leopard print belt and flats. I never thought leopard to be too wild for work, as long as it's toned down with solid colours or used for accenting. In other news I was at the airport at 3 AM and arrived in Columbus at 11, drove directly to homemade brunch & mimosas with my friends, caught up on sleep all afternoon, back to my med school life on Monday. Our a cappella group sang a surprise version of Little Talks for the first years and I even squeaked out a solo into the mic. I may feel slightly like Clark Kent today ;)

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Plaid and Houndstooth | A Tale of Two Patterns

Ralph Lauren cable knit sweater (gift from Aunt) // H&M chambray shirt (underneath)//

Forever 21 houndstooth print pencil skirt // Forever 21 burgundy tights //

Target Xhilaration brown oxford flats // 

Photography: self, tripod and remote

True free time in med school doesn't exist. It's like the Tooth Fairy or Santa's assembly line of minimum  free wage elves ... you wanted to believe in them so badly as a kid. BUT when you've finished a block and have a precious 4 days to yourself, you're nearly at a loss of what to do! So far there's been lots and lots of movie watching (Mission Impossible I, III, Footloose, The Little Mermaid), eating, sleeping, dancing, and a big dose of retail therapy with the girls (read: trying on a zillion pairs of pants at LOFT and grabbing everything remotely winter-cute at H&M). Looking forward to thrifting, reading for pleasure (Enduring Love), munching on chewy colourful macarons, revisiting the magical world of Disney via the perspectives of Hercules and Cinderella.

The weather outside is frightful, but certainly less horrible than it was earlier in the week (still shaking my fist at Hurricane Sandy). Best hopes for the East Coast and New York to be back to normal soon - I'm saddened by the destruction and losses. When it's so bloody cold out, I just want to curl up with some dark chocolate hot cocoa, a good read, and fuzzy socks. Alas, adventure out there is to be had, so cable knit sweaters and layering with denim and my trusty coat made getting dresses easier. These tights from F21 have been my cold weather staple - they're lined on the inside with a thick soft fuzzy material, keeping me very warm. This was what I wore on Friday (11/2) to a casual meeting.

{My bangs need some TLC}

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Double Oxblood | Work to Night Out Burgundy Outfit

Day:

H&M cable knit burgundy sweater // Forever 21 burgundy lace pencil skirt //

DIY Christian Louboutin dupe/Payless red-sole black pumps //

Black metal buckle belt (pass-me-up from brother) //

Night:

H&M cable knit burgundy sweater // Forever 21 burgundy lace pencil skirt //

Thrifted @ Goodwill/Ann Taylor black strappy wedges // H&M faux leather biker jacket //

Black metal buckle belt (pass-me-up from brother) // Michael Todd vampy lip stain in Disco (thanks Nikki) //

Photography: self; remote and tripod

OXBLOOD AND BLOOD ORANGES. What is with the violence in colour terminology these days? Why is it oxblood and not simply blood? And even though blood oranges are so yummy, there's something so inherently Bram Stoker and grotesque about it. This all-burgundy/wine red/oxblood outfit was inspired by this pin on a Refinery 29 slideshow on wearing midi skirts. What's more fall appropriate than lace pencil skirts with a matching cable knit sweater in the same exact perfect autumn shade? For the PrettyShinySparkly oxblood challenge: one of my big-time doc blogger inspirations!

I noticed halfway through the day why my neck was itching so badly. Looking side my shirt, I saw a tag *facepalm* ... so I had my sweater on backwards. However, I rolled with it because it gave a more straight cut neckline which looked sophisticated. This black belt with the cool silver square buckle is actually a really old belt my brother wore for piano recitals when he was a little kid. Ironically it fits well around my waist still! How to transition to night time? Throw on a leather jacket to toughen things up and go along with the black and burgundy theme, exchange work-friendly pumps with strappy wedges from summer. Nothing makes me happier than sticking it to the man - in this case, Mr. CL and his uber expensive shoes. $20 pumps, $3 of nail polish and voila! Two things I will never invest in: designer heels or designer bags because I am so rough with my crap everything gets tattered faster than you can say cobbler. I'll post the DIY Christian Louboutin red sole heel tutorial soon if anyone's interested in having some faux glam fun :)

Friday night meant wearing wine colours to wine tasting but I got very lost and missed the bus, so instead mosied on over to a dumpling night event and stuffed myself with the tasty treats doused with Sriracha hot sauce (thank goodness for the sweet tea they had handy). Afterwards was an evening well spent with some new friends, practical physical exam skills. Don't judge - call us nerds now and be thankful when we can wield our diagnostic tools with finesse when you have an ear ache or pink eye. This weekend JJ visited and we had a grand old time eating along High Street and exploring North Market. And today I sang my first performance ever with our med school a cappella group - do epic shift, guys. Every single day.

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New Fall Accessory: Doc Swag

You've got chunky statement necklaces, I've got something better. Say hello to my new fancy schmancy stethoscope! It's a Littman 3M Cardiology III in BURGUNDY, like our school colours (well, a little more subdued than vivid scarlet) and of course in line with the new fall trendy shade. Now if only they had them in mustard yellow and mint green, right? They did have every shade from classic black to femininity-flaunting pink and lilac but I wanted to stay professional and have something I could use in any instance and be taken seriously. Now to get some sleep finally after that long night of paying for my fantastic time out during Labor Day weekend with JJ. Maybe I'll dream about Korotkoff heart sounds ... knock knock whoosh whoosh.