Perky Paisley

     It's a lovely rainy day here in Tokyo, and while I'd normally be working today, I've taken a day of sick leave. So I'm living like most normal people do, staying in and relaxing on a lazy, rainy Saturday.  I have to go in to work tomorrow, though, for a not so easy day (quite a few hours with one client, the same who made both me and a coworker sick last weekend by insisting that his nagging cough... which was so bad he could barely get a word out... was no problem whatsoever). If he's still sick he'll definitely be getting a piece of my mind! But at least my real weekend is coming up, and then it's time for Golden Week, Japan's handful of national holidays that straddle the last week of April and the first week of May. We don't have any specific plans, though my fiancee is taking a few extra days off to start culling things from our apartment in preparation for our leaving Japan later this year. Other than that, we'll be eating out a lot and having a few movie nights with friends. Low-key and lazy, just how we like it.
     Yesterday was a slow day at work, so after being on-site at a client's in the morning I could pretty much just go straight home, which suited me just fine since I was feeling under the weather. I wore a casual outfit, one that I had never worn before, though I've had all of the pieces for over a year. This spontaneous outfit somehow ended being one that I totally loved. I love it so much that, since I wore it for only a few paltry hours yesterday morning, I intend to wear it again later this week on my day off. It features elements that I don't really wear too often, including the only yellow garment that I own as well as a very busy paisley print-top with a red and yellow color scheme.

Okay, so the colors aren't really "me" but what the heck, I love it anyways!

Yellow cardigan (Japan), paisley top (Zara), dark blue jeans/jeggings (Zara), brown suede boots (Aerosoles)

     Another reason that I love this outfit is that, for whatever reason, it is SUPER flattering. I don't know if it's the color combination, or the boots, or the fit and drape of the cardigan, but the total ensemble is super slimming. I'm not a "big" girl by any means, but nor am I size zero; I'm slim, but I definitely have curves,  so like most women, I appreciate a good slimming effect, especially if it comes from a fun colorful outfit rather than an all black look!