I'm going to be surprisingly better

As promised, here are the outfit pictures to go along with the FOTD I posted yesterday. I'm a big fan of keeping it simple, especially with clothing. I don't usually go in for anything with a big brand name splashed across the front or an excess of anything like beads or lace. I've also been buying many more solid pieces than I used to. This may seem boring to some, but it's fantastic for me! It's so much easier to put things together and have them look nice when each item has less going on. However, I also choose articles with interesting details because dressing simply and dressing boring do NOT have to be the same thing. 

For example, the white t-shirt I'm wearing here has a low scoop in both the front and the back, so it's a little variation on a classic staple (I also wore it in my first OOTD here). The shorts are definitely a bolder choice. I'm pretty much in love with the coloured jeans/pants trend (check out my coral capris!), but it's not really feasible to wear full-length bottoms when it's this hot outside. For me, these purple shorts are a great alternative; they're bright, but have a classic look, great fit, and really adorable button detailing to keep them from looking too casual.

Since I was spending the afternoon outdoors and new it would be about one million degrees (maybe a slight exaggeration. . .), I wanted to look nice, but be comfortable and not over-dress. To achieve this, I picked one bright colour and paired it with neutrals like white and brown.

Sunglasses: Nine West via TJMaxx; Top: Old Navy

Bag: Fossil; Shoes: Enzo Angiolini via TJMaxx

Shorts: Banana Republic; Bracelet: Kohl's

I know I usually talk about my title right at the beginning of each post, but I wanted to jump right in to the outfit today since I'd promised it yesterday. Anyway, this titular quotation comes from the short story I recently finished: Henry James' The Lesson of the Master. I don't have too much to say about it other than that it was a very good read and I enjoyed it. It's a simple quotation that I've picked out, but it just struck me as quite a nice line. I like the idea of improving yourself for your own benefit, not to mention doing it so well that you end up surprising even yourself. I'm definitely looking forward to getting into the next short story on my roster: The Turn of the Screw.

In the future, would you prefer to see literature and fashion/beauty mixed in together in one post, or a separate entry for each? Also, I just realized that I've been blogging for just over a month now. I've really enjoyed the change and am so grateful for the people who have chosen to follow me and the wonderful comments I've received. Thank you all so much!

-C

Embarking on a passage to India

Before anyone gets excited, no, I'm not actually going to India. At least, not right now. My title today refers to the latest novel I've picked up: E.M. Forster's A Passage to India. I've only just started reading it, so I can't comment yet, except that I know it's meant to be quite a good film as well. I've never watched it myself, but I probably will once I've finished reading the book.

The most suitable post to accompany such a title would probably involve something interesting or exotic. Unfortunately, I haven't done anything befitting said descriptions lately, so today we're going to have to settle for "hot" as the unifying adjective between my OOTD and a novel about India. And by hot, I mean that the temperature is extremely warm so I've been keeping my clothing pretty cas (as in casual. . . I'm so lazy I even neglect to spell out a full word). Another notable aspect of my outfit is the prevalence of coral. As I mentioned in my first post, I called my blog "C of Corals" because coral has been my absolute favourite colour for several years now. I figured I ought to start living up to my name, wouldn't you say? I own so many things in this colour. . . it's actually ridiculous. Expect to see this shade again in the not so distant future!

Top: Hollister; Capris: Aeropostale; Flip-flops: Old Navy

Watch: Fossil; Bracelet: present from a friend; Bag: Fossil

What have you all been doing to keep cool? Do you have a go-to colour this season?
-C

Sunny days and sepia suits

Today I was a bit lax with my reading schedule as I spent the day shopping instead. The "sepia suits" I speak of in my title are a reference to the most recent novel I've finished, the completion of which happened a few days ago now, but hey, I'm doing my best! This wardrobe allusion is connected to The Man in the Brown Suit, by Agatha Christie. Honestly, what person doesn't like to spend an impossibly hot summer day sitting outdoors, reading a Christie novel?! Well, potentially a lot of people, but not me. I've read so many of her stories over the years that I've actually lost track of which I've read and which ones I haven't. The Man in the Brown Suit wasn't ringing any bells, so I picked it up from the library and ended up finishing it in two days. It definitely wasn't my favourite of her novels; I found it a bit too easy to predict. When it comes to mystery novels, this can either be incredibly satisfying or a let down. I prefer to make my own guesses as I go along with one of her books, but I still look forward to being surprised at the end when I turn out to be about 99% wrong in my predictions.

Either way, Agatha Christie is always great reading material on toasty days like today. However, as I've already alluded to, I was inside shopping today instead. I'm thinking I may post some photos from my little haul, or just use the pieces in future OOTD. I'm going to leave off writing this post here, and give you the shots of my first ever blogged OOTD. Like I said, it was pretty warm today, so I went for a more casual look, almost no makeup, but still a little bit girly!

-C