Moulin Ruche | Cold Weather Work Outfit

H&M royal blue ruche button down blouse // H&M eggshell white cardigan //

Ann Taylor Petite dotted vertical pinstripe pants (4P) (from Aunt) // Mossimo suede grey ankle boots //

H&M ultra skinny leopard print belt // H&M plaid tweed coat //

Photography: self; tripod and remote

Today was cold as crap, meaning it was 38 degrees F when I walked out the door. Of course the heating in our lecture hall is the exact opposite of Mother Nature, so sweating bullets through my layers (why isn't my apartment that warm?). So, how do I dress professionally for the colder fall and winter days? Throw on a button down, add on a cardigan, swap out my pencil skirts for pants, and bundle up in a long coat. Snapped these in 5 minutes at sundown while my poor little fingers were turning into popsicles. Definitely not as cozy as these photos look. Details: rucheing on the royal blue button down keeps a feminine shape, as these types of tops tend to cut off our curves. Also, there are mini dotted vertical pinstripes on the pants, which I realize is not the most flattering cut on me (still looking for the perfect loose fitting tapered trousers). Swapped out my brown oxford wingtips too because it made me even more stumpy.

This weekend involved creative use of highlighters (heck yes, Harry Potter lightning bolt scar), singing for visiting alumni who graduated 50 years ago!, slurping pho noodles at North Market with a sweet friend, catching up and thrift-meandering during the Gallery Hop with some old college gals visiting Columbus. Fezes and turbans and mini custard cones were involved. Today I took my unused light and plugged it into my bedroom, brightening up the entire place and making me feel a lot less seasonally affected by the dreary winter greys. Clenching a pen between my teeth helps too (psych tips)

Thanks to all of you - new friends and old, readers and fellow bloggers - for your support and reaching out to me on my last post, offering wisdom, comfort, and starting meaningful conversations. With each day I am trying to be more brave and share why certain jokes and comments hurt me instead of bottling it up to suffer through alone. It is very difficult for me to cross that bridge and openly talk about this big part of my life. The next three weeks in med school will be challenging, as the topic is cancer. It has always been very personal to me, and now even more so. Something that does make my day better is gaining experience interacting with patients and learning how to be a more sensitive, humanitarian person - it reminds me why I am here at the end of the day, beyond the stress of studying all the time and being away from loved ones and friends.

Readers - how do you layer for work/school in colder fall days?