Overdressed? Nonsense.

You know that quote by Oscar Wilde, "You can never be overdressed or overeducated." I couldn't agree with him more. 

I've said in the past that if I could get away with wearing a cocktail dress everyday, I would but this just isn't how the world seems to work (unfortunately). Plus, I would be pretty miserable if I was in a cocktail dress in the 20 degree, freezing rain weather that Pittsburgh seems to be sporting right now. 

Do you ever feel super overdressed? I try to dress casually... in fact, I put effort into dressing casually because dressing "up" is natural for me. 

How do you deal? How do you tone down your dressier outfits? I thought I'd make a list of things that tone down "fancy" looks.

• Chambray shirt. This instantly makes things look less formal and less stuffy. 
• Bean boots. Throw your bean boots on with a dress or skirt and you will have an instantly toned down look. 
• Oversized watch. I wear an oversized watch constantly which I think is a sportier option than wearing a smaller watch. 

• Ponytail. Don't do anything special with your hair, just pull it up and your outfit will be dressed down (although, I've found the opposite depending on certain outfits). See the above photo, an OOTD from a month ago where I toned it down with bean boots and a pony! 
• Nix the pearls. Pearls instantly dress up a look. I've said many times how much I love my J. Crew pearl hammock necklace, however, this dresses things up in a big way. It's hard to leave the pearls at home, but sometimes, you gotta do what ya gotta do. 

Big watch and rolled up sleeves, got it! 

• Roll up your sleeves. This instantly creates a more relaxed look. 

• Opt for flats. In my opinion, heels are always a good choice (painful, but good) but sometimes they dress up an outfit too much. Flats make your feet comfortable while also lessening the fancy factor. 
• Jean Jackets. While, I'm not a huge fan of the denim jacket, it has its' place. Throw it on over a more formal dress and you have a great daytime look. 
• Forgo black. I know, I know... black is a staple color, but sometimes black is just too fancy or formal. One of my favorite outfits is a GapKids silk taffeta full-skirt. I love love love to pair it with a black sweater, black tights, pearls and heels, but the look is too fancy for everyday wear. So how do I change it up? Instead of black, I threw on a deep grey sweater and opted for flats (I couldn't forgo the pearls!!). 

What do you think? Am I missing some great ways to tone down an "over the top" ensemble? Do you ever feel like you are too dressed? Have a fabulous day! 

Yours, 

sCe