5 best outfits of 2012

If there are bad, then there has to be good too.

At least that’s what I’m hoping. Don’t tell me if I’m wrong, I’m fragile today.

And the only criteria for the “best” category is if I’d still wear it without feeling embarrassed or it’s a trend I especially loved this year.

///// brown + black + gray \\
I loved that it became socially acceptable to mix these colors. I think it’s so cozy and effortless all at the same time. This outfit was probably my favorite of the year.  (Also, I was having an exceptionally good hair day and would like to figure out how to recreate that day.)

///// thrifting \\
Blazers were definitely one of my favorites last year. The options are endless and I’ve discovered that thrifting them can yield some pretty awesome results. This colorful Liz Claiborne jacket is something I never would have picked up at a department store, but when I thrift, I look at things differently. And the $5 price tag makes it easier for me to take some risks because there’s less money at stake if things go bad. Thankfully this time it didn’t.

///// leggings with anything \\
I love a good pair of leggings, especially colored ones right now. And because I’m so tall, a lot of dresses that I would love to wear are just way too short on me so leggings save the day often. Leggings with tall boots, leggings with booties, leggings with ballet flats, leggings with Chuck Taylors. I really don’t think you can go wrong with leggings, they’re my answer to everything.

///// the casual layering \\
Adding just one more element to my outfit became an almost-obsession last year. To the point where sometimes I’d just have to take something off before I left the house. I love a good layer and now that it’s freakin’ freezin’ out, I seem to be wearing only layers. 2012 will be forevermore known as the year of the layer.

///// the little black dress \\
I know everyone says it’s timeless and every closet should have one. Well, until recently, mine didn’t. Mostly because I do the opposite of what people tell me to and I never felt the need for one. But now I’m a convert and wear a black dress (I have quite a few now) all the time. This one is the same one from the black, brown, and gray post. It’s a pretty versatile piece. Who would have thought?

As I went through my outfit posts from 2012, I had a really hard time appreciating any outfit I wore before I started losing weight. I find it very difficult to look at pictures before my weight loss and see anything I like. Like most people, I’m very critical of myself and I see those pictures and can’t believe I let myself look like that. I find it embarrassing and shocking. So my favorite outfits of 2012 are from August on since that’s when my weight loss finally started showing in pictures.

I’ve had some newer readers ask about my weight loss journey, what I did, tips, tricks, etc. and I’ve started working on that post. It’s hard and I’m still a work-in-progress and I definitely still have bad weeks days, but I’m willing to share what I’ve learned if it will help someone else on their journey. So that’s coming soon, I promise.

What do you think about my top five from 2012? Did you have a different one in mind that I didn’t include? Think one of these shouldn’t be on the list?