tee: Mr. Darcy Proposal shirt, Etsy
skirt: GAP (also available in navy blue)
espadrilles: Target

I mentioned a while back that the nice people at Langston’s sent me a pair of Ariat boots; I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love them. The boots, I mean — although I really like the Langston’s people too. But I’m in love with the boots. They’re incredibly comfortable, and absolutely beautiful. I’ve tried them on with pretty much everything in my closet; you’d be surprised how versatile cowboy boots can be. Truly.

Western wear isn’t a look that I typically go for, but the secret to cowboy boots is this: you can wear them with anything. Even a little black dress.

dress: GAP
necklace: Stella&Dot, via eBay
photo: Rita Ortloff

Western wear is back for Fall 2010, and while I’m not falling on myself to pick up a denim shirt or a plaid tunic, I’m totally into the idea of wearing my boots with my more Preppy pieces, like my J. Crew pencil skirts and my GAP dresses. I love the idea of mixing something more feminine (like a ruffly dress) with the more masculine boot.

And I also like the attitude that comes with pointy cowboy boots. Get out of my way, y’all, or I’ll kick your ass. Truly.

Like the boots? In a few weeks, I’ll be giving away a pair of Ariats! Thanks to Langston’s for making that happen. Stay tuned for details.

And then a funny thing happened: the more I tried to decide what my 15 pieces would be, the more stressed out I got. I was waking up at night worrying about my closet — about what I was going to wear all month, and about what I would do if the temperature (which is now hovering near 100) dropped to something cooler. I worried about dressing for work and baseball and soccer, and about how I would keep up with the laundry (I hand-wash nearly everything). Instead of feeling freed by the 15:30 Challenge, I was more focused on my closet than I ever am on a typical day.

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