Boots: Canepa Aldo Boots
Dress: Omai (bought at a boutique in Rome)
Peacock Earrings: Charlotte Russe
Dress: "I'm girly and lady-like."
Boots: "I'm trampy and scandalous!"
Onlookers: "What does it all mean????"
Last night I met with the girls in my book club and ate some delicious French cuisine. For the occasion I wore a pretty elegant dress I found in Europe and some boots I had delivered that morning (there's actually a big bow in the front of the dress and a crinoline layer you can't make-out with this lighting unfortunately).
Although mixing soft and tough pieces has now become one of the oldest tricks in the book, I still enjoy advocating it. The key to it is contrast and balance. You want textures that will distinctly identify the individual pieces so they each stand out, and you also need to be proportionate so that it is brought together harmoniously. My dress was extra girly so the leather thigh-highs weren't too much to overwhelm the femininity. They were perfect character foils. So awesome. 
