Lately, I've been watching a lot of The West Wing.

(And by "watching" I mean rewatching, and by "a lot" I mean, A LOT.) 

Did you know that during The Great Depression people continued to go to the movies? Though times were undeniably tough, people would scrape together whatever change they had and escape with Fred Astaire or Shirley Temple for a few hours. 

That was just a fun fact. I'm not aligning my current state with The Great Depression. I am, however, frequently escaping with The West Wing. 

Last weekend, I managed to pry myself away from President Bartlett, and Sam, and Josh, and CJ (who is, of course, my favorite) and leave the house for awhile. On top of that, I broke a new fashion rule.

Let's get into it!

THE EVENT: Geneva's housewarming party and Mission Impossible at Cinerama.

THE BROKEN RULE(S):

1. Never wear anything too revealing
2. Mixing patterns correctly requires one smaller pattern and one larger pattern, both in similar colors. 

THE OUTFIT: Shorts are a lot for me. I realize that they are entirely regular. Most people wear them. Most people are not offended by the sight of other people wearing them, either. 

I, however, do not like wearing shorts. They are usually uncomfortable. They can be bunchy. (I hate bunchy.) They can fit around the waist but suffocate my thighs. (Thigh reverse muffin top flatters no one.) And, generally, they show a rather large amount of leg. I don't particularly like my legs. I'm both short and bottom-heavy, so my legs harbor a fair amount of my weight.

Suffice to say, shorts are a lot for me. 

However, it's been quite warm in Seattle. (I'M NOT COMPLAINING, WEATHER GODS!) It's so warm that I pulled out shorts. Specifically, I unearthed a tan pair covered in angled lines. 

I added a white linen tropical print top and tied the whole look together with brown woven mules and a small navy and brown purse.

THE EXPERIENCE: I need to overcome my shorts-issues. Perhaps it's my many hours of the West Wing that have put my "issues" into perspective. Most likely, it's that my experience wearing shorts was entirely uneventful.

While wearing this outfit, no one commented on my shorts. No one commented on my legs. I remained at a comfortable temperature, and when, after getting stuck in parade traffic, we had to sprint to the movie theater, my legs were free and not confined. (The mules, however, did slow me down.)

And, all of my other ramblings aside, I really enjoyed this outfit. Typically, when I've mixed patterns, I stay in the same color family. This combination felt a bit more surprising. 

THE CONCLUSION: Generally, short hemlines have always given me the heeby-jeebies. Whether it's shorts or mini-skirts, or rompers or mini-dresses, I've strayed away. I'm trying to break that habit, and I have to say, it's been easy. Far easier than I expected, so easy that I feel pretty sheepish. (Just as sheepish as when I discovered that I can, in fact, wear turtlenecks. You can read that post here.)  

Have you had a similar experience? Are there certain styles that you've nixed from your wardrobe and then come back to? I'd love to chat about it!

Better yet, want to talk about The West Wing? I'm ready and waiting! 

Happy Wednesday, friends! We're halfway to the weekend!

Playing with Patterns?