Rate My Look- Monochromatic from Head to Toe

I noticed the other day that I tend to preach a lot about wearing an all-red monochromatic look and how it's so fabulous and then I realized I had never done that myself. At that moment, I resolved to wear a red monochromatic outfit to work before the week was out. I took inspiration from some of the polyvore sets I'd created over the last few weeks. The one about bright tights included an all-red outfit and so did the post from a few weeks ago about monochromatic outfits for women. My point is simply that I should practice what I preach, so I spent a few extra minutes in my closet one morning and this is what I came up with:

There are so many shades of red going on in this outfit, plus a whole assortment of textures and that's why it works. The matte tights against the patent finish of the shoes are a nice contrast, as are the smooth silk blouse and the rough, textured boucle of the skirt. And who doesn't love a great little flower at the waist like that? 

It is not an outfit that I'm likely to bring out again soon- I just don't wear red tights very often. This particular pair is from American Apparel. Perhaps one of the more amusing things about wearing red tights is cracking jokes about the tights you are wearing. When I got to work the day I wore this, I had a conversation that went like this: 

Co-worker: Nice outfit!

ME: Thanks, but I have a run in my tights. 

Co-worker: Bummer.

ME: Yeah, but I couldn't change because I don't have a lot of red tights. In fact, these are my only pair.

Co-worker: (sarcastically) Really? You mean you don't have a bunch of red tights just lying around?

ME: No, at least not since I left my job as a clown. I mean, back then I had a bunch, but not so much these days.

I cracked myself up with that one. In fact, I thought it was so clever, I repeated the joke a couple more times throughout the day. (Always with a different audience, of course.) Finally, towards the end of the night as I was talking to an alterations customer, she complimented my all-red outfit. I cracked the clown joke one last time, but I switched it up a little and changed the line to, "Well not since clown college- I mean, back then I had a bunch, but not so much these days." Her response? "Oh, really? Where did you go to clown school?" I am always amazed when people don't know I'm joking and this lady clearly thought I had actually gone to clown college. So I have to ask myself, was my outfit THAT ridiculous? Or am I just that convincing as a jokester that it's hard to tell I'm joking? Hmm... food for thought.