Thanks SO much to all who got involved for this week’s inaugural Style Girlfriend Outfit of the Week (or OOTW) competition!

Everyone – guys and even some ladies! – brought their A game, and it was great to see some of my readers in their SG-approved garb. I especially loved seeing all the different interpretations on personal style. This wasn’t an army of chukka boot-wearing zombies; each reader really looked unique. Beyond that, there was seriously not one dud in the bunch – everyone looked great. Which made it hard to choose a winner!

But alas, there can only be one (at least, today anyway).

And this week’s Outfit of the Week belongs to…

Joe K.!

The Details

sweater – “my wife picked it out for me at Banana Republic”
shirt – Charles Tyrwhitt (recommended by SG)
pants – Hugo Boss
Boots – Dr. Scholl’s (recommended by SG)

Congrats Joe, you looked great. Thanks so much for sending in a picture!

So why did Joe take home top honors? Well, while it’s true I love everything that Joe has going on here, there are a few things that jumped out right away.

Here’s how he got it right:

• Dress pants worn in an unfussy way. Joe doesn’t look stuffy in his outfit, but he does look dressed up. Depending on his office dress code, he could wear this outfit to work and out on a date right after.
• Layers! His sweater and dress shirt combo is visually interesting but effortless to execute – no “fancy” styling tricks needed to get it right.
• Confidence. He wore brown shoes when black might have felt “safer”
• A head-to-toe pic. You guys know I love me some selflies in the mirror, but when it’s time to get serious, I hand the camera off to someone else. If you aren’t too embarrassed to ask, have a loved one, co-worker, or stranger on the street take your picture. It really does help to get the full effect.
• Also great? That smile! People take themselves way too seriously (your Style Girlfriend included), so it was fun to see Joe enjoying himself in this picture. Future Outfit Of The Week contenders, take note!
• And of course, last but certainly not least – that color! Seeing Joe’s bright orange sweater cheered my day; I am a sucker for a citrus-y hue, and I loved that Joe was unafraid to go so bold with his top layer.

Joe, congrats. I tip my rabbit fur hat to you. To the rest of my readers who tweeted and sent in pictures, a HUGE thank you and please please please try again next week! Think of it this way: you’ve got a whole new week to plan and execute an SG-approved outfit!

And don’t forget to smile!

In the comments, tell me: Any big plans for the weekend?

What I’m up to: A good friend of mine from college is coming in from Pennsylvania with his fam and I’m tagging along on their sightseeing to take the NBC Studio Tour. So…pretty much all my dreams coming true. Maybe I’ll see Willie Geist again, and he’ll immediately sign me as a style correspondent for the Today Show.

Hey, a girl can dream…