I know the maxi-dress is a big trend right now. (Um, isn’t it a big trend every Spring?) I always like the ethereal, kind of hippy-ish vibe of these dresses, but I have to admit that I’ve never really had one of these dresses. (I take that back, I had one several years ago and it was cute.)
My beef with these is that they seem kind of difficult for the ahem, more busty gals. Seriously, am I supposed to fit into those itty-bitty triangles of fabric? The other concern I have is with the length. I know they say that ankle length is the correct length, but I think that is the dress equivalent of high-waters. Maybe if you’re going to wear flat sandals you could pull that off, but in that case, you’d better be at least 18 feet tall or you’re likely to look short and stubby. If you’re going to go the safer route and wear a heel of some variety, you probably want the dress to at least come to the tops of your shoes.
Sorry for the rant. I feel so much better after getting that off my ample chest though. If you have one of these dresses and you’ve got some tips on how best to wear them, please share your advice by posting a comment. Thanks!
You can get more information on any of the dresses by clicking on it. They all can be purchased at CoutureCandy .
Remember a little while ago when said that I had bought these jeans and belt from H&M?
The jeans are kind of a sore subject because I took them to the tailor to get them hemmed a bit and the tailor made a complete mess of them. One leg is longer than the other and the hem is hideous. I’m quite certain I could have done a better job with garden shears and rubber cement glue. Hopefully, they can be fixed. But, I did make good use of the belt on a recent night out with the boyfriend.
Coincidentally, that dress is from H&M too, but I’ve had it for awhile. The cardigan is from Target. I am big on wearing black. I always have been. So, my challenge is to add some colorful accents to keep things from getting too boring. This belt made the dress a little more flattering to my figure and added some interest. Now, if only I could find a better background for taking these shots…
It has been a busy week, so I’m kind of late in getting this post up. We had a great Easter lunch at my parents’ house on Sunday. Our good friend Ashley joined us and she looked so cute that I convinced her to let me snap a couple of photos of her.
That jacket is so cute. She got it at H&M. Bright color is such a great trend for Spring and she’s doing a really great transitional look by pairing her black dress and tights with bright color. I love the yellow scarf too. Extra warmth + punch of color = happiness.
The yellow scarf also goes nicely with her gold accessories.
The gold shoes add some really nice texture to the outfit. Don’t be afraid to pair colored shoes with dark tights or hose. I think it looks unexpected and modern.
I also got a shot of myself on the same day.
I like combining all of these neutrals with just a little touch of turquoise in the accessories. This is an incredibly affordable outfit too. The sweater and dress are from Forever 21. The belt and purse are from H&M and the tights are from Spanx.
That was a lot to put in one title. I like to get as much bang for my shopping buck as possible, which means that a lot of the pieces in my wardrobe need to be able to pull double duty. Today, I thought I’d use one really cute dress and put together looks for day and night. The challenge was to use all items from one, reasonably priced store. I used the always fabulous Forever 21.
First, the dress:
Cute right? Next, the day look:
Add dark tights, shiny heels, a long-sleeved T for those cold cubicle conditions, a bright bag adds some punch and a leather belt adds some refinement.
The evening look:
Simple and chic. Strip off the bottom layer of tights and T. Add some strappy heels and a little clutch. I also switched out the jewelry to add a colorful, slightly boho chic look. Everything you see is from Forever 21 and is currently available on their website.
I was thinking about the florals that are big for Spring and I wondered how I might want to express this trend myself. I rembered seeing some shots of the Balenciaga show earlier this year that showed the super-structured floral dresses with the knee-high, very intricately designed gladiator sandals. That was an inspiring look, but it would need some translating for me to work it into my real life. I began to troll the web for some inspiration and before long I found these pretty, fun little dresses. This is a great way to get in on the trend. All of these items are from Topshop and can be ordered from their site.
Music is an important part of my life. It really has the power to influence my entire mood. Since I’m usually mildly obsessed with at least one song at any given time, I thought it might be fun to do some posts about those particular songs and the types of moods they create and, as a result, the kinds of outfits they inspire.
The first song I’m going to use is not a super-new song or anything but it is one that I’ve been listening to a lot lately and that always affects me when I hear it. It is just such a good rock song. Unfortunately, Youtube won’t let me embed the original video for the song. Anyway, check out the song and then the clothes it inspires below.
It’s a little haphazard maybe, but I love, love, love the shoes! I just can’t get over them and they are really the key element here. The skinny gray jeans are the perfect complement to the shoes. I would throw on the plaid shirt if it was chilly. I love the kind of southwest vibe of the scarf. The colorful stack of bangles is kind of a must for me. I always have an armful of bracelets on.
What do you think? Does music inspire you to put together certain outfits? What music are you inspired by now? I welcome your comments.
Remember about a week or so ago when I did a post about the resurgence of light-wash denim? Yeah, I thought so. Well, the following is an H&M ad depicting a fine specimen of these jeans.
I actually bought these jeans and the adorable red belt last week. I had to take mine to the tailor to be shortened a little. They were a little to long even with my highest wedges. I guess that’s to be expected when you’re short like me. Anyhoo, I found a pic on a great blog (Le Blog de Betty) of a super-stylish girl wearing her H&M denim in a totally accessible, yet uber cool way. Check it out:
Um, how cool does she look? I think she looks so easy and comfortably cool. The belt, the cardy, the necklaces, the hair?! Love…
Handbags are just great aren’t they? I mean, no matter how good or bad you may be feeling about your body, a handbag is always going to look good. And the right bag can take an outfit from boring to fab. Oversized clutches have been a pretty resilient trend of late. They are a good change from the huge shoulder totes we were all carrying a few seasons ago. These clutches are not meant just for evening. Wear them all day to add a little unexpected kick to your outfit. They come in so many colors and shapes. Do some expirimenting and find a dozen or so that work for you!
I spent literally three and a half hours today sorting through my closet, hauling out things to take to Goodwill, and just generally organizing my things so that I would know what I actually have in there. It was a lot of work and I filled several bags with things that I just don’t want to wear anymore. I also found some things that I’d forgotten about and that I actually do really like and want to work back into the wardrobe rotation. This dress is one of those items. It is just a simple black tank dress that I bought at H&M for probably $20. I love dresses and this one is versatile enough to wear in multiple seasons.
Here is how I’d wear the dress now since its still pretty chilly out. The shirt is buffalo plaid, which is a pretty big trend for Winter. I belted it to try to give me a waist. The tights and leather boots keep me warm. Here is how I’d wear the same dress in a month or so when it gets a little warmer. (I sure hope I can get a tan first though)
The shoes are kind of a magenta patent. I know its not easy to see them in these photos. The jacket provides some structure and makes it appropriate for the work place. The necklace and bangles give it some color. Our dog Callie decided to make her debut in these photos. I think she would also like to show what she’ll be wearing this Spring:
Really… isn’t that one of the cutest things you’ve ever seen?
This is a look that almost anyone could pull off with minimal tweeking and it just looks really rich and sophisticated. The salmon color looks really great with the gray skirt and the peachy bag would really make a great, versatile neutral. The brocade ballet flats look like the kind of thing that you could wear practically everyday and never get tired of them. If you don’t like the shape of the skirt or don’t think it would be very flattering to your particular figure, a gray pencil skirt would look equally stunning and could be found at nearly any mall.
