Little Blue Dress

Polyvore Set

Little Blue Dress

This electric blue dress caught my eye when it first showed up on Anthropologie's website some time ago. It reminded me of something you'd see in a book of fairy tales, like something Snow White would wear if her story happened to be set in 2013.  When I had a chance to see the dress up close I was really impressed by the heavy fabric and loved the embossed pattern. I knew it would become a wardrobe staple.  There really isn't anything it doesn't go with and it can easily be worn from September into late Spring. I sometimes refer to this as my presentation dress because it's such a trustworthy garment that I've worn it for several presentations. It doesn't wrinkle, it holds it shape, it's not too short or too long, and I'm never too hot or too cold in it. It's also a simple dress that still manages to be interesting without being too fussy or fancy, practically an all-occasion kind of dress.

I've worn this dress several ways recently. For work, I played with its primary color by adding splashes of red (Monogram's Printed Panel Cardigan) and yellow (my favorite Co-Lab by Christopher Kon bag, last seen here), along with a punch of black and white (Kate Spade for Keds polka dot sneakers). The mix of primary colors and shapes transformed this subtle dress into something much more playful and artsy. If I wanted to up the playfulness of this look, swapping out the solid yellow purse for my candy wrapper clutch would be a quick way to accomplish that.

The last couple of mornings have been a bit cooler so I threw on a blazer over this dress. A structured beige blazer gave the dress a polished office friendly look. To keep it from looking too business-like, I pulled on a navy and blue bow belt over the blazer. The belt also helped to minimize the boxy cut of this particular blazer. If I worked in an office where business attire was the rule I think this would be a totally appropriate look (maybe sans bow belt though).

For a more casual weekend look, a pale scarf with neon hued hot air balloons, the addition of a t-shirt and my go-to boots were the perfect additions for a relaxed day. I love how the lighter blue of the t-shirt sleeves peek out from the dress sleeves so that they almost appear part of the dress.

This little blue dress is my version of a little black dress - all the versatility but with more color.

Outfit Details:

Dress (old): Embossed Basket Dress by Ganni, Anthropologie

Cardigan (old): Printed Panel Cardigan by HWR Monogram, Anthropologie

Blazer (old): Boundless Blazer, Anthropologie

Scarf (old): Hot Air Balloon Scarf by Beck Sondergaard, Anthropologie

Light Blue T-Shirt (old): Peanuts/Snoopy Tee from Uniqlo

Bag (old): Taxicab Full Tote by Lug

One Dress, Multiple Interpretations

Polyvore Set

Multiple Interpretations

Sometimes a print is so bold there's very little that needs to be "styled."  When I'm dealing with this kind of print I like to offset it with complimentary patterns, pops of color, and/or fun accessories. When planning what to wear, I often think about clothing as works of art or parts of a work of art. Today, for example, I thought of the dress as the central image on a work of art, the black dance shirt and black tights as the canvas, and everything else was additions meant to frame the central image, i.e. the dress. 

Although vibrant, the additions of red don't take away from the dress but actually highlight its structured shape and strong black and white design.  The architectural rendering on the cardigan, while similar to the pattern on the dress, is muted enough to not interfere with the look of the dress. Instead the pattern on the cardigan almost replicates the pattern on the dress drawing attention to the architectural lines.  It's interesting how layering a similar pattern on top of another helps to bring the design forward, at the same time adding enough of a contrast to create some interest. 

Styling and re-styling a particular clothing item is really just interpreting that piece in new ways.  It's easy to fall into a routine of wearing a certain piece the same way each time but presenting it in a new way, even by make the smallest of tweaks, is a fun way to keep it feeling fresh. (Here's another way I've styled this dress). Even clothing items that seem to stand alone or seem too bold to style have a lot of versatility to explore and with a little interpretation (or re-interpretation) the possibilities are endless.

Outfit Details:

Dress (old): Great Heights Shift, Anthropologie

Cardigan (old): Frieze Cardigan by Angel of the North, Anthropologie

Heart Purse: H&M

Heart Earrings: the ones I wore were my Nana's (the ones in the Polyvore set are by Vivienne Westwood)

Tights: Hue

Bow Belt (old) - Mexx

Shoes: Dakota Flat, Alice and Olivia

Dressed for a Stroll in the Garden

Garden Stroll Polyvore Set

Okay, walking to work in NYC is the complete opposite of taking a stroll in a garden but that doesn't mean I can't dress like I'm ready for a garden stroll (and even daydream about it a little...ah, the serenity). I love the contrast between the delicate lace of the dress and the 'don't mess with me boots."  A totally appropriate ensemble for garden or city sidewalk strolling.

Outfit Details:

Dress (old): Lace with Grace Dress by Lil, Anthropologie

Cardigan (old): Hanging Gardens Cardigan by Tabitha, Anthropologie

Necklace: Camellia Bib Necklace, Anthropologie

Boots (old): Adriana Nuni Boots, John Fluevog

Tights: Hue

Graphic Punch, aka Crazy Cat Dress

I firmly believe in happy accidents, fate, kismet, or whatever you want to call it. How else would you explain the fact that I rarely step into a bricks and mortar H&M (there's a little too much chaos and clutter in there for me) but when I do I not only come across a puffy red heart purse but also this dress.    Okay, neither are practical items nor likely to have much longevity in my wardrobe, not to mention this dress is probably "too young" and "too short" for me but I'm okay with all of the above. I'm not going to let some silly rules stop me from wearing a dress with the perfect (or should I say purrfect?) punch of black and white cartoon kitty cats.  Also, this dress is machine washable...bonus!

Outfit Details:

Dress: Jersey Dress, H&M

T-shirt: Short Sleeve Top, H&M

Leggings (old): Kensie

Bag (old): Le Sportsac

I Heart Puffy Hearts

While the aesthetic of novelty purses is appealing to me, their price tags usually aren't. I'm okay with paying more for an investment piece but a bag in the shape of a tea cup, popcorn box, boat, heart  or flower (Gorgeous!) doesn't exactly qualify as that (unless I win the lotto, in which case that tea cup and flower purse will be mine). 

Speaking of novelty purses, I saw some darling clutches in a window along Fifth Avenue. I didn't catch the name of the store but you can't miss all the glittery objects in the window. I think the tiger and the pink rose clutches are my favorites of the ones I saw. 

Recently I popped into H&M, and came across this soft puffy heart purse. I looked at it and thought "I heart this heart purse."  There weren't many left and according to the cashier she was surprised any were left at all....apparently a lot of us really love these little purses. Mine has a slight crease on it but I'm sure that will come out with a little steam action.  Frankly, I can't put much in this purse but it's not intended to be a workhorse kind of purse anyways. I think the day these photos were taken I had some kleenex and some lip balm in it and there wasn't much room beyond that. There's something kind of decadent about carrying around a little purse that sort of looks like a Valentine's Day box of chocolates. A fun (and inexpensive) addition to my wardrobe, and one that I can't wait to style with other outfits.

Outfit Details:

Dress (old): thrifted

Denim Leggings (old): BCBG

Heart Purse: H&M

A Color that Gleams

This bright sun kissed coral color might be one of my favorite colors. I pretty much love every color but if there's a store full of colorful clothing I seem to be naturally drawn to this hue.  Pair that color with a twirly skirt, sheer fabric and delicate flowers and I get a little weak at the knees. Technically this is supposed to be a spring/summer dress but I love it too much to restrict it to only two seasons. I think the brown tights with floral embroidery and coppery shoes give just the touch of autumnal styling needed to carry this dress in October (maybe even November...).  Do you have a favorite dress you hate packing away for the summer? How do you style it to get a few more wears in past the season it was intended for?

Outfit Details:

Dress: Ted Baker Pennyy Floral Embellished Dress (no longer on Ted Baker site but still available in some sizes here)

Sweater: Ted Baker Ettia Lace Detail Cardigan 

Shoes (old): Sofft 'Fatina' Mary Jane Pump (purchased during Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale)

Something Different

One thing I've noticed since I began writing this blog is that I'm better at using everything in my closet, and not just reaching for old faithfuls or the newest items.  I've always been pretty good about only buying things I will actually get a lot of wear out of and/or pieces that I can imagine being in my closet years from now, but I definitely reache for some items more often. It's easy to just pull out the outfits that you know work well rather than experimenting with lesser used items, especially when you are in a rush.  Since I began this blog though, I've started to think more about the "forgotten" pieces in my wardrobe, taken a bit more time to style those, and become a bit more fearless in wearing them even when I'm still playing with styling ideas. Two such pieces are the skirt and sweater in these photos. 

When I bought these two pieces, years apart, I definitely thought I'd wear them more than I have. They seem like basic pieces that could go with a variety of things and while I still think that's true, I also realize that certain qualities of these items are outside of my comfort zone. My "go to" items tend to be fit and flare dresses, full skirts, dropwaist dresses shirtdresses, blouses and cardigans...not pencil skirts and sweaters.  So while most days I may still choose a ladylike dress over a pencil skirt, it's nice to have some variety in my wardrobe for days when I feel like wearing something a little different from my usual fare.

Outfit Details:

Skirt (old): Scalloped Sailor Skirt, Anthropologie

Sweater (old): Kate Hill, purchased from Lord and Taylor

Hat: Tipped Straw Cloche, Anthropologie

Necklace: Target

Bag: The Stone Flower, South Street Seaport