Film noir style, or Dress #42

Dress: Calvin Klein, Sym's, NYC;

Tank: Walmart;

Shoes: Payless.

How I've worn the shoes: here.

Three more dresses left...it's been such a busy week that we've resorted to our old spots, so hopefully we'll do some more exploring later this week for new photo opportunities. It turns out Mystery Park does exist, and we're going to try to find it this weekend.

There are some days when you just want the dress to stand out on its own, and this was one of those days. I got this dress on the same shopping trip that I bought these two dresses. I like how I feel in this dress. When I first tried it on during my spring break trip in NYC, I simultaneously wanted to ask myself out on a date and then hire myself for a job. My reaction to the dress was so positive that my friend H., who was with me during the shopping trip, bought one too. It's got this cut that's classic enough to work in an office environment, but still has a bit of sophistication and allure to it. I really love the symmetrical cut-out neckline and the subtle pinstripe detail too. It'd be the kind of dress that I'd expect a femme fatale to wear in an old movie --- give me a prim little hat with a black veil, a trench coat and bright red lips, and I'd be good to go.

 

42 down, three to go.

How to go dress shopping

I've been asked a few times what my mental process is when I shop for a dress. After my Dress Project and years of dress buying, I think I've learned a lot from trial and error for what works on my body. Keep in mind, I'm not an expert on fashion, so I'm not going to know what exactly will work for your specific body needs, and these tips aren't going to be the be-all, end-all of what works for everyone. Again, it can be a lot of trial and error. However, these are general things that I think about whenever I do go shopping for a dress.

 Before you go:
1) Dress comfortably: Shopping around all day and trying on clothes requires comfy clothing that can be taken off pretty easily. I usually wear a simple dress and a scarf (for those stores with chilly A/C) and flats, which can all be taken off in the dressing room quickly without many problems.

2) Be prepared: If you know what you'd like to wear along with the dress, bring those along in a tote bag or bigger purse. Examples include shoes, a convertible bra, camisole, Spanx or the right kind of underwear. It sucks to try on a dress and not know if it will work at home because I've got the wrong underwear or shoes on (this happened when I went wedding dress shopping -- I forgot the shoes I wanted to wear). When I go shopping, I usually make sure I'm wearing a convertible, nude bra and nude-colored underwear beforehand.

3) Draw from inspiration: If you've got a particular type of dress in mind, bring magazine clippings or drawings of what you're looking for, so that store consultants will know what you want and will be able to better help you. If you see a dress on a celebrity that you love, bring that picture in -- maybe your department store will have a similar garment but with a cheaper price.
     You can also do this for personal features. I do try to find images of celebrities that have some similar features as me -- such as skin coloring, hair, height, body size, etc. -- so that I can have a good idea of what may also look good on me. For example, I sometimes look to America Ferrera's sartorial choices for inspiration.

Things to consider about the dress:
1) Occasion: Know what kind of event you're trying to shop for -- is it school, work, casual or a special occasion? If it's for an everyday event, I try to think of at least three places that I can wear the dress to (such as work, an interview or a networking event) so that I can get enough wear out of the garment. If it's a special occasion (such as a wedding or shower), you have to consider the event's location and time, and decide what elements to include in the dress from there. For a special occasion, I would consider a dress that has a subtle print, is solid-colored or has an interesting texture so that I can re-wear the item again but with different accessories.

2) Fit: Make sure the dress is comfortable enough that it doesn't squeeze you, but not loose enough that it doesn't show any body definition. Clothing companies do not have the same sizing measurements across the board, so when shopping, go for the size that you are most often. And if need be, try to grab the range of sizes close to yours, in case you need to move up or down a size. It's okay to move up a size if it will fit your body well in certain places such as your arms and chest area -- a tailor can also take in the dress if it's bigger in other places.

3) Length: I'm 5'4" in height, which is borderline petite-average height, so the length of dresses is often the most important thing I keep in mind when I'm shopping. I usually go for dresses that hit right at or a couple inches above the knee, because that length works best on my height and doesn't make me look shorter. And again, if it fits well but is way too long, this can be easily altered.

4) Cut: This can depend on what works best for your body and the occasion. Some dress types out there: Empire waist dresses feature a higher waistline, which give a streamlined look on the midsection and hide the stomach area. Sheath dresses are a little tighter around the body (much like a pencil skirt), which can show off curves. Another thing to consider with cut is to decide what body assets you'd like to highlight. Whether it's your shoulders (halter, sleeveless), legs (cocktail-length) or cleavage (halter) there's a dress style out there for that.

5) Color: This is another feature that can often be dictated by what occasion you're buying the dress for. Dark or neutral-colored dresses work well in office environments because they can be worn often and customized with a change of accessories. Bright or patterned dresses look great at social functions and special occasions because they seem cheerful and festive. However, you don't always have to follow these guidelines -- if you've got a favorite color, or colors that look great on your skin tone, wear them as much as you want. I tend to go for jewel tones, especially turquoise dresses.

6) Texture: This can often be figured out by what occasion the dress is for and where the event will be held. Wool, cotton and silk work well in work environments; chiffon, brocade and taffeta are often used in special occasion-type dresses. But that's not to say you have to follow this dictum: the fashion rules are changing, and some of these fabrics can work for many different occasions. Go for what you think feels best on your body.



When you're in the dressing room:
1) Move around: When I'm in the dressing room, I do a pantomime: I sit, stand, bend over, jump and dance in my dress, all while looking at its contours in the mirror. Knowing what the dress looks like in movement will help you decide whether it'll be appropriate for the situation you're going to be in.

2) Ask yourself: Do you really love the dress? Do you think it looks amazing on your body? Could you wear it more than once? Could you leave the store without the dress and not think about it afterward? If you answered yes to the first three and no to the last question, consider buying the dress. If you're only feeling so-so, move on and keep looking for the dress that works best with your body.


Further reading and inspiration:
- "How to Buy a Dress" -- Love to Know Buy
- "How to Buy a Perfect Little Black Dress" -- EHow
- "Why you should befriend your tailor" --  Already Pretty
- Dresses for Day; Dresses for Evening -- Academichic
- "Style Vocab: Shift vs. Sheath and more" -- Washington Post


Do you have any advice whenever you go dress shopping? Please share them in the comments!

Cherry tomato, or Dress #41

Dress: Liz Claiborne, Sym's, NYC;

Bracelet: Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, HI;

Shoes: Target.

How I've worn the shoes before: here.

When I bought this dress a couple years ago during my summer internship in NYC, I had been in the habit of shying away from color. In the conservative office environment, where there weren't many female peers as style examples for what to wear, I didn't want to be the intern to stand out for a sartorial misstep. So I stuck to mostly neutrals and suit/skirts. This dress was the only exception and I wore it on my last day there, and with the happy lunch send-off my co-workers gave me that day, this dress has some good memories attached.

 I don't think I fear wearing this color anymore, and I'm going to find different ways to wear this dress. I love the exuberant red shade and shape, and I love how my Hawaiian bracelet's details are standing out against the dress's backdrop.

In other news, only four more days left in The Dress Project. As you may have known, I've also incorporated a shopping ban through the duration of the Project. While I think I am less likely to shop now just because it's on sale, I do think I want to include some thought-out pieces into my wardrobe for spring. Here are some things in my wardrobe and on my shopping list that I'm ready to wear:

In my closet:

- Lightweight/light-colored pants: I think white jeans or light-colored pants are really fresh for the warm weather, especially paired with a floral or graphic top. Specifically, I've been dying to wear a pair of J. Crew mint/grey pants I thrifted a couple weeks before the Project started.

- Colorful skirts: I tried to incorporate some skirt looks into The Dress Project (see here and here) but of course, there always some that just don't look that great over a shift dress. I'm so ready to wear some bright skirts in florals and Hawaiian prints.

- Dresses (ha!):  Because I'm in the last stretch of the Project, I'm obviously limited in which dresses I can wear. As soon as it's over, I'd like to wear these looks again, which can be found here, here, here, here, here. (March was a really good month for the Project)

To add to my closet:

- Shorts: I want a good pair of sturdy (possibly wool or tweed) shorts that hits my frame in the right place.

- Platform sandals: I've been seeing a lot of bloggers incorporate these into their looks, and I think a few of them would look great with shorts or dresses. I particularly love these from Target and these Urban Outfitters ones that Second Skin recently sported.

What are you ready to wear for spring?

 

41 down, four to go.

The Case of the Mystery Park, or Dress #40

Dress: Connected Apparel, Secondhand Rose (since closed);

Sweater: Faded Glory;

Belt: Ann Taylor Loft (it came with this dress);

Bracelet: Finder's Keepers (Detail view here);

Wedges: Zigi Soho.

Ha, doesn't my title sound like a Nancy Drew book? I only need Bess and George and I'd be set to start my own detective agency.

Man, oh man, today's pictures come with a little bit of drama. Since we're going into the last week of The Dress Project starting today (yay!), I wanted to step it up a little bit by going to different interesting locations in my area. I researched a couple of different places that have a little history going on -- like the oldest building in the county, stuff from the Civil War era, and so on. So J and I decided that for today, we were going to visit a park -- a quiet, uncrowded area nestled in the suburbs that has a bunch of old farmhouses that have been preserved from the early 1900s. So we set upon our merry way with our Google map directions and off we went ... and the last stretch of our directions led us straight into a modern, townhouse neighborhood. Wha?

Maybe it's at the end of the road, we thought. Nope. Just mailboxes, more modern neighborhood and office buildings. We may be the last people on Earth that don't use a GPS, because we usually don't have direction problems like this, but after this whole silly episode I'd think about getting one. After about 20 minutes we gave up for the day and just went to our usual spot for pictures. The mystery park is still listed on the county Web site as a real, functioning park, and the only reason we can think of for getting the wrong address is that part of the park was sold for real estate property, and Google Maps hasn't updated. Or just got it wrong. Either way, I still want to find this idyllic-sounding historical place. I will find you this week, Mystery Park!

So, about this outfit. I promised myself this year for my style resolutions that I would play with different color combinations, like black and brown, black and orange, pink and red. I don't usually combine pink and red together (except here, but it's in a print), mostly because I always thought they competed against each other, but I figured if they're found in nature together, it's okay. I ended up liking this look a lot, especially with the matching belt. I got this dress several years ago at a secondhand boutique, and have since had it shortened because it was a little past my knees. It features a subtle print and shoulder bow ties (which I'm thinking about snipping because I think they're a little too twee, but I haven't committed to it yet). I wore this dress during one of the days on our honeymoon in Hawaii, so it's got a lot of fun memories attached. 

 

What bold color combinations have you tried? What color combinations do you think will never work together? And have you, like me, had dysfunctional moments with your photo locations?

 

40 down, five to go.

Blue skies, or Dress #39

Dress: Forever 21;

Sweater: Target;

Camisole: Walmart;

Bracelet: Finder's Keepers;

Shoes: Aerosoles.

Two outfit posts in one day -- yippee. This is what I wore today when Jeremiah and I explored our city a bit more, which culminated in a random trip to Toys R Us to look at the toys we used to love and to see how much they've changed. We're hip like that. Actually, he had to steer me clear of the candy aisle because they had a section devoted to sour candy, which is my weakness...

Sorry for the short post earlier. I knew I was heading out the door so I kinda threw it on the blog and didn't elaborate much on my thoughts on "Date Night." I thought it was pretty funny for the most part and it's actually quite surprising that Tina Fey and Steve Carrell haven't done a movie together before this because they are the funniest people on network television right now. I liked Tina Fey in "Mean Girls," "Baby Mama" and of course, her SNL past,  so I was looking forward to her latest comedy. There are some brilliant moments in this movie that I think will become catchphrases -- or at least, they already have at my house ("That's really great, Jeremy, but I think I'm going to go home now and fart into a box.") I'll admit, some parts were slow, and there's this running gag with Mark Wahlberg's lack of clothing, but I think Fey and Carrell have this great, funny chemistry that makes it all worth it.

About this outfit. This is probably my only Forever 21 piece in my closet. I used to have a lot more, but over the years this is the only thing from the store that has survived many multiple washings and my changing tastes in clothes. I got it when I interned in NYC two years ago. The Forever 21 stores in NYC are way better than the ones in Georgia -- more offerings and more space, but too many crowds. Anyways, the dress has these straps that are thick, but because it's a bit lowcut, I always want to wear a camisole with it. It's got an empire waistline design, which I need to stop buying so many of because I don't think it's the best shape for my body, regardless of what Stacey and Clinton tell everyone. I do like the design, though, and I do think it's a great little dress for spring, so I'm probably going to keep it after The Dress Project is over.

The weather has been amazing the last couple of days. I'm hoping my allergy medicine will hold up against the pollen -- apparently it's the highest count in our area in 10 years. Ridiculous!

Hope you're enjoying your weekend, wherever you are!

 

39 down, six to go.