What a difference a week makes. Last week I was lamenting the fact I didn't like the style of most of the new season dresses, and this week here I am trying on two of them!
What makes this pair of dresses different from the tent or "buffet dresses" doing the rounds is the fact they both have some shaping. I only realised when they arrived that of course they both feature polka dots. I don't really do patterns very much except for polka dots. I'm not into the ditsy florals that adorn many dresses at the moment. I think it's because my style personality - gamine - prefers more structured looks and less pattern.
I have a strange relationship with dresses. I long to wear them, as being a one piece they're easy to pop on, but I usually find them too "dressy" and hardly ever wear them. The only dress I've worn a few times in the last couple of years is the dress featured on Monday in the Style Not Age Challenge. Even the denim dress bought last year hardly saw the light of day, and even I couldn't argue it looked too dressy!
I decided to aim for a less formal look with the first dress by adding trainers. This immediately makes a dress more more relaxed and fresh. This white and black polka dot dress has a gentle shaping around the waist which stops it being a total tent. Tent dresses don't work for me at all because with big shoulders I need clothes which are figure hugging, otherwise I look like a fridge.
This dress has a clever feature: under the placket are some smaller clear buttons which stop the gaping holes that can ruin the look of a dress if you have a larger bust.
Both dresses are from Marks and Spencer who have really excelled with their new season drop in the last couple of weeks. There's plenty of eye catching choices and I couldn't resist a bright pink blouse with a floral print (yes, even for me!).
The other dress I tried on, below, is from a new line at M&S, a range from Finery. Finery caused some excitement a few years ago as a business founded by three women. Then it was sold and lost its way. Now M&S is stocking Finery along with some other name brands including Jaegar, Phase 8 and Nobody's Child. Finery still has its own website, but there's no "About Us" section or anything that explains the brand's ethos or sustainability policies, which is a miss in my view.
The M&S new diversification strategy is of course what made Next so successful with its online business.
This is a delightful dress but to me it says "wedding guest" or other special event. I know that I would hardly ever wear it. The shoes I chose are my green sequinned T bars from Irregular Choice. With trainers the dress would become a little more informal, but it's still going back.
What's your view on dresses? An everyday essential, or something for special events? Do share your thoughts in the comments.
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Now it's time for #WowOnWednesday, the weekly link-up where readers find new blogs to read, and bloggers find new readers.
Last Week's Readers' Favourites - Most Clicked
Anna from Looking Fabulous @ Fifty with her post: "
Black linen pants with pearl buttons." Sometimes a seemingly simple outfit - a white blouse with black trousers - becomes stunning when each component is perfect with the right amount of detail. The buttons on Anna's trousers, and the black edging on her off-white Furla bag, make this a masterclass in under stated elegance.
Chrissy from Granola and Grace scored a hit with her post
"What I Wore: More Pantone Colors" . Chrissy unwittingly put together an outfit featuring some of Pantone's top predictions for 2021 -"marigold" and "rust", with a buttercream" backdrop. Perfection.
Is This Mutton's Favourite Non-Fashion Post
I chose Mireille from Chez Mireille's post "
Rock Bridge and Angel Wings Trails, Daniel Boone Forest, KY" because I love travelling, particularly reading about others travelling when we're currently not able to! (Although as of this week we can now cross the border into Scotland....). Mireille always manages to look very cool and together on her hiking holidays and here she has some great backdrops!
When I was still working, we so often had women in our store who needed a dress for a party, which they would never wear after that. We adviced how to wear it down. I would keep the green dress too, it looks so good on you. You can wear slippers under neath, boots, anke boots, espadrilles. So many options and the dress isn't even looking formal! The other dress is fabulous too!
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