Dressing for the Occasion

I was raised conservatively so that meant that there were a lot of dresses and long skirts in my life. When I made the choice to leave the conservative lifestyle behind I was practically allergic to skirts and dresses and I didn't want anything except pants in my wardrobe! Of course, it's been quite a few years now so I've gotten over that aversion and I'm currently going through a phase where practically all I want to wear is dresses. 

I think the main reason I've been loving on them so much lately is because they're a one stop shop kind of item. You put on a dress, a few accessories and you're good to go. You don't have to stand in front of the mirror trying on umpteen different tops with those pants trying to figure out exactly which one looks the best, you don't have to worry about whether or not the silhouette of your blouse goes with the silhouette of your skirt, etc. So they have the ability to save you time in the morning (or afternoon) when you're getting ready and there are so many different styles there's bound to be one you'll loathe a lot less than others!

I did some online browsing and found a few dresses that I wouldn't mind incorporating into my wardrobe (currently accepting sugar daddy applications...JK!!). Alas, I just came back from a trip abroad and purchased a new car so the budget isn't allowing for too many fun purchases right now. So by all means, if you have purchased a fabulous new dress lately, comment below so I can vicariously live through you! ;)

First of all, I can't believe this dress is only $50!!

Zara really knows how to give you some bang for your buck! Only $50 for this faux leather dress and damn, it's chic! You could pair it with black studded booties for a day on the go, some over the knee high heeled boots for a night out with the girls, maybe some strappy heels for a cocktail hour. If you're still in summer mode you could always pair it with a chic pair of sandals, a big floppy hat (who doesn't love those?) and you're good to go. You could pair it with a pair of large statement earrings or keep the jewelry simple and let the dress do all the talking. It almost doesn't matter which way you go with this dress, it's going to look great and work for a multitude of occasions!

Why hello to you too!

I think this is my favorite dress that I've found so far. I'm not usually one for wrap dresses or all over animal print but somehow, this dress just pulled me right in. I could see Blake Lively in this dress with her incredible sense of style, pairing it with fun cocktail rings, killer heels and a statement coat draped over her shoulders. (And if she wouldn't wear it that way, I sure would! ;) I always have to laugh when I hear the question from people "But where would I wear that to?" Honey, anywhere! I'll wear it to the grocery store if I want to, I'll wear it to my nephew's wrestling match or my company's Christmas party. If you like something make the garment work for you. If it's not what other people would normally wear in a certain situation, wear it anyway! If you like it, strut it!

Can you say quirky?

My first thought when I saw this particular dress was 'how do you sit in it?' Those odd ruffles go all the way around (and yes, I know, it would look even more odd if they were just stuck on the front) but that was part of the reason it caught my eye. It's different. And I do like different. And also, for someone like me who is very fond of personal spaces and bubbles this dress comes with a built-in moat so to speak. And who wouldn't want that? ;)

I still can't believe I like this dress as much as I do...

I don't usually gravitate towards anything overly feminine. But for some reason I really do love this dress. The color reminds me of robin eggs and the flounced skirt doesn't even have me cringing! (I'm not sure if I should be worried about that or not!) It comes in several different colors but this one is definitely my favorite. I can see it paired with nude or pastel colored heels and a leather jacket (you pick the color) and a cute crossbody bag and maybe some tassel earrings. Or you could add patterned tights, over the knee boots and a chunky sweater for more casual vibes. It's perfect for work paired with a structured blazer or cropped jacket and delicate layered jewelry. So you know, you have options.

Off to the races!

The plus side to this dress is that you have a built in checkered flag for any races you might have to oversee, such as a 3 legged race at your annual Easter family dinner! I'm not sure I'm actually nuts about this dress but the silhouette is different which again, is why I think I gravitated towards it at least a little bit. I think it could be spruced up with some pops of color and funky jewelry to go with the slightly 'off' lines of the dress. It's office friendly, baby shower friendly, date night friendly, basically this dress just really wants to be friends with you and your closet and go on all your life experiences with you. And isn't that what we all want from our closets? :)

Well, all my cheesiness aside I think now would be a good time for me to cut myself off and move on with the rest of my evening. I'm still working on getting into the groove of blogging and figuring out what I want my blog to contain, etc. so please, if you have anything you'd like me to ramble on about or share, please comment below and let me know! Ideas are always welcome (the good ones that is)! ;)

Ciao!