Dress Up

Contributed by Emma Callin

I love wearing dresses.  Perhaps it's a throwback to my school uniform days, which always involved some kind of variation on a dress, pinafore or skirt, or maybe it's just because I'm lazy and a dress is a complete outfit in itself!  ^_~*  Whatever the reason, I have loads of dresses in my closet and wear them on high rotation when summer arrives.

Cinder + Smoke dress, Anthropologie blazer, Browns shoes, Fossil charm necklace. 

Besides the ease of getting dressed in the morning, a dress (or skirt) is great for when the weather gets hot - it's the air circulation, y'know?  And to deal with the unfortunate enthusiasm of most offices and public buildings for over-active AC units during the summer, I usually have a blazer, shrug or scarf handy.  These little additions are also a good way to make a casual summer dress more work-appropriate, especially with dresses that are strapless, halter neck or otherwise show too much skin for an office environment.


Dresses can also cater to a variety of styles and tastes; wearing a dress is not the sole preserve of feminine girly-girls.  Other than length and neckline, the cut, print, colour and fabric of a dress really change how a dress presents itself.  By this I mean the image you wish to present through your outfit, whether cute, preppy, cool, sultry, whimsical, business-like, etc.  After all, there's no law that says your style must fit only one image and cannot change day-to-day.

Eve Gravel dress, Wolford tights, J. Crew shoes, Toodlebunny necklace.

Accessories can also alter the look of a dress - I have a number of dresses that can be worn casually or for an event depending on the shoes and accessories I choose to pair them with.  A mini dress with a pair of tights, leggings or skinny jeans, or a statement necklace instead of a simple one.  Simple additions or changes give a lot of versatility to the ease of a dress.  


Being able to use the different accessories with other outfits than dresses is good too!  I'm a big fan of mixing and matching accessories and clothing, and not just to minimize how much new clothing I buy every season.  I find it fun to play with different looks and experiment with new ways to wear an old favourite - it's like unlocking an achievement or finding a hidden Easter egg (can you tell I like video games?).

Broken Doll Clothing dress, FeetFirst shoes, Fossil charm necklace.

Of course, wearing a dress (or any outfit) depends on comfort and convenience and not just personal style.  Having dresses made of soft fabrics that I can machine wash at home encourages me to wear them for more than just special occasions and events.

So what're you waiting for?  Dress up!  ^_^

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Comments

  1. Beautiful! Do you have any recommendations for paring leggings/ tights with dresses for the office?

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  2. Thank you!
    Usually for office wear I would recommend an opaque tight, though depending on the weight of the fabric of the dress that option can be too heavy but a semi-sheer works very well too. Of course, if you have a solid coloured dress I find that patterned sheers are great (as long as the pattern isn't too out there).
    Depending on how casual/formal your office is you can experiment more or less. When the weather gets cooler as fall arrives, leggings in solid colours or dark heathered neutral colours are a warmer option.

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