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7 days, one wrap dress: Recap of dress challenge week+weekend outfits

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

I wear my black wrap dress as I write this, and strangely enough I still feel good about it. I would never have thought that before I started. As you might know, I intend to wear it today and tomorrow as well. Then it will be a relief to put on some pants on Monday!

I know you have read a lot about this dress already, so I'll keep it short(er) today:)

#1: Day 1-3
#2: Day 4-5 (two outfits Friday, day & night. The one in the middle is for going out)
#3: Day 6-7: The weekend. Three outfits.

About #3: They are in the wrong order, sorry! Green blazer outfit: Running errands. Very cold today, so I had my blue puffer over this. I also needed warmer boots. The version with jeggings and grey scarf is for lounging, and I do wear house shoes, but they are too ugly to be exposed on YLF - heh he. Outfit with grey ruffle blouse: We are going to my MIL tomorrow for dinner, and this is what I'm wearing.

If you want a recap of all the outfits with more details, please have a look at my evernote: https://www.evernote.com/shard.....66f0f6111f

Thank you, all fabbers, for being so supportive and encouraging during this little project. What I take away from it is that when you limit access to what you can choose between in your wardrobe, it is a lot easier to be creative with what you actually have. I am a bit surprised that the dress looks this different in the various outfits. Food for thought, I'd say.

Again, thank you Sona and Shannon for creating and moderating the challenge.
Your comments and thoughts are very interesting to me, as always.

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28 replies

Latest reply was from jenanded

moira

Veteran

What an impressive display of creativity this was.
I am amazed at how different each day looks.
I wonder if coworkers even noticed it was the same dress?
This is a great lesson for those people who want to travel for weeks with only a carry on.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

You score an 11 out of 10 for this challenge Ms. Euro Modern Classic Queen with a touch of Arty Flair.

Well done

Suz

(website)

Veteran

An amazing week, Ingunn. You truly showed how useful a basic wrap dress can be.

I think part of the reason this works is (obviously) your already very well-curated wardrobe, and the other is the dress itself. I think being a softer fabrication probably makes it feel more wearable in different situations. Too structured and you would be itching to get out of it.

Vix

Veteran

Hi Ingunn --

Great results from the exercise! I love the way most of these looks showcase the current of "romantic classic" I see in many of your outfits.

I think it's interesting how that element plays out in diverse ways -- the ruffled V-neck blouse; the pearls + softly colored and curved hem cardigan; the patterned (lace?) purple tights; the buttoned crewneck cardigan + broach; the 40s high-necked pleated blouse; and the retro classic glamour of leopard.

[You know I'm missing the gorgeous-on-you silk blouse you have decided to sell, however...I think it would have been another perfect underlayer here!]

Then of course you add in modern/trendy elements to keep things fresh. I love that you've shown low-contrast and high-contrast looks here, too. Nice food for thought.

amiable

Veteran

Such an inspiration!

Makrame

Veteran

This is such an amazing set of outfits! They look so distinct that I am not sure a casual observer would even notice any similarities. Love the sophisticated look with the ruffled blouse, but all of these are fab.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Ingunn - I found watching your outfits this week fascinating and I hadn't thought of the dress challenge as being the "single" dress challenge. As you recall, I was hesitant that a wrap dress could be as versatile as a sheath dress but you have more than proved me wrong. Your creative use of this dress has spurred me into thinking of more ways to wear my black sheath dress. I have the tendency to get stuck in wearing certain items just a couple of ways and not trying more combinations. You have really got my creative juices flowing now - thank you for the inspiration!

Elizabeth P

Veteran

This was really interesting, and inspiring (and expensive, because now I want this dress). You did a fantastic job!

Day Vies

Veteran

You are a true chameleon and wonderfully talented. I love how you have changed up the vibe of this dress in each one of these outfits. Amazing!

I have marked this as one of my favorites for further study.

Adelfa

Veteran

Yes, like Day Vies I feel I'll keep learning from this exercise if I keep looking. Love how you came up with looks for the weekend that were so different from what had gone before.

jenanded

Veteran

Thank you Ingunn. I recentle rediscovered wrap dresses but this triple confirms that decision and inspires to use it for more than a dress with pearls. Truly valuable

Lyn D.

Veteran

Wow!
I had no excuse for thinking that I hadn't enough dresses to fully commit to this challenge!
You have given me some great ideas for styling a wrap-dress too.

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

You are so creative and you scored a 110 percent!

Nicole D

Veteran

Style brilliance! Black wrap dress on my list of things to buy!

Niefern

What an excellent variety of outfits!

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Moira, nobody have said anything, and not my family either. I guess we in YLF are more tuned in on such matters than most people are.

Angie, you are always so kind. Thank you!

Suz, I agree. This dress is the kind that can be almost anything but a very dressy one, due to the fabric. I actually love to wear it around the house as an alternative to a tracksuit.

Vix, I'm so grateful for your anlysis! You pinpoint what I actually would like to move on from. I've always had this romantic element in my style, I guess, but I want a simpler, more classic look now. I think the blouse you mention is a ghost from my past;) i look at it and think it is beautiful, but on me it looks wrong.

Thanks a lot, Amiable and Makrame:) I'm so pleased you enjoyed it.

Shannon, of course the single dress idea was only mine, and I hope I didn't make too much of this. But for me, who wear dresses and skirts a lot, the real challenge was to push myself out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot! If I have inspired you, nothing could please me more.

Haha, Elisabeth! Tell BR to send me a provision of the sale:)

Day Vies, I'm humbled! I learn from you every time you post.

Adelfa, I really needed something different by the weekend:) thanks!

Jenanded, those dresses seem to be versatile indeed! Hope to see yours soon.

Lyn, thanks! I had too many dresses to make the challenge exciting for me, and decided to pare down my options. Try it, it can be fun:)

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

TraceyLis and Niefern, thank you!

Nicole, tell BR to send me a provision;)

Karie

(website)

Veteran

Thanks, Ingunn, for the inspiration! I have a black wrap dress that I hardly ever wear. You have given me many ideas of how to style it!

JuneBug

Veteran

I'm simply floored by this experiment! I try often to work my dresses into different outfits, but I had no idea this many looks were possible! I must get a black wrap dress too, but I think with the ideas you have so ingeniously incorporated, I could easily work it into the dresses I already own! I'm saving all of your images for reference!

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I would LOVE to see a thread where everyone posted old and new photos of how they wore/wear the BR (or similar) wrap dress. Do you think it would be appropriate to start one? It could even be a future challenge. But I'm not sure how these things get set up.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Thanks, June and Karie! I find that when you start playing systematically with an item, there are surprisingly many ways that work, and some that don't too, of course. Then you learn:)

Elisabeth, a thread with variations over wrap dresses would be great fun! To engage as many as possible, I wouldn't limit it to the black one, and I would LOVE to see it styled various ways in a number of colors and patterns. We could get tons of inspiration from each other. Of course it is appropriate for you to start one, please do! The main thing to do when setting it up is to state clearly what it is about in the subject line, otherwise you are free to phrase it whichever way you want. If you don't want to set it up yourself, I wouldn't mind doing it at all.

Irene

Veteran

Wow, that IS a versatile dress. Incredible, it looks like a different one in every outfit!

Elizabeth P

Veteran

Ingunn, why don't you do it, that would be great. I don't have any photos to add, and it would prpbably be best to lead by sample. Encourage people to dig out old pics as well. This could be so useful!! Thanks!

Anonymous

Hey, you tried it with a belt! I'm so glad I saw that; fun!

I'm amazed that here again, necessity is the mother of invention. When we have fewer choices, creativity takes off. I really love the version with the ruffled blouse following the line of the closure. I'm actually *not* surprised that no one noticed you were wearing the same dress all week. First of all, I don't think people notice details as much as we think they do, and second, you really did make the dress look different each day!

I wish I could wear wrap dresses, but they just don't flatter my body. I was so inspired by yours though, that I tried on a similar one in a store yesterday (again)! Just to be sure, but alas it was a no-go. I will enjoy seeing you and the other fabbers sport them instead.

lyn67

Veteran

This is a 20 from 10!!!!:-).
Absolutely amazed about your creativity, loved your evernotes, too. Asking permission to land this in my favourites and inspirational folder-hope you don't mind.
I have an old black wrap dress, but never loved it as I thought it's a bit toi flimsy and body con on me, and considered a bit a blah to wear it for day.
In fact, now you've isnpired me to look for a new and better quality W(rap)D which could be a workhorse for me, too.
Could you pls advise on fabric content or brand (EU gal here, too:-))
And, thanx for sharing!

Mona

Veteran

Very creative and simply beautiful as always. Thanks for introducing me to evernotes. I dont use it as much but i love the idea.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Thank you, fabbers!
Elisabeth, I'll start a thread shortly so we can explore the wrap dress further. It'll be interesting:)

Lyn, I found the excact same drass that I have on the Banana Republic EU-site http://bananarepublic.gap.eu/b.....SP04-13649 It's in 95% rayon, 5% spandex, it drapes and holds its shape very well. I wash it in the machine on 30C, no shrinking. I normally let it drye on a hanger, and it hasn't stretched out either (but that would depend on how much excess water there is left in it). Hope that helps:)

jenanded

Veteran

Ingunn, I have just woken back up to dresses and wraps Do work for me... Its still pretty warm here so wearing jersey at all is a bit... (months of cotton tshirts yukk...)... Anyhow the challenge is on to see what one can do with MINIMAL layers/accessories... I would be super interested to see what one could do...