Black & White Houndstooth Shift Dress

Hi Ladies,

Hope you are enjoying the start to the week.

I have to start by saying how much I love houndstooth and particularly older garments in this pattern. I am also aware that this pattern can be a bit much for petite me... but I found this dress in my fave vintage store. It appears to be hand/home made as it has no labels. It is wool and really beautifully made.

The shoulders straps are too long so I will need to have them taken up a bit by my dressmaker.

However what I am trying to decide is do I have the skirt tapered, or do I leave it as an A line??

I rarley wear Aline skirts as I am concerned that they look frumpy on me. But I think this looks kind of fun.? What do you think??

I have popped one of my striped tops underneath as this is most likely how I envisage wearing the dress. I like the idea of my red stiped top with it also. Alternatively I have a couple of polka dot blouses that could be good also. And I am seeing a crop jacket over it as well.

When I was younger I wore a more alternate and quirky style and I would like to revisit that in a way that looks good but is still appropriate for my age and I think that's why this dress appealed to .

Would really appreciate your feedback.

xxx Deborah

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11 years ago

harmonica

Veteran

Oh what a great dress! I don't think this looks frumpy at all, and I love the pattern mixing and also the other options you mention. I'll have to wait for others to chime in on A-line or not. To my eye it looks good, but I'm no expert

Deborah

Thanks Harmonica! Alines are a bit our of my comfort zone but I am thinking to change it might impair the integrity of the dress.

Sharon

OMG, Deborah! I love this on you so much. It is cool and modern and retro all at once- the way you have worn it with stripes and red shoes is just perfect. This is such a "young-at-heart" sort of look. It reminds me of the old TV series "That Girl"...just wonderful!

Thanks Sharon! It's good to "see" you:). I am going off to google "That Girl" now.

Sheila

No frump seen by me, I love the retro look. Dare I say it--now you need some white go-go boots! Just sayin'...

Traci

I think I would prefer it either tapered or shortened. Love it with the striped shirt and red shoes!

Tanya

Lovely dress and that is an awesome outfit you have put together. I would personally prefer the skirt tapered.

lyn67

yes, tapperred or shortened will do better, to my eyes, too, great dress, quite like it with the stripes, so fashion forward:-))

Anonymous

I am a fan of A lines but I generally love to wear them a bit shorter and with boots. So even if you decide to go narrower, maybe a little shorter too?

Transcona Shannon

Well you know I'm going to love this because it's slightly retro looking!

ManidipaM

Nothing frumpy about the A-line on you Deborah, looks very balanced here --- BUT, given your usual dramatic style, the taper might suit you better still I think.

LOVING the combination with stripes! So much fun.

DonnaF

What a fab find! I would taper and hem just a bit, maybe by a row or two of hounds teeth.

Suz

(website)

Your vintage houndstooth dress goes with my vintage houndstooth jacket!

I love it, of course. But I am of mixed views about the A line. It's not the shape so much as the fabrication that I wonder about...it looks a bit thick and stiff and somehow that would seem better to me in a more tapered shape.

But I would love to hear Angie's views on this.

Hi Deborah! You look great, and that dress is a terrific find. I agree with Suz that it looks like a thick fabric (you can really tell at the hems and around the edges). I think it might look better tapered and shortened to *just* below the knee. Somehow the belt is showing the bulkiness of the fabric as well. Any chance it could be tailored enough to wear as a sheath? How fab would this be with a black turtleneck underneath and opaque red tights & shoes?

cheryle (Dianthus)

I love houndstooth. If you ever come across a jacket with a bolder (bigger) houndstooth, that would look sharp over the dress with a bright button shirt.

Very nice.

MsMary

So fun! Love it with the stripes!!

I am Team Taper or Shorten. It kinda looks like a whole lotta houndstooth as is.

merwoman

Love houndstooth!! Love the mix you've put together! Claire's suggestion is intriguing - to try it as a sheath. What's it like without the belt?
Something in citrony yellow colour is another possibilty for a topper/scarf.

Meredith1953

I am with Suz and Claire,
I like the houndstooth pattern but the fabric is a little "thick" and that combined with the A-line shape adds a certain bulk. Tapering and shortening so that the bottom of the dress is more "sheath-like" would look better to me. I could also see this with a black or white turtleneck under it and your tall boots in the winter!

I know my suggestion sounds a bit wacky but I had a houndstooth skirt in about that scale and wore it with a cropped jacket with about a 1" houndstooth and got tons of compliments on it every time I wore it.

I also think the skirt could be tapered a bit.

Kirti

I don't know about tapering, but I love the print and it goes so well with the stripes

Thanks so much for your input. I recognize this may not be my "best" look but I love it so I am happy to have the alterations done. So tapering and shortening it is! xxx

Jenava

My first thought looking at the pics was that this would look MUCH better if it were tapered! And then I read your post, so I say yes, get the skirt tapered. I think it's a bit twee with this skirt shape. Other than that I love it! I'm a HUGE houndstooth fan as well, so I'm drooling over this. (-:

Debbie

I haven't looked at the replies bt I lve it. Houndstooth is one of my favorite patterns.

Jaime

Love the houndstooth and the pattern mix with the stripes. I do think it might look even better tapered as suggested above.

Joy

I'm also a houndstooth lover. You will have so much fun with this piece. I'd like to see it tapered but not shortened. It already hits at such an attractive place where your calf is narrow and you look fantastic in the shorter version of midi skirts.

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