Orphan dress, many ways (for better or worse) - YouLookFab Forum

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Orphan dress, many ways (for better or worse)

kellygirl

Veteran

Warning: Embarrassingly Picture Heavy.
This is an early YLF purchase--it seemed like a great idea at the time. It fits well and I like the style but have had a difficult time styling it. I tried a couple of years ago and gave up--shoved it to the back of the closet and thought it might look better later.

Fast forward a couple of years--Sveta and her layered dress posts made me pull it back out and look at it again with fresh eyes. I prefer it with my high heel boots but until I can relearn walking in heels, it's flats all the way.

Are there any that scream "bad idea?" Can you suggest any other ways of styling--I feel like they all look very similar. I'm open. I'd like to actually wear it this fall.

#1: Heeled boots, ON cropped cardi; Merona belt
#2: Variation, Me Too flats
#3 : Wide belt from Target
#4: Cropped Levi jacket, Frye Carsons
#5 BF cardi
#6: Black button down, Wanted riding boots
#7 Variation w/ Hinge vest
#8: Knit tee
#9: Halogen BF cardi

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Dressing

20 replies

Latest reply was from kellygirl

Queen Mum

Veteran

gosh Kelly- every single one of these is a winner.

Lisa

Veteran

Why are you not wearing this VERY versatile dress? I can't pick a favorite, love them all.

tina

I love the texture of that dress! The color is good for you too. The only look I don't love is where you have the shirt layered underneath. The neckline of the dress contrasting with the dark shirt kind of widens the look of your shoulders. I love the long cardi with the crossed belt the best, followed by looks #3 and #10.

Crystal

What a great dress and I agree... you should defintiely be wearing it. I think all the ways you've styled it look great. I especially love the ones with the gorgeous flowered belt.

Marigold

Wow, one dress- so many versatile looks :). I like # 4 best, because of the accent of the colorful scarf. The color is great (on you) and can be styled muted or bright - all the versions are lovely!

Jonesy

Veteran

I really love this dress on you. What is the fabric like up close? It looks like a tweedy brown-black. There is something Prada-esque about the fabric and cut of it, and the "lady-like" silhouette is very on-trend.

I would tend to layer it either with something underneath (like 6 and 8) or something fitted and cropped (like 1 and 4--don't care for the vest, even though it's fitted and cropped, just because it seems, to my eye, to be sort of jarring with the deep tones of the dress and the elegance of it, but others may love this look!) so you don't obscure the lines of the dress, or how it fits you at the waist so nicely. Love the wrap belt and the flower belt with it!

Don't you have a fitted black stretchy jacket that you picked up and showed off here recently? Or am I imagining that :)? If you do, that might look good too.

You should absolutely wear this dress this year!!!

Auburn

Veteran

Wow is right--what a versatile piece! The pics (11 and 12) with the colored scarf really jump out at me. I agree that I don't like the black button down as much just because it makes for a dark, heavy top. What about a crisp white button down or plain white crewneck (plus one of your fab scarves)?

Also, how would you feel about getting this hemmed? I think the dark color plus the heavy tweed plus the A-line skirt plus the length are weighing this look down. You clearly have great legs and I think it would be a more flattering and wearable look overall if it was taken up to just above the knee cap. Just my two cents...

MsMary

Veteran

LOVE!!! Love, love, love! Especially 6, 8, 12. Did I mention I love it?

Elly

Veteran

Number 4 is my favorite. It is texturally interesting while being flattering.The bulk of the denim seems to balance out the fuller skirt, while still showing a waist. My least favorite are the looks with the 3/4 sleeves--- they really seem to make you look like a linebacker, and as a fellow lady with broad shoulders that isn't what you want.

Polly (thunalata)

Veteran

Fab dress and lots of great ways to wear it!

One thought - as you have broad shoulders (such an fabulous physique!), the boat neck emphasises that, so I think the most successful versions minimise this effect. Love #12 best for this reason.

kellygirl

Veteran

Thanks so much, Kim, Lisa, Crystal Isabella and MaryK! Thanks for suffering through the pics!

This has been an eye opener for me. I've put a lot of thought into this dress over the last week. I finally just grabbed what I thought would work and started taking pics. Surprisingly, I like the dress over the button down the best--I thought it balanced out the skirt the most so I'm surprised it's one of the least faves (shows what I know!) Tina, Auburn, Elly, Polly--thanks for pointing that out. I totally missed that. LOL, Elly--linebacker is precisely the silhouette I've been trying to avoid!

Jonesy, the fabric is a brown, black and rust tweed. I love the color.(It's also machine washable and lined!) I tried the black jacket but it was too long. I found that anything too far below the waist made me look like a brick--another silhouette I am avoiding like the plague. I threw on the vest because it was the right length--I'm not sure I'd be confident to wear it because it is so contrast-y although it does tone down the lady-like vibe.

Auburn, my button down wardrobe consists of this black one. I fear that a white button down would be too school girl for me. I may try it with a lighter color tee--as soon as I get one. Thanks for that suggestion. You also touched on the initial problem I was having with the dress--length. I tried pinning it up but the proportion looked off. The length seems to make it more age appropriate for me--so I may keep as is.

Stephanie

Veteran

I agree with everyone else that the most important thing is to WEAR THE GREAT DRESS. The only one I'm not nuts about is #7. To me the light denim vest is sort of an outlier unless you have another brighter piece (like the scarf). But really, the rest of them I basically like. I understand what people are saying about the black button down but I thought it was very figure flattering (in fact perhaps the most flattering). Love the doubled belt. Love the heavier, tougher belt. Love the cardigans. I challenge you to wear this dress two different ways this month! I don't think you'll regret it.

Jonesy

Veteran

Kelly, the look with the black button down was one of my favorites, so I don't think the thumbs down was unanimous :). To repeat, it really looks fab on you and you should absolutely wear it this fall!

tarzy

Veteran

I agree with what most others have said! I don't love the light denim vest with the dress (too light) and I don't love #4 (too dark.) But I do love the suggestion to try a white blouse layered underneath! What a fabulous find from your closet!

chellebrate

Wow! I'm impressed. I need you here in my closet to help me breath fresh air into my wardrobe!

kellygirl

Veteran

Thank you, Stephanie and Jonesy. The button down still looks most proportional to me too. It is great to hear other views though--I'm so used to my shoulders that I hardly notice them unless I'm trying to squeeze through a doorway--LOL! DD's are pretty frank when something looks off and they didn't say anything about my width when I wore it--I take that as a good sign.

Tarzy and Chellebrate, thanks for slogging through the pics too. I really appreciate it.

Does anyone else think the length is off or can I get away with it as is? Hoping Angie will chime in on that.

Jonesy

Veteran

It's right at the knee, so I don't see the length as being too long. To my eye, the proportions look very nice. Too short, with that A-line skirt, and it could look awkward. If it were several inches below the knee, that would be a different story, though longer, below-the-knee skirts are trending big time (based on the designer RTW collections). Just my two cents, of course! How does it feel on you?

Queen Mum

Veteran

I think the length is fine. Are you thinking it's too long?

bella

(website)

Veteran

I am so glad you decided to bring out this dress from its hiding. It is fabulous! My favorite look is #5. The colors really work well together and the sleeves balance out your silhouette really nicely. #6 is a closed second. I am a little less keen on the looks with the jean jacket, because the two styles seem a bit at odds. Well done!

kellygirl

Veteran

Jonesy and Kim, initially I thought the length was the reason why it wasn't working for me. After the second attempt at styling, I decided it was my footwear choice (too tall a boot) that made it look off. Auburn touched on the length in her comment so I was having second thought--again. So easily swayed, am I!

Thank you, Bella! I'm glad you like the button down too!