WiW and also -- ATTN: Angie, Do the Booties Work with a dress? - YouLookFab Forum

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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

WiW and also -- ATTN: Angie, Do the Booties Work with a dress?

shiny

Veteran

WiW today (pics 1, 2, 3)... for running around, event at French Cultural Center, and dinner out:

- light gray Theory shift
- new/consignment find KS cream baguette bag
- Aerosole round toe red patent ankle strap heels (comfy!)
- fake silver heart/key necklace, permanently "borrowed" from DD
- F21 pleather moto jacket

Commentary: Was hot and humid with rain today, clearing up this evening with a hint of crisp fall weather after sun went down, so additional layer -- the moto jacket -- was needed - YEAH!

I purchased this Theory shift in the Spring. It was on major sale; the sales lady told me that very few people could get this dress to work. I think it's supposed to be far shorter (it's not a petite) but on me I like the length. I am always dubious about sheaths.. I prefer a V-neck usually to elongate my neck, even though I'd prefer to cover up cleavage/aging chest skin. And I don't like "uniboob" look sheaths can often give me. But there was something about the cut and the neckline that I like. What do you think?

I have worn it a lot, though it is fully lined so not as much this super hot summer we have had. Works good in AC'd office. I've worn it similar to this here, but with chunky pearls instead of silver necklace, for the rounds of political fundraisers. In the Spring I've worn it with various toppers, including microcheck raincoat, cream rain coat, standard black cropped cardi, and of course, denim (white or blue) jean jacket.

QUESTION: how can I get this to work in the Fall? Can I? I often think of light gray as a spring/summer look. But tonight I was thinking maybe layer my navy blue collared long sleeve blouse under it for fall? What do you think? How about a long black BF sweater? Or a charcoal BF blazer? Or is it just too "Springy"? Other suggestions?

Pics 4-5:

New booties, cobalt suede edition with same outfit. I tossed them on at day's end just to see if they will work with a dress. Opinions?

Pics 6-8:

New booties, leopard print edition, with black midi shift I was going to shorten, but everyone suggested I not alter and wear with booties. Does this work? I am still wrapping my eyes around midi lengths. Again. Reminds me of over a decade ago, when I wore midis often. Still tempted to shorten but -- you tell me! (shown with gold necklace "borrowed" from other DD, and new/consignment score Moschino red purse.)

I will keep these booties no matter what; I think they will work great with a lot of my pants. But I would love to know what you think about them with dresses. Did I mention they are supremely comfortable?

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26 replies

Latest reply was from Vicki

Kari

Veteran

The black midi shift with the silver chain is SO beautiful and I love it with the boots! Aside from the footwear, the dress & chain reminds me of an outfit that I love to see on a very chic director at my company. I don't think you should shorten the dress much, if at all - the silhouette is still very elongating on you, to my eyes at least, and I love the boat-neck shape on you.

sarah

Veteran

Gosh, I LOVE EVERYTHING! I think it ALL works...

...especially those eyes ; )

srlsy

Joy

Veteran

The grey dress might look lovely with this fall's popular deep red or burnt orange. I like the black booties with the grey dress and black jacket. The booties in the last photos do a great job of bookending your hair. Ordinarily I love dresses the length of the black sheath, but am thinking maybe a length somewhere between the length of your grey dress and where the black dress is now might be easier to style with the booties....maybe hitting the lower part of the knee cap. It may also be that the angle of the photo is throwing it off.

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

You rock those dresses! I LOVE leopard booties with the dress, very modern and fun.
Cobalt booties are beautiful but I am not a fan of dark booties worn with bare legs, too heavy and high contrast IMO. However with tights or hose they will be stunners with dresses!

shiny

Veteran

Kari, you are so my fashion hero, I appreciate your opinion very much so!

The chain with the black dress is gold, not silver. It is very ala Angie, I think to myself, every time I wear it. DD#1 got it at F21, I borrowed it a few times, she said keep it, and I did. I am leaning towards keeping the midi, midi length, while the trend lasts - can always shorten later. Question is do I need to taper it in a bit? But I don't know if these pics are best to make a ruling on that.

When I wore midi lengths before (over a decade) I'd wear with chunky heels, and HIGH. I do have higher heels that I think my eye may prefer with this, but I love the thought of getting this to work with lower ones (for the comfort). These booties are only maybe 1-1/2 inch, 2 inches tops. (did not measure, just guessing here)

Suz

(website)

Veteran

#1 I LOVE LOVE LOVE both those dresses and want one of each, please. Okay, one is Theory and out of my price range. The other one you showed us recently but I can't remember - is it AT? Not that I can get AT in Canada anyway. But hey...

#2. I am completely converted to your booties. My poison eye for narrow heels vanishes when I see how this style suits you. It works.

#3. I like the booties with the grey dress and black jacket. Super. Love Joy's ideas for "autumnizing" the dress, too. Is it possible to layer a top underneath it, or too uncomfortable? That would be another option, with a scarf. And maybe a belt and knee high boots. Depending on the weight of the fabric, of course.

#4. I love the length of the black dress, still, even with the booties. But I do understand your concerns. But here is the thing. Will you not be wearing dark hose with those booties most of the fall/winter when you wear it? Try THAT and see how you feel. It will change the leg line.

shiny

Veteran

Thanks Sarah! I can never get rid of the white eyes with my phone camera flash, unless I look down. Hence you will see me posing with head down in a lot of photos!

Joy, love the idea of orange. Even though I don't have a lot of orange. Maybe worth an experiment. The boots -- it is hard to see in the photo lighting -- are not black, they are blue. I called them cobalt because they aren't navy. But they are definitely blue, not black. As for the black sheath, I also prefer a shorter length, but I'm okay with keeping it long for now if that is the trend and I'm pulling it off?. Ultimately? Which is more flattering. I vote knee length. But okay I can sacrifice a bit of flattery for trend, it can always be shortened later and this dress will last for ages, no?

Sveta... interesting point about the darker color cutting things off! Now that I think about it, I was thinking these would work with lighter dresses/skirts, not dark ones. Hmmm....

shiny

Veteran

Suz, I forget what I paid for the Theory dress, but it was substantially marked down. And the sales lady explained that very few people could get it to work. I am hit or miss, mostly miss, on Theory, because I'm not tall and slim enough. But every now and then.... so what the sales lady said made sense to me.

As for the other dress, I don't want to wake up the hubby to check the label right now (remind me tomorrow!), but I got it at Nordie's over two years ago, meant to have it hemmed, was too lazy... it still has tags on it!!! I was on a mission to find a 3-season wool classic black sheath, after enjoying/experimenting with an inexpensive ponte knit ATL sheath, which then got wet in a rainstorm in Hong Kong, and bled all over my white bag. Not to mention it faded and all that. This sheath is a regular, not a petite. But it fit everywhere ... except length. And now because of my alteration laziness I have an on trend midi?

Regarding layering under the gray dress, yes, it's form fitting but I do think my navy silk top will work under it with no lumps and bulges. Not sure about a white collared shirt, but I do plan to try that. I even contemplated denim shirt, but the one I have has those metal jeans buttons, and surely those will create unsightly lumps.

Scarf is a given. Belt... I could try.. knee high boots: black? The length is short so my flat black boots may work. With denim jacket... oooh... nice dress down option!

"Will you not be wearing dark hose with those booties most of the fall/winter when you wear it? Try THAT and see how you feel. It will change the leg line."

With booties, especially these, I like bare leg. I would maybe do nude microchecks? If it's cold enough for tights, I'd likely just wear tall boots, because then I can wear thick socks. ???

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ah. Okay. I wear dark hose (either sheer or opaque) with my dark footwear and skirts/ dresses in the cooler months. For me, it has helped my eye adjust to what (to me) is the "stumpifying" effect of booties and my short legs. If I keep the tones all similar and have a slight heel, I feel okay in it. Whereas with no hose, or light hose, I try to wear a taupe or tan bootie to bookend my hair and tie in to my legs a bit more. This is just me because in addition to having short legs they are muscular. So I'm always worrying about that leg line. I agree on you, these can work with nude microfishnets. They are delicate and play up your delicate ankles nicely. But I also think if you try them with dark microfishnets you'll get a longer line.

Or with tall boots, of course!

shiny

Veteran

Suz, I'm so with you on that!!! I had contemplated black suede booties (DSW had a cute & comfy Me-Too lace up style). And all last year, I was hunting a black suede pair. For very same reason: wear with black tights and it elongates the legs.

But then something shifted recently and I decided to view booties-with-dresses more like I would pumps-with-dresses. And reality with our climate here is that I go bare legged or nude microfishnets with pumps, and then switch to tall boots and matching dark tights (brown, burgundy, black) as soon as temps permit, which is usually late October. (It snowed last year before Halloween). So once I shifted my perspective, then I decided I wanted anything other than black for my booties!! And maybe that's why my eye is okay with this shape, because it's more like I would go for in a pump? Hmmm...

I don't know what any of this says about my style these days. I don't need to be super edgy. But I don't want to look dated either.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

My thumbs are up for it all, Jennifer!!! Your booties look divine!

I think it's worth having your black midi dress tapered at the side seams, but keep the length.That will look even more chic and pulled together.

shiny

Veteran

*relieved*

Okay the dress goes back into the alteration pile... for tapering. Thanks Angie!

jayne

Veteran

these are all such great outfits and I love how you rework the dresses into different styles. Are these your new booties or the old version? The pointy tip is so interesting after seeing rounded for so long.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I think they all look wonderful on you. My favorite is #4 - I've been reading your style posts & this one, imo expresses the style you are working towards.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

You look beautiful in both dresses! The booties are really cool. I agree on that layering the gray one with deep reds/burgundy/rust would be interesting and make it easier to wear it into fall.

Deborah

Veteran

You look stunning on both these outfits and you can certainly wear booties with these. In fact I'm requesting permission to copy #2 tomorrow.

Jjsloane

Veteran

I love all of them. Dying over the leopard booties especially. Not sure how it would work with the neckline, but possibly a tissue turtleneck under the Theory sheath? A jacket over top ?

Scarlet

Veteran

I think both series are outstanding!

Kim

Veteran

Shiny, I don't think you said where the boots are from. I'd love to know, they both look like something that might work for me.

Kim

Veteran

Shiny, I don't think you said where the boots are from. I'd love to know, they both look like something that might work for me. And you outfits are *amazing*! If I worked in an office you'd have a twin, I'd just copy your style! LOL

shiny

Veteran

Kim -- I got the boots from DSW. The brand is called Impo. I believe it's this model, the Novice, except now it looks like the online site is sold out of the leopard print:
http://www.dsw.com/shoe/impo+n.....7s%20Shoes

I also tried these on -- they weren't bad, just a bit too high for what I wanted:
http://www.dsw.com/shoe/impo+t.....7s%20Shoes

And I debated these -- right shaft height for me, but calf is two inches too wide:
http://www.dsw.com/shoe/impo+n.....7s%20Shoes

I tried on every single bootie DSW had in stock. I nearly bought these instead of the blue suede:
http://www.dsw.com/shoe/me+too.....7s%20Shoes

... but they weren't *quite* as comfortable. My feet were just so happy in the Impos, that made my choice for me.

I do not work in an office. I work from home. I go into the office, at most, twice a month, and do have occasional business travel. So yeah... I dress like this *anyway.* No reason you can't either. I always just pretend that I was in an office all day long. LOL. Nobody knows I wasn't. Everyone else out and about is dressed like this, since they do work in an office. Why do I have to dress down?

Actually sometimes I'll get asked that... "you work from home, why are you so dressed up? If I worked from home, I wouldn't dress up." And I just tell them, "If you worked from home all day, you'd feel like dressing up when you went out too."

shiny

Veteran

Deborah, did you copy? You don't need my permission ever, but I'd love to see your WiW photo!!

Anonymous

You look so great! I love all of these! Definitely these can work for fall - try all options and find what sings to you...man, wish I could go shopping with you!

Kim

Veteran

Impo, great! We have them in Canada, (although I have a U.S. shopping trip coming up too) and the brand is comfy for me as well.

I love that you dress for work at home, you look fab!

I run a home childcare, so my "work clothing" is a lot more casual and must be machine washable so I wouldn't be wearing my sheath dress and heels, but boy when the weekend comes I change my look! LOL

shiny

Veteran

Kim, I don't dress like this while working from home. I dress in lounge wear or gear (I have this thing: when I wake up I put on exercise clothes. Then I tell myself I am not allowed to shower and get dressed until I go for a walk.) If I must be on video for a con-call, I have been known to only dress nice from waist up, since nobody is going to see my bottoms!

But if I leave the house, no matter how short or mundane the errand, including a quick run to the grocery store, I pull out all the stops. Because it makes me happy!

Weekends I struggle with the most. Because most people are eager to get out of their business wear and dress casually. So I would look odd running around on a Sunday in an outfit like this (unless it was to the mall -- I don't mind dressing nice when clothes shopping). Even though that is what I'd prefer to wear, 7 days a week... that said, yeah, I might just wear these outfits out to brunch ... I would toss on a denim jacket to dress it down, or even an army jacket, and carry a more casual, slouchy purse. The Impos aren't all that high, if they were, they'd come across as more dressy.

Vicki

(website)

Veteran

You have a great eye for shoes as well as fashion and I particularly love the Theory dress with the blue thin-heeled booties and jacket. It's just a very on trend, put-together look and I love it. I agree with the others on the midi-length, too; it works and why not play around with the darker nylons and see how that looks. Both dresses are lovely and that's a pretty necklace, too.