For several seasons, dresses that bare one shoulder have been a fringe trend. The look is still fringe, but it’s definitely gaining favour. I’ve seen many more in stores this year and they might be even more popular next year.

I like asymmetry and have a few asymmetrical pieces in my wardrobe. So over the years I’ve tried on several one-shouldered styles and popped clients in them too. I’m not wildly passionate about the look, but don’t mind it either. At the end of the day, I’m not a lover of Grecian inspired dresses and one-shouldered styles will always have a bit of that flavour for me, no matter how modern and edgy the cut of the garment.

But the silhouette can look strikingly different and attractive when matched with a killer statement cuff on the forearm of the bare shoulder. No necklace and no earrings but just the dress and the cuff. That type of strong outfit simplicity appeals to me, so that’s why I’ll continue to entertain the look. Who knows, perhaps I’ll even sport it myself one day.

So what do you think ladies? Do you like the look of one-shoulder dressing? If you don’t fancy the silhouette on yourself, is it something that you can appreciate on others? Do you think that strapless styles look better than one-shouldered styles?

People might tell you that you look “nice”, or “really pretty”, or “cute”, or “fabulous”, or “beautiful” or “sexy”, or “adorable”, or “stunning”, or “spunky”, or “classy” or “edgy”, or that you’re “well put together” – and it’s very flattering. Come on! We all enjoy receiving compliments about the way we look and the way we’re dressed. And there is no end to the positive adjectives that can be used to describe a person’s style.

Even though it’s wonderfully boosting to receive any form of positive feedback about your style, some adjectives might make your toes tickle and your heart smile a little more than others, just because that’s how you’d like the world to perceive your look. I gratefully soak up and hang onto any compliment that someone passes my way, but I’m particularly partial to adjectives like “trendy”, “elegant”, “ladylike”, “graceful”, “hip”, “sophisticated”, “fashion forward” or “chic”.

I had to get used to the way the word “cute” is used in America. I used it to describe young children and animals, or anything that is diminutive and smaller than regular size like a baby, puppy or tiny travel toiletries. But cute in America can mean “good looking” and “stylish” too and it’s often used to describe adults. Now that I know that, I’m not insulted when someone calls me cute, even though it’s still not an adjective that turns my cheeks pink.

Over to you. Do you have a set of style-describing adjectives that you prefer hearing over others? Or is it all the same to you.

I enjoy how fabulous forum member and Seattle local Sandy can make a casual  pair of chunky Danskos look chic and classy. So she was the first person I thought of when we had the opportunity to review one of the new styles in the Dansko footwear collection. She’s been wearing Dankos for years and we even shopped for a pair together last year. Dearest Sandy involved the whole family when she put her new Danskos through their stylish paces.

I got my first pair of Dansko clogs about 10 years ago and they still have good tread on the sole even though the tops show wear. Since my first pair I’ve collected several more, including a couple of pairs of sandals, a pair of tie up oxfords, cute flats, red patent leather backless clogs, and even a pair of winter boots.  So when Angie asked if I would like to do a product review for the Dansko shoe company, I was pretty happy about it. Dansko love, I admit I have it!

I chose blue Dansko Serenas to review. They have a flower motif, brass studs and some topstitching to add depth to the decoration.  I think they are good looking and happy pair of shoes.

My husband Arnie and I turned the product review into a real adventure as we set out to road test the new blue Serenas. Our dog Tori also wanted in on the deal as she decoratively positioned herself as a backdrop behind the shoes. We are very proud of her!  The Serenas are fun to match up with a similar colored summer top that I had been wanting to wear. The sun was out that morning and it was fun to look down at my feet and see pretty blue sandals that make me smile.

After posing around the yard we decided to go to the Saturday Market to see if they were selling tomato plants yet.  We even put Tori on a leash and took her to the market with us for a little family outing.  I wanted to change my outfit to see if matching the blue Serenas with more things in my closet would be easy.  It was easy and feel that the color and style will serve me well. Walking through the market I felt I was walking on bouncing shoes. The bottoms on these are just wonderful, and the tops did not bite me at all.  Soft, comfortable and arch supporting. I got a compliment from a lady at the market when she looked at my feet and exclaimed, “nice shoes”.  That made me feel pretty good.

The nice woman at the quilt tent told us about a quilt show at the local library where a few of her art quilts were hanging, so Arnie and I decided that would be our next destination.  The quilts were hanging from the ceiling so we could not get a picture of me standing in front of one, but we really enjoyed the show. Once again my Dansko backless clogs were bouncy and fun to wear, but by this time in the day I was beginning to notice a problem.  I ordered the backless clogs in the same size I wear my other Dansko shoes that have a back. These are loose and there is no way to adjust them. I advise to buy them snug so they stay on your feet. I lost a shoe a couple of times and it hurts when your foot hits the pavement out of the blue like that.

We went home and I changed into another outfit and switched to another pair of backless Dansko clogs that I bought last summer called “Selas”. These have a buckle on the top so I can tighten them down.  They are beautiful red patent leather and I got a big compliment on them too.  Even though they have a buckle on top to adjust them to your feet, I would still advise buying them snug because tightening the buckle too much distorts the style of the shoe.

During our drive home Arnie noticed a garage sale sign so that was our next destination.  The Selas have the same bottom on them as the Serenas so walking in them was with the same comfortable bounce that I had been experiencing for the first part of our outing.

Knowing what I know now, I would not buy a backless clog. Dansko offers sandal styles with back straps that are equally as beautiful and those are the styles I’ll buy instead. Your feet may stay in the backless shoes better than mine do but I prefer to play it safe and have the security of the back strap.

I would definitely advise everyone to have a look at the Dansko brand because they are well worth the money in comfort. And judging by the look of my 10 year old pair of clogs, they will never wear out.  The styles are great and get better looking every year.  I like having a brand that is in style, and that I know is going to last, and that are healthy for my feet. They are a great shoe brand and I love them as much as my feet do.

Thank you Dansko for providing the blue Serenas on the left. the Selas on the right I bought last Summer.

Giveaway

Dansko is kindly giving away a pair of clogs or sandals from their Summer collection with this review. To enter the competition, say why you like Dansko shoes in the comments section below. Feel free to leave more than one comment, but only the first one will be counted as an entry. The competition closes at midnight Thursday 13 May. We’ll use random generator to select the winner, who will get to select a pair of Danskos from the available stock. Good luck!

Update: Megan L. is our winner. Congratulations.

If you liked the Nine West “rose dot fan print dress”, you might like this style too. It’s got flattering front knot detailing and drapes in a similar way. Great for defining the waistline, whilst camouflaging those extra bits around the midriff.

When compared to the Nine West dress there are differences to note aside from the colour and being sleeveless: it’s longer, not as full on the bottom, more plunging in the neck, and in a less weighty fabrication. All in all, it’s a more Summery interpretation.

I wish that the dress had a more cut away sleeve just because I think that’s a more flattering line than the grown-on sleeve. But you might prefer the extra coverage and it’s still a pretty look. The neckline is ideal for gals with shorter necks and/or fuller bust lines, and the length works for taller gals too.

Again, it’s a “dry clean only” label, but you might be able to get away with the hand wash in cold water on your delicates cycle in the washing machine (and hang dry). This is how I wash most of my dry-clean-only frocks and no disasters so far.