Analysing the dress disaster! - YouLookFab Forum

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Analysing the dress disaster!

Neel

Veteran

As a follow up from my previous post, today I worked on the disaster called "Dresses" that I had accumulated over the past 3 years without realizing the numbers (It's 32 not 34 - counting error!) were getting seriously insane. I don't wear dresses that often. Then why have I collected so many? The answer - Shopping for my fantasy life. Yes, the same one were I am a carefree girl skipping around town in style. Whoever wears backless dresses without toppers for casual wear (I am not 20 anymore!)?!

Since, I have realized that now, I have tried on all my dresses today and I have purged 8 straight away for ill fit. That tummy pooch of mine is not going to disappear (in fact I have put on a couple of pounds from the time I bought the dresses). "Dress for the body now", Angie scolded in my head!

All the dresses shown below are a keep for me. BUT please feel free if you think otherwise for any of the dresses because it's ruthless culling season No sentimental values of any kind attached to any dress. I am not wearing shapewear. Casual dresses are shown with flats because that's how I intend to wear them.

Dresses 1-5 (Casual)

1 - Low slung skinny belt. Works?
2 - Doesn't picture well. But fits well. I forgot to add a belt

Dresses 6-10 (Semi formal)

Dresses 11-16 (Dressy occassions)

I have 8 more which I haven't shown here (I just got tired!). YLF has seen and approved 4 of those. The rest 4 I am yet to wear. I would put that up for approval another day.

So I am down to 24 dresses for now. It could go down based on your feedback here. Please feel free to comment on whether a dress works on me or not. Thank you for reading this mountain of a post! x

P.S Sorry for the messy hair and goofy faces. I just didn't have the energy to make my face behave today. I took one shot each and that's all.

ETA: More embarassing numbers hit my head while I put my dresses back in the hangers - 10 out of the 24 are new (with tags/non returnable). The rest have been used maximum thrice each (some only once). Now I will go bury my head in sand.

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36 replies

Latest reply was from DonnaF

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

You look beautiful in all of them but I do like some more than others. 1,3 and 10 are among my favorites. Some of the others look a bit big on top but could probably be made perfect with a little alteration. This is nit-picking though - the real question is how many dresses do you want to keep!

Neel

Veteran

That's a tough question Shevia! I plan to keep the ones that fit me well and look good on me. If any of these look off, they can get the direct chop or at least go into a virtual holding zone. But if all look good I would be super tempted to keep all 16 shown here! I will definitely not buy any more dresses unless its an upgrade.

lyn67

Veteran

Neel, I just read your other thread with evaluating your wardrobe, too! Great job-I'm working silently on that thema, too:-)

Wow, these are some great dresses-I too, may have far more of them than necessary:( so I will congrats you for your decision on solving this problem.

I like all your dresses shown here, but if you want to go even less, then I'd say nr 1,3, 5, 7,8,9 are perhaps the ones which you can still consider letting them go a bit easier..but these are only my eyes, let's see what others say:-)

T

Those are some pretty dresses! I like almost all of them, but if you had to let go I'd say the following:
#1: I don't know if you are planning to wear the black inner with the pink dress as shown. I would let go if you are, coz I think it takes away from the neckline.
#4&7: Coz of the shoes. If you wore them with the black heels you have on in the later pics, these dresses are a keeper. Because they hit below the knee I think they don't go with flats.
#12, 13 & 15 seem big for you in the pics

Anonymous

My favourites on you are.. 3,4,8, 13 as I think they could work well with your day to day more casual lifestyle and could be dressed up or down.. Some of the others look perhaps a little too girly or too officey looking. Though it is just my gut reaction and I think you should try a few different shoes and bags and toppers with them to see if they feel current enough for you. Could some of them double up for evening as well as day? If so that would mean a hard working wardrobe item and would allow you to cull more.

Neel

Veteran

Thank you Lyn67, T and Diane for weighing in. I will have to do a collective number count on which one of these definitely needs to go.

The little extra fabric around the bust you see in a few dresses is because I never got around to altering them. I figure a small alteration will fix the issue (I have done it before for other dresses). This is always an issue with any dress I buy. I am smaller up top.

T - 1# I intend to wear the black Cami because this dress is a deep v necked lace back dress. If it doesn't work then I am afraid it will have to go

I have worn # 4 like this before and it worked. I probably need a jacket over this if I don't wear heels?

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Neel

Veteran

Diane - I did wonder if I looked lie a little kid in many of these fit and flare dresses o_O. But I can toughen them up with sneaks/boots for footwear. And with leather jacket/vest in winter. I wonder why I bought officey dresses!

Anonymous

Yes, exactly Neel. I think the right footwear could really change the vibe of some of the dresses. I think you need to play a little more before any final decisions.

rute

Veteran

don't you wear dresses to work?
6 to 12 are perfect to the office!
You look amazing in dresses. Keep them all and wear those dresses!

deb

Veteran

My fave is #3. I do not think #13 is still in style. You look so good in dresses and should wear them often.

Anonymous

I really, really like them a lot on you. You say that in your fantasy life you are a dress girl? Maybe you are in real life too. I would suggest keeping them and making yourself wear one dress per week until one day you are reaching for them all the time.

Anonymous

First, I think you need to wear your dresses more because you look great in them and dresses rule! Maybe start out with a few of the day dresses since they're easiest to throw on and you don't need an "excuse" to wear them.

Second, I really like a lot of these on you. After a quick look, #1 and #8 stood out as possibly candidates for purging. I especially like 3, 4, 5, 10, 13, and 16. 4 in particular looks like something that can dress up and down really easily. And I really want to see 13 with metallic shoes.

amiable

Veteran

Ooh - terrific exercise! I think I should do this really soon with dresses (and probably skirts) too. I wonder if I'll get some time for pis in good light....
I trust others' opinions more than mine on these things, but my favorite dresses are 13 and 16. 3 is also super fun.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Neel, I only looked through very quickly for the moment (I'll come back later), but my honest first impression is that you do not look as comfortable and confident in a lot of these dresses as you do in some of the amazing outfits you've posted with pants, shorts, etc. I only had to see the first photo before that thought entered my mind.

They're fine but how do you FEEL putting each one of these on? You've put together some really, really cool outfits with your separates, and I'm not sure these dresses are up to the same level. I hope that doesn't sound harsh, but since you said you have no sentiment about these dresses, I'm pushing you a little bit.

With all that said, I probably need to take another hyper-critical look at my own dress mess. 19 sleeveless summer dresses and 12 sleeved f/w dresses. Plus a couple of special occasion dresses in the extra closet. Just so you know you have company.

fuzzylogic

Veteran

Sooooo jealous of your fab dresses! Why don't you wear dresses often?

I super-love #3, 8,9,10,15. Not so keen on 1,2. Everything else looks to fit well and is in between!

T

#4 looks amazing in the second image you shared with jacket. You look really good! I change my mind on that to keep!
For #1, I guess you could wait to see what others have to say as well. I would wear a fun, printed bra (with polka dots) in pink or some other fun lacy print to offset the deep neck. Like Angie says "it is just a bra!" but then you need to feel comfortable in what you wear, so go with your gut feel.

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Good for you for going through the dresses Neel and doing a purge of those that aren't working.

Now to the ones you have posted - technically you look great in all of them. You wear dresses so well. Like Janet, I'm curious how you feel in them and what your happiness factor is. I'm not crazy about the style or fit of 2, 12, 14 and 16. My favorites are 3, 10 and 11 - great fit and fabulous styles on you.

Neel

Veteran

I take a nana nap (I can see a sore throat coming) .... And I have 14 posts to read :D. You girls rock!

First to answer Janet and Shannon (and an aha moment) I definitely don't feel my super best in *some* of these dresses. Looking at 1 and 2. Now the overall comfort level in dresses is much lower than pants for me. I feel *sexy and prim* in dresses. So when the ocassion calls for it I do love to wear it (for parties or say dressy occasions) But on regular days my lifestyle is pretty on the sporty and comfy side. Which is probably why pants are part of my FFBOs and not dresses. That said, I do feel comfortable in dresses.

Now let me down a coffee into my system and get back to each post! So much to ponder!

Thirkellgirl

Veteran

I think 10, 14, and 15 are the best! No matter what else goes, #1 should go...it doesn't show off your cute shape!

jackiec

Veteran

LOL I am also so guilty of shopping for my fantasy life!!!

I have to run but will say that I LOVE #3 - the longer sleeved dress on you. Wowza!

And that black and white rendition that you posted a photo of with the denim jacket is fantastic. I think you can style up any of these dresses in your own way, when you have the time and energy. I do prefer some over the others but will stop at saying #3 is outstanding in my book.

Good work! Very inspirational Neel

carambola

Veteran

Neel, you wear dresses so well. My favorites are 3, 4, 7, 10, and 11. I think 4 and 7 look modern and fresh with flats and seem easy to dress up or down with jackets and shoes.

Since you said this is ruthless culling season, I don't think the black cami under 1 and 2 quite works, and since you also said that you don't feel your best in those, I vote purge them.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I don't have much input on which are best to keep beyond agreeing that 1 and 2 seem off. I did want to congratulate you on taking the time and breaking down the dress category and tackling it head on!!
I so hear you on only being able to wear each dress once a year at the rate of wear vs the number you have in the closet. I am also a member of 3 wears or less on some of mine. But I'm happy to say I only have one not worn, and it's more for the funeral capsule, so if I never wear it, that is good news!

Diana

Veteran

My faves are 3,8, and 13. Not wild about 14 - that baby doll style seems a little young and dated. I think is prefer #1 without the belt.

And a general question. Are you a sheath dress kind of girl? Do you wear them in everyday life? Because I am NOT, at all. I only wear them for dressy occasions. I find them too fussy/self conscious/constricting for daily wear. Anyway, if you are like me I think you should think about how many sheath dresses you really need since I see several here...

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

3,4,8 and 10-16 all seem pretty great to me. The others I'm not as sure about, but I'm not sure I can articulate exactly why. I guess I'm not crazy about the mint *and* lace combination in 2. Number 1 just seems a bit off in the fit. 9 is a bit fitted in the tummy but it is a pretty style and it's not like your tummy is anything to worry about, it's just that I'm personally self-conscious about that.

You wear dresses really well so I can see why you've been attracted to acquiring them!

E

Veteran

Love the shape of 8, 9, 10, and 14. You look SO good with that fitted higher waistband (which is among my least flattering shapes ever, so I will admire it on you): really stunning. And any type of skirt, from fitted to full, looks great on you when coming from that type of waist. Just stunning! You look like a movie star in all of those dresses. (And don’t need any shape wear.)

I like 3 & 4 the most from your casual options. I don’t think 1 & 2 are as flattering to you as a lot of the other dresses: something about the colour/fabric/shape combination doesn’t make me go ‘Wow.’ (Though you do look good in that shade of pink.)

The rest look good on you, as you wear dresses well. I just saw your reply re: why you don’t wear dresses…what about trying some of them over leggings/churidars? That might make them more sporty (obviously for casual wear). But if even that doesn’t work, perhaps only keep your favourite occasion dresses?

Gracie

Veteran

In order, I like best: 11, 10 and 3. I Love the cut and color of 11 – modern and flattering. 10 and 3 are so feminine and show your figure to advantage. My least favorites are 13 and 2. Good luck – let us know which ones survive the purge!

Aziraphale

Veteran

You look so cute in dresses! I can see why you keep buying them.

#1 -- Cute dress; belt too low.

I particularly like dresses # 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 14. You look HOT in #9 especially.

Least flattering, at least based on a single image, is #12.

Peri

Veteran

So I always look at pictures first...impatient I guess...and I was clicking through pictures looking for the disaster, and loving every single one on you. I was prepping a scolding answer in my head about how fantastic you look and to quit being so hard on yourself!!!

So, should have read first, the disaster is just having more dresses than you need. Okay, can't help you there! Seriously, I don't see a toss in the bunch. If you could return, I'd get picky, but if not it is just a lesson for the future. Seems like you have dress needs covered so direct your attention to other holes.

But yeah, no wonder you buy them. You look great!

Neel

Veteran

I am wowed by the responses ... Thank you so much everyone! I have read each response and I think the common agreement is that 1,2 (Both were bought 3 years back) need to go. And they are going

Since many love 3 on me, I have to mention that it was a gift from MIL

Rute - I don't work! I am a SAHM. I know what you are thinking. Lol!

Deb - DH dislikes 13 too! Thinks the hi low is very dramatic. But I kind of like it. I would probably put it in the holding zone.

Diana - The sheaths are the ones that I find a wee bit hard to style without feeling officey! I really need to bring that number down. Great eye!

Texstyle - Today a lot of my dresses made me look 10 weeks pregnant! I have no clue why. But I could wear shapewear with the dress so it looks better.

E - I haven't thought about leggings as option. I should. Thank you.

Thank you once again all for chiming in!

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