Questions about new sheath dress (added photo of shoes)

After a few months' hiatus where I've had to be good and not make any clothing purchases, I'm back to being able to shop again. Yippee!

This is a dress I've just bought from ebay. I have to explain here, I've always been a trousers girl and hardly ever wear skirts or dresses. Part of the reason I think is my cultural background; I was always wary of showing my legs. However, with great trepidation, I'm trying to break out of that. I thought a basic black sheath dress would be a good start.

I'm wearing it here with a couple of other recent purchases: my first silk shirt, and a belt I picked up for a song from a charity shop. I think it looks ok on the top half, although please do tell me if there's anything I'm not seeing. However I do have some questions about the lower half. It hits me just below the kneecap: is the length alright? My initial instinct was to wear black tights, but I decided to wear barely black instead; would a different colour have been better? And I'm not sure about the shoes. They're pre-YLF and were described as shoe-boots. Obviously I've only ever worn them with trousers up till now, but I'm wondering if this outfit needs a shoe with a lower vamp?

Thanks in advance for any comments.
PS It's been a miserable grey day here most of the day and I've been running errands in the rain, so I decided to snap a photo with my roses umbrella too

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15 years ago

Sheila

Veteran

What a great smile you have! That was the first thing I noticed about you. Then
i want to say that I think you chose well for your first black sheath, as it fits you nicely. I like to wear my dresses shorter, and I think you could do so also, but I know that skirt lengths seem to be trendiing downward, so perhaps you should leave it as is.

The blouse seems fine, from what I can see, but I think you could also wear a blouse in a shade or two lighter...anyway with this dress there are so many possibilities for accessories...have fun with it!

Lynne

Gorgeous - the belt and blouse really make this outfit! I tend to agree with you re the shoes - a higher or lower front would work better, to my eye. I remember when you posted this silk blouse a while back - it really is lovely :).

amyreh

(website)

I love this shirt under the sheath! I think I would like to see this with a lower shoe vamp as you mentioned to judge the length better.

rute

Lovely! The belts is a nice touch! I must say that I love your poses and smile!

Angie

Fashion Stylist

This is the BEST outfit you've posted. Well done! You should wear dresses and skirts more often. You look perfect.

afterism

Active Member

If you're comfortable and the weather is suitable I would try it without the tights.

I agree with Sheila about the length, just an inch or so higher would make your legs longer.

Otherwise it's fantastic.

lyn*

I am personally an above-the-kneecap girl; so I do have a bias and think that your dress would get more wear with a tiny pick up...

Was this the same purple silk shirt you posted earlier? It looks wonderful layered!

Debora

You had me with the word sheath! My all-time favorite style dress and it looks fantastic on you!

Lisa

Love the sheath, the belt and the blouse, great outfit here!

Kari

Just beautiful! I love your blouse, and your umbrella made me break into a big smile.
Would you mind sharing the brand of the sheath dress? I'm realizing my current black sheath is just too short for my comfort, particularly with the hemlines trending a bit lower, but I miss it for layering. (I don't mind moving on to a better sheath dress - I only paid $20 for mine.)

nancylee

You look really great in this dress! Love the blouse underneath. I agree that it would look even better if it were an inch or two shorter. The shoes are a cool statement....very hip...but if you wanted a more classic look maybe you could switch them up with a pair featuring a lower vamp to show a little more foot.

BTW, don't feel self-conscious about revealing your legs. They're fabulous!

taylor

Very pretty! Love the shoes with it also!

Aunty

I am another trouser girl, so I understand the wobbles about trying out a skirt or dress.
I think this looks great on you, I can't see the shoes very well. With that smile you will make anything work

firefly

Wow, thanks for such lovely comments, ladies!

I do see what people are saying about the length of the dress. My leg-hiding instincts are telling me to keep it as it is, but I do see that a smidge shorter would probably look better. I think I'll wait for a little while before deciding whether to hem.

Aunty, I've added a close-up of the shoes to my OP, and this is a link to the website http://www.marksandspencer.com.....1301588239

I'm wavering on buying a lower vamp pair that might work better with a dress. More decisions!

Kari, this is a link to the dress on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayI.....516wt_1141

It's from a clothing line called F&F, which is actually a line for the British supermarket chain Tesco. I've never bought anything from there before, but I looked up internet reviews before I bid and they seemed to get a good write-up for quality and value; certainly this dress was very affordable and looks well-made.

Here's a link to the website http://www.clothingattesco.com/
They don't seem to have this particular dress anymore, but there were a few others which look similar

http://www.clothingattesco.com.....ns-dresses

Unfortunately they don't seem to deliver to the US, but if you find something you really like, feel free to have it delivered to my address and I'll send it on to you

rae

You look great! I have a bias toward low-vamp shoes, but the belt high on the waist lengthens your legs, too. I don't think the shoes shorten your legs, but the lower vamp might be even better, especially as we move into spring/summer.

Scarlet

I think this looks wonderful! The shoes are unusual due to the high vamp but actually I like them.

Ornella

I think you look adorable, that purple shirt is really stunning.
I also think the dress would be a bit better if it was just a bit shorter, but I'd say take it one step at a time since you say dresses are new to you. You'll easily shorten it once you feel more comfortable in a dress.
Great pop of color with that belt. Very happy outfit all-round

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