Angie asked why I love dresses but don't wear them enough?

Which is a very good point.....

And the answer is that often I don't wear them to work. I work for our company based at an airport, with a mix of offices and a workshop. I walk outside at times on grass and gravel, and can be in the workshop where everyone is in high vis. It's not dirty but it is engineering.

Here is my current dress collection (outside two that are clearly more evening options and older)

Work dresses (3)

• lilac - worn to work once a week in summer.
• black sweater dress -about once a week in winter (but am a bit over it)
• soft floral long sleeve - I am off this dress but have kept it.

Sometimes work (3)

• the long black, the floral faux wrap and the zebra print have all been worn to work but I feel as though they are a bit too "special". They are all suitable though and I would wear them if heading from work out, or if I have special visitors or a lunch.

Never worn to work(4)

• red and white wrap - too much cleavage for work
• white linen - too bare and beachy for work
• 70s style - feels like more of a party dress
• turquoise floral - I have worn this to two weddings and it feels like a celebratory dress.

To make a dress feel suitable for work it needs to

• be wash and wear (happy to iron, but ideally no drycleaning)
• be able to be layered - we have varied temperatures in our building
• work with sneakers or flat shoes
• not be too delicate or require too much maintenance
• feel like a work dress. Linen to me feels like a vacation or weekend.

I have been a life long lover of dresses and over the last 15 years, have really enjoyed floral dresses. I still like them, but I think I should stick with my current collection and not add more florals for a while.

As I have been trying to buy more natural fibres they often aren't as easy for work as polyester or other fibres. This is something to ponder.

What makes a dress work appropriate for you?