WIW: A Favorite Combo - YouLookFab Forum

Hi Lovely Ladies,

The pace of the past few weeks has made it difficult to snap my WIW's, but I managed it today...yay:)

I love dresses over pants but haven't been wearing this look as much as YLF has encouraged me to try new silhouettes and even rekindle my love for forgotten things like pencil skirts.

So to church today I wore a sleeveless dress, belted over skinnies and topped with a waterfall jacket and a scarf.

The bag is new and was a lovely gift from my friend who owns the handbag and accessories boutique. I love it and have been using it almost every day:)

I know this is a lot of black for Spring but it's going to take time and money to bring in the color and I promise I am working on it:)

In fact I am seriously contemplating slowly swapping out black for blue as my wardrobe base color.

Thanks for looking and suggestions for improvement always welcome.

xxx Deborah

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13 years ago

bj1111

Veteran

love everything about this. the black could be so severe, but love the styling with the bag and scarf.

Suz

(website)

Gorgeous, Deborah, as always.

I have a question, though. I have never really tried the dress over trousers look, and here is why. The few times I've put it on to test it out, I just felt incredibly bulky and uncomfortable. Is there a trick to this to prevent it?

The other thing i wonder is how you manage it so well at your height. I have seen taller women carry it off brilliantly, but I have not seen a smaller woman do so. I expect keeping the tones all the same or similar is a big help.

Deborah

BJ thank you!

Suz, I think like most looks, the correct proportions can make or break an outfit. With this look I always wear trousers that are smooth and fitted around the tummy and bottom (no pleats, bulges, etc.) in fact wearing high rise pants that are firm and fitted around my tummy help to contain and firm up my bulge! I always wear this look with pants with a slim cut along the thigh. I wear straight legs, bootcuts and skinny leg with dresses but never wide legs. A heel is important for me as I am a shorty and I like to elongate the leg line when wearing this combo. I rarely wear this look with flats. If I do I usually go for a tunic rather than a dress with a shorter hem. Thanks for asking and I hope this makes sense xx

Lantana

Hi Deborah, you wear this look so well. The bit of tootsie skin peeping out speaks to Spring, otherwise yes, it could be a bit much black for spring. Lucky you to have a friend with a boutique. Kindof like the female equivalent of a "mate with a boat"!

Caro in Oz

Gorgeous Deborah! I think the scarf, bag & open toe bring in the spring vibe very well. Imo the visual weight of the blacks isn't heavy either.

Thanks Lantana and Caro:). I hoped the open toe "Shooties" would Spring-a-fy the look a bit:). Unfortunately it's cooled down over the afternoon and I am going out tonight so I'll be getting my boots out again:(

Lantana I'd rather have a mate with a boutique than a mate with a boat lol:)

Ingunn

This is so pretty and stylish! I think the styling makes it more than light enough for spring. I wore a lot of black today, too, but now it's Autumn here. I still added a brown leopard printed scarf and light brown fingerless mittens to brighten things up a bit. Black is so versatile, it goes with every season, I think.

Lyn D.

Deb, I like the small show of skin, the springy scarf and light bag too!
I also wore a dress over jeggings today, and showed a bit of skin above my flat shoes. Will post soon.
Still looking forward to hearing about Fashion Week

Kiwibird

Active Member

Absolutely gorgeous Deborah! The colour of the scarf and the handbag definitely brings your outfit into spring. I'm a shorty too and find your style very inspirational.

Ornella

You make me want to try and wear something similar this minute. I've been drawn to dress over pants look ever since joining YLF (and especially this Angie's outfit), but haven't dipped my toes in the water yet - part of it is practical, though, you mention you always wear pants that are smooth around the tummy, which I don't have. But, some day, some day...

Anonymous

You look so sophisticated! The lighter bag, scarf, and sandal booties bring this beautifully into spring.

Angie

Fashion Stylist

I LOVE #2 and #3!! The coral scarf softens the black just perfectly. You look gorgeous and modern

I agree that the touch of tootsie and coral scarf help to soften all the black. And you're lucky to have a mate with at bout(ique)! That is a really nice handbag.

As for your proportions. I have always gotten the feeling that you were at least 5'8" and you just had a really big house with high ceilings and monstrous furniture, lol! That's how perfectly you play the proportion game. Nothing ever looks over-sized or too long on you so I think that's part of it. Well done!

Thanks, Deborah. I think the only trousers I own that could potentially work with this are my Gap Really Skinny trousers. I may try it with those and see how it feels. Hmmm. Thinking cap goes on.....

Transcona Shannon

I love this look on you Deborah - it's both soft and fashion forward. The coral is gorgeous on you and what a fantastic handbag!

Jonesy

So chic! I love the coral scarf with this, and the dress-over-pants look is one of your signature looks! I appreciate so much that you are petite, and yet you frequently go for bold silhouettes and dramatic pairings (not that I think petite women can't do it--not at all!--just that it seems like oftentimes petite women *think* they can't do it!).

I am intrigued by your comment about moving toward dark blue and away from black as your foundation. I think that would be fab.

Thank you all so much. I loved this outfit and I am really thrilled you think it's ok too:)

Claire you make me smile. You know I am only 5"1 We have been blessed with a spacious home with very high ceilings and I promise you our furniture is regular sized he he... for some reason I am starting to think of Alice in Wonderland

And thanks Jonesy, I can only imagine swapping out my basics to blue would take years, afterall my collection of black garments has been lifetimes work lol but perhaps even a balance of blue and black could serve to 'soften' my outfits.

And Angie, thank you! I like to think I am learning and understanding more about how to soften my black. Popping on a colored scarf it a bit of a no brainer but it wasn't an afterthought rather an intentional addition, that stayed on all day.

Have a lovely day everyone, you certainly made mine xxx

soobee

Another chic and sophisticated outfit from Deborah What always tops off your chic style is your perfectly styled hair, it always looks gorgeous. I envy your friend, I hope one day I can trade in the supermarkets for a bags and accessories boutique!

pil

Deborah, fashion adjectives are not my strong suit but wow! Such an unexpected -but successful -combination. If I tried a style like that it would only look like I got dressed with the lights off : )

Ioana

Better without pants

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