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WIW: "Adorable"?

catgirl

Veteran

I really wanted to try to figure out how to wear black tights, so I tried them today with this cheapo shift dress from F21 and the Topshop booties. (It was warm today, mid-40s). At least three people told me I looked "adorable". Wha....? I wasn't offended, but it's not what I aim for.

1. Does this work with the tights?

2. Is it twee in some way? I know it's a little more girly than usual for me, but the dress is not particularly "cute" to me.

Feedback welcome!

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43 replies

Latest reply was from ElleH

Eliza

Veteran

No, not what I think of as adorable fashion at all. I think you look great, age appropriate and more refined casual with a glimmer of edge than adorable. It sounds to me like a well intended compliment that reflects the vocabulary/style of the person saying it.

Echo

Veteran

Nothing about this outfit strikes me as "adorable". It isn't too girly or young or twee. It doesn't seem a huge departure from your normal style. I quite like it, in fact. I am stumped as to why anyone would choose that wording for this outfit.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I like the look! It's polished and chic. Maybe the "adorable" comments came from the fact that the dress is short and unfitted, like girl's dresses usually are. I don't think it's overly cute, though. I like the tights with it, and the patent booties are unexpected, adding a little bit of 70s mod to the look.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I should add that I sometimes tell people they look "adorable" on here. I don't mean it that literally--like I'm not trying to compare someone's look to a puppy or anything. Maybe I should avoid it more assiduously. But sometimes I find myself at a loss for words and adorable seems to fit.

Marley

Veteran

Hahahaha Una - just the thought of someone describing one of your outfits as being adorable makes me chuckle! (Sorry - really - I'm not laughing at you. At least I don't think that I am!)

But - here's the deal with this outfit. The dress is kind of short (adorable-ish) - and you're wearing tights (also kind of adorable-ish!) - and, you're what would probably be considered fairly short (which can sometimes be wrongly interpreted as adorable-ish.) Add them all together - and tah-dah! You look adorable! (Ok - I admit that I really enjoyed typing that last sentence!!!)

Maybe if you wore the dress as a tunic with skinnies or ponte knit pants it wouldn't come across as so adorable???? I don't know. I'm just kind of rambling - and I know that I better shut up before I get myself in trouble here!

P.S. You look really cute. (Is that any better than adorable????)

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I like it, it looks kind of 60s to me. The booties may be adding to the adorable factor. With pumps, maybe a different vibe. But overall, I'd take this as a compliment, like you really look good today, as in, a cute look.

catgirl

Veteran

Thanks! As I said, I don't mind adorable as a descriptor but I don't think of myself that way. I actually bought this to wear as Marley suggested, with skinnies, but the tights issue made me want to experiment with opaque tights... I love this kind of sheath dress but maybe the length is a little young?

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Maybe you were on Sesame Street & adorable was the word of the day
Not twee at all imo.

kkards

Veteran

I find sometimes if I wear something outside of my " normal/regular" look, people are at a lose for what to say, and hence things like adorable, cute etc. I think what they mean to say, but are afraid to say it, is, I'm not used to seeing you like this, but I like it.
And btw, I like this, and it's not at all adorable, but is maybe "softer" than what you usually wear.

Deborah

Veteran

What Eliza said! The first word that comes to mind for me is "stylish". Sometimes people just have words they use all the time or the struggle to find a more appropriate word,

A

I find this style more mod/60s and stylish than overly young or twee. I think it's likely coincidence and slight misuse/miscommunication of the use of the word "adorable" here--I wouldn't read too much into it!

Neel

Veteran

*chuckling* Why does no one call me adorable? *Sigh* I don't think the outfit is adorable ... But you do look adorable

Sharon

Veteran

My eldest son, who is 6'2, often tells me I am "adorable". I am clearly not, so I think of this term is an affectionate (if slightly patronising!) way of expressing approval. I think Marley is right - the combination of petite and feminine is easily interpreted as vulnerable and I think "adorable" is an expression of the protective feelings that elicits.

Alexandra

(website)

Veteran

It's a very gamine outfit. I can see why you got the adorable comments. Adorable is an important element of gamine styles.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

I tend to get the same kind of comments, but then of course that would be more understandable for my style than yours. Not that I aim for adorable, either. I think your look is stylish, modern and feminine.

Vildy

Veteran

You're short, you've got the schoolgirl of yore dark stockings and the dress is hiding any curves. So it reads young. Perhaps they're saying you can get away with this look even being grown up and with edgy hair? IOW, it looks intentional.

lyn67

Veteran

It's a great dress, looks grown up enough for me, and it surely doesn't look adorable in a pejorative mean. But, how's the dress behaving when moving? Perhaps all that fluid fit is swinging/flipping around your slim frame too loose...some may interpret that as kind of adorable-in a more boyish, gamine way:-)...but pls. don't care too much. As said many time before, look where's comming from!

viva

Veteran

I love this look! And, I think "adorable" is a necessary hazard of shift-dress wearing especially if you are smallish. It happens to me too. And I am 51 for goodness's sake!!! Put on a shift and some tights, and suddenly you're adorable! There is just something girlish about the shape that looks cute; we can't escape it. For those us of whose bodies are destined to wear shifts, we'll probably be adorable even when we are using walkers.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Although I do not like adorable or cute as compliments for adults, apparently adorable stands for stylish for some.

gryffin

Veteran

Una - this is exactly my look, so see if this makes sense to you. The look, to my eye, is not so much adorable as ladylike. Short shift dresses are the ultimate chameleon to me, it all depends on how you style them. When you pair the shift with pointy toe booties and tights this equals ladylike. Add a swing coat and you are perfect for a religious event, day wedding, lunch with flotus. Now take that same shift dress and swap our for a less refined bootis - I'd pair my EF Coax Booties or a refined moto boot. Add a long black blazer and you have booty kicking professional or you could add either of your theory lanais fabric or leather - formidable ladylike professional. Add a cropped moto with the booties and your are in fashion editor territory - strong, on trend, edgy. It's the refined bootie with the refined shape of the shift, not the tights so much, that gives the ladylike, refined polish. PS this would look great with your leather skinnies! That's my day look, I think more than yours. If you play in your closet and just swap out footwear and play with toppers you'll find the exact look that makes you feel great!!

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susan

Gosh! I tell people they look adorable all the time, and I mean it in the best possible way. Sorry if I've been offending people and had no idea I was doing it!

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

Marley said exactly what I was planning to say. The elements of the dress could read as adorable but put together and with you style and hair, they are not. People often say the first word that pops into their heads. You are petite as well so probably have a tendency to look "cute". Now that I think about it, could that be the underlying reason that you veer towards a tougher look with a bit of a hard edge?

Janet

(website)

Veteran

OK, here's my take on it. You know how Angie sometimes mentions how huggable someone looks in an outfit? You kind of have that going on here. The dress looks like a soft knit. And it's a shorter (but not too short!) dress, which looks perfectly age- and life-appropriate yet carefree. I honestly think it's nothing more than a sincere compliment. I think I use "adorable" sometimes too and I really don't mean anything deprecating about it. I dunno, maybe because at the moment I just feel big and ungainly and decidedly uncute, I wouldn't mind so much being called "adorable."

Oh, and the dress and the booties and the tights totally work together! You look great!

Karie

(website)

Veteran

I like the look, and I agree with the others that it's the length of the tunic and the tights. I've gotten that same compliment - and "cute" too - and I'm 5'8" and in my early 50's!

Astrid

Veteran

You look great! Adorable isn't the first thing that comes to my mind, but I agree with the others who said it's probably just a simple compliment. I'm often called cute and I don't really aim for that either, but I don't mind. I think it's my face.

Anonymous

I like this a lot! It absolutely works with the tights and I'd wear the same thing in a second if my hips were friendlier to short shift dresses.

And I get "adorable" a lot too. Would it be my first-choice compliment ever in an ideal world? Maybe not, but I'm fine with it. I'm more likely to take a compliment like "adorable" at face value and genuinely appreciate it, actually, than something like "gorgeous" or "stunning," which I assume is probably just polite exaggeration if it's made about me.

Agreed with others that it's often just the first word that comes to mind when a short woman looks good, especially if there's something kind of playful/approachable about the outfit.

Laurie

Veteran

Everyone has said super things about the adjectives, so I just want to chime in and say that this look works wonderfully for you, and you should repeat and build on it!

Anonymous

Maybe you got the "adorable" comments because the dress looks soft and cuddly. Were people also wanting to touch you? I really like the whole outfit on you. The colors keep it from being girlish. Next time you can make sure they notice your stompy boots with a swift kick.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

My thumbs are up too. You wear black opaque tights and this style of shift with booties well.

Perhaps extra fashionable in a frock = Adorable in your neck of the woods?

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