WIW (purple/grey dress) + new sheath

1) WIW last Wednesday.
Purple dress, grey silk/cotton cardigan, grey tights, light purple short boots.
I thought this looked good in the mirror but in the photos, I feel I look frumpy. Should I toss the dress if/when I find a replacement? I really like the boots/tights combo and would like to use it somehow. Candid opinions on frumpiness are fair game.

2) New black sheath dress shown unaccessorized. I know how to dress it up but would appreciate suggestions on how to dress it down to casual. Someone posted great thread on dressing up/down a sheath which I've diligently read but many of the techniques aren't feasible for me (blazers are at least smart casual and I can't wear a leather or leather-looking jacket). I would wear it with a denim jacket but finding the right one is likely to be a multiple year hunt.

3) Sheath with blouse (smart casual). The blouse is part of my recently purchased "work" capsule that will be the focus of another thread. This is still a little dressy for my everyday lifestyle but I could see myself wearing this to a baby/wedding shower. Bright shoes could be fun with this. I've tried throwing bright cardigans on top but they don't work with the cream/beige background. Any suggestions on accessorization?

Thanks!

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14 years ago

Aziraphale

Veteran

Hey! Those purple boots are Fluevogs! Way to go girl!

OK, sorry, had a shoe moment there. Fabulous black sheath, you look great in it. Thumbs up to wearing it with a denim jacket. It looks cute with the animal print top, too. Throw on a chunky bracelet or necklace, maybe, for added style?

With picture 1, perhaps you would feel less frumpy if you wore a more structured jacket or blazer rather than a cardigan? Just an idea. I have a hard time with cardigans myself.

morethanbeige

Wow, great sheath dress! Beautiful fit. Yes, I think a cropped denim jacket would look really great for a dressed-down look.

How about a brighter colored layer over your dress in #1?

Melissa

Active Member

It took me a good minute of oogling those fab purple boots to even be able to see anything else. You look great!

I agree with Elisabeth re: structure in #1.

Love the black sheath--what a stellar basic! I've had good luck with Ann Taylor loft for denim jackets, and I think it is worth spending some time to find the right one for you. I can really see that animal print top worn with a denim jacket. Good hunting!

Lisa

#1-I like the colors here but agree with others, a more structured topper such as a blazer or jacket would take this outfit up a notch.
#2-Great fit. I like the denim jacket idea. What about layering a long BF cardigan and belting it? Or a shirt underneath so only a little peeks out?
#3-This blouse works well here. How about some red or orange in a cardigan for an additional layer? I also wouldn't mind lower toned color contrast here with a black cardigan.

SW Ann

Ok, I can't believe I'm going to say this but I really think you can do alot better than the dress on #1--the boots are fab, and the cardi is cute--I think that a different dress would be better. You look great in the next two, the fit and style are great, and I think the floral #1 is just a bit dated. Sorry

rae

(website)

re: dressing down the sheath, you could also try a moto style jacket in a non-leather fabrication. Some really cute ones have been popping up in jersey or ponte fabrics... I think I even saw woven/tweedy ones somewhere.

Queen Mum

2 and 3 are both fabulous!
Those boots are so yummy! I love them. But, I wouldn't wear them with a dress in the same color. I think that might be part of the problem. They need to pop rather than just blend in. Try them with your black sheath and a denim jacket. Try that purple dress with bare legs, nude heeled sandals and a white blazer or jacket. I'm even wondering if a citron (like in Angie's blog post today) would be a great color against that lavendar dress.

I was admiring these at Macy's today in red... something like these would be great with outfit #3
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/.....%26spc%3D8

ooh, and I think I like these even more...
http://www.zappos.com/product/7756587/color/278142

Antje

Outfits 2 and 3 are wonderful. I think your intuition is right that outfit 1 isn't optimal. A couple suggestions:
- Is the length right, or should this dress be a tad shorter?
- A more structured jacket might be great, or maybe a cropped jacket (e.g. cropped denim)
- Or how about belting the cardigan over the dress? Would be another way to add structure.
Love the boots

kellygirl

I agree with Antje. I really love the sheath and the skirt outfit is nice too. You could add a belt to the top if you wanted to change it up. Love the idea of a cropped jacket with the first dress. It's lovely with the boots!

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