Dressy dress time

Note to self.  You do not need another dressy dress.  However I am being constantly asked about dressy dresses for occasion wear for the new season. 

So I have a confession to make.  I hate buying these sorts of dresses.  As they go against the grain of everything I stand for when shopping.  A dress you buy for one occasion.  Two if you're lucky.  This does not scream value for cost per wear to me... 

However these are dresses that we all need in our wardrobe.  Well - at the very least we normally all have at least one occasion a year that calls for a dressy dress. 

But I like to make my dresses work harder.  Basically I'm tight and I loathe spending money on anything I won't get a lot of use out of.  And more than that, I just don't like to see something hanging in my wardrobe that never gets worn.  This means therefore that I tend not to go overly dressy and prefer that inbetween state of flux (clearly not a fashion term) which you can dress up or down.  I'm not saying you're going to want to wear these to Lidl but certainly for a day out, summer BBQ, lunch, dinner or even on a super warm day with sandals - dresses that you will get more wear out of than just to a wedding. 

At the moment (she says...) I am not in need of one of these but I am in the market this summer for a new pair of shoes.  Heeled sandals - come to mama. 

I know it sounds random but looking at dresses (and therefore shoes) is, I've found, one of the best ways to source footwear that goes with a frock.  Prime example being the VW shoes below teamed with the VW dress.  The fact they're 12.5 cm in heel height is neither here nor there (slight/massive fly in ointment but I still maintain the idea is sound...). 

So starting with a longsleeved number seeing as for the last couple of years (four in fact), even in June it has been cold.   It has not been really bare arms weather... gotta love the British Summer.  The other upside is that this would happily see you through to the Autumn.

Admittedly you couldn't really dress this down down but you could certainly wear it for a casual (assuming it's not McDonald's) dinner.

Sportmax Code Nilo Dress £170  Now interestingly I did say that I am actually doing shoe research - well this is not the sort of thing I'm looking for.  These don't quite work for me.  They don't work for me at all in any way, shape or form if I'm going to be honest.

Now I have one of these from a couple of years ago and yes, you need to breathe in when wearing it.  Or at the very least Spanx it.  And size up.  These come up tiny.  Expensive but very very versatile.  Fabulous with flipflops on holiday (assuming you breath in or don't have a stomach).

Reina Dress from DVF £332


Dressier again at DVF.  This I would happily wear all Winter with tights though.  It would also be a great work dress.  

Arabella Dress from DVF £332



Weekend MaxMara Polder Dress £160  With pockets, goes in the machine.  Minor issue in that if I bent over I would be flashing my lady garden to the crowd.  But apart from that, it ticks all the boxes in my day to night, casual to smart, criteria.  Decency a *slight* issue if you're tall.




Another short one from Self Portrait.  Again, this is for the more diminutive amongst us (I should say you).  Or those of us (again you..) with really really good legs (gym session yesterday was cancelled.  It's looking like below knee length for me this season.  Oh how I wish I could wear this..) 

Eleina Daisy Lace dress from Self Portrait £280  Just the right mix of ditzy and sexy in one little dress.  And I think it looks great with flats.  One Greek Holiday needed. (or Italian.  I'm not fussy.  This dress has "Lakes" written all over it... I'm just going to throw it out there that I sort of mean Garda or Como as opposed to Windermere...) 



We're going in the right direction now at Saloni with my favourite combination of plain, super versatile LBD and kick ass shoes. 

Apsara Ruched Jersey Dress was £255 now £114.75



Adore the detailing at the back. 




Short but not too short at Vivienne Westwood.  It's beige.  Oh how I LOVE this.  Seriously seriously seriously love.  For me, this is even better teamed with black than white is.

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Dress Rixon Dress in Beige £330  And yes, total shoe lust too.  These are the ones I was talking about earlier.  Shoe.  Porn.  With the most blasted vertiginous heel ever.  Bummer.

Indecency issues resolved with this gem from Weekend MaxMara.  This would look as good dressed down with sneakers and a khaki cut off jacket as it would with dressier shoe boots and a leather jacket for dinner in the evening.  Seventies style stack shoes make the perfect Summer BBQ outfit (which frankly I'll be honest - I can't get my head around that just yet..)

Amico Dress from Weekend MaxMara £208



Not as quite as long now and whilst I absolutely LOVE this on the model, I fear I may look like I'd escaped from a surgical ward in it.  But I adore it with these accessories and it would be super useful to take you from the school run in ankle boots and a long cardigan (ok I might changing my mind now...) or with sandals come sunnier climes.  In the evening with strappy sandals, a clutch and a host of thin multicoloured layered gold necklaces.  I tried these shoes on last year.  Think skeletor feet do bondage.  It was seriously rather disgusting.  Which is a shame as I LOVE them and they're everywhere this year. 

Ruffled edge linen dress from Mascob £237



Another longer version but we're back with sleeves.  This is perfect for this time of year and I think could easily double up as a work dress (I'm assuming you don't stand in a slinky, side on pose with your Angelina leg out, at work?).  Easily worn into the Autumn with tights and I would happily wear into the Summer in this country, seeing as the tropical days when strappy dresses are required, you can count on one hand (cue heatwave).

C/MEO COLLECTIVE Bedroom Wall Printed Long Sleeved Dress in Navy (officially the most random name for a dress ever) £150



Faux Wrap again at The Outnet.  I think this would benefit from being a couple of inches below the knee and on most people of normal height, this would work.  The ideal dress to take you from the office out in the evening.  Perfect LBD to have in your wardrobe - wear with stilettos for a more demure look or crack out the strappy glad heels for rock chick chic.

Ruched Stretch satin jersey dress from Michael Michael Kors was £165 now £69.30




Another long sleeved dress that would serve a multitude of purposes.  I like the idea of teaming with this a totally contrasting shoe for that mad old lady look (not a fash mag term).  Alternatively to sustain your dignity, stick with black (but make it strappy...) 

Karen Millen Mixed Stripe Knitted Dress in Black/White £160


And finishing with some LK Bennett number purely as they do really fit the brief well.  They would be ideal dressed down in the Summer but are wedding/Christening/First Holy Communion/Ascot/Henley perfection. 

Anima Printed Midi Tea dress £350



Anima Printed Midi Tea dress £350



Cherie Red Midi Event Dress £295



Claudine Crochet Shift Dress £295  (ignore the Ascot/Henley thing here.. too short I fear).  But a great dress all the same.  



So I hope there are some ideas there for those amongst you who have an occasion later in the year (or next weekend..).  I can't get past the beige Vivienne Westwood dress which so isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea and I would probably totally impulse buy if it wasn't dry clean only.  (beige + fake tan = pure disaster for lazy arse moi).

In the meantime, my Self Portrait dress arrived (again) and I still love it.  I'm now wondering how many times I can wear it.. but I do also have the black one... maybe I'll just be needing new shoes then... (apparently there are people out there who think you can have too many pairs of shoes.  I need never meet these people).

I am more than aware that these are toppy with regards to price so tomorrow I have got two fantastic discount codes for two websites (I love this time of the season) and my pick of their crop.  Including dresses (and shoes.. well, I'm assuming there will be cool shoes...).  Prices will definitely be less indulgent. 

Lovely day today accomplishing diddly squat although I did manage a dog walk (no I didn't wear these trousers, jacket or shoes) and I got my car light fixed.  The cost of a pair of Isabel Marant NEW sandals all because I reversed into a sodding wheelie bin.  On the upside, this is the only thing I've done in eight years (there may have been an issue with a metal post and my completely shoddy reversing skills eight years ago.  Who knew one little post could do some much damage?  Or that I could be such a bad driver?).  This afternoon spent in a new car garage looking at cars.  Obviously it was all about the colour...