Wild Card Wednesday: Dressing Down the LBD

My husband and I recently had a movie date to see Bad Moms, and I went with this comfortable knit look.

Dress:  ASOS

The dress is so comfortable, and the lightweight knit bomber jacket was the perfect cover-up.  It was still warm outside, so I didn't want to dress too warm - the jacket was just right.

Jacket:  Boohoo Plus (Available here)
Clutch:  The Limited

Plus, I really love how the jacket and booties give this LBD a decidedly more casual vibe.

Booties:  life+style by Sonoma

Glasses:  Valentino

Bracelet:  The Limited

My husband loved this look, and so did I.  Oh, and we both really loved the movie too!  :-)

For the dress in other looks, see here and here.
See the jacket in another look here.

Casual Friday: Living in Black Dresses

This spring and summer, I have been practically living in flowy and stretchy black dresses.  Today on the blog, I am featuring three of my comfy favorites!  These dresses really are my #1 go-to for casual wear.  They are also all quite versatile, and I have previously styled each of these dresses for work as well (get links to previous stylings at the end of this post). 

Dress:  Torrid

First up is a flowy LBD that is actually a tunic. I got this last summer from Torrid, and since I'm so short, it works well as a dress. 

Booties:  Sonoma life+style
Glasses:  Firmoo.com

Clutch:  Twig & Arrow (Available at Target here)
Bangle:  LOFT

I added my most comfortable booties, a fun clutch, and my favorite necklace for a weekend outing with the family.

A ponytail completed the easy look and kept me cool in the heat.

Earrings:  Target
Pendant:  House of Harlow 1969 (gift)

Next is a slip dress from Who What Wear for Target. 

Dress:  Who What Wear for Target (Available here)

I bought this dress in the rust color and loved it so much, I decided to also get it in black, knowing that I would probably end up loving and wearing this one even more, and I was right!!! What can I say?  I really love wearing black!

Clutch:  Ann Taylor

Here, I styled the slip dress with python sandals and clutch for a casual dinner with the family.

Sandals:  Daisy Street (Available at ASOS here)
Necklace:  Eloquii (Available here)

Lastly, I am wearing my super-duper cool dress from Eloquii.  I have literally worn this dress no less than once a week since getting it.  It's so comfortable and easy, and it's body-conscious without feeling tight.  I just love it!!!

Dress:  Eloquii (Available here)

I also just had it hemmed, and I reallllly love the way it fits now!  Initially, I didn't think that there was much I could do to change the length of this dress and as much as I was all about this dress and still wearing the heck out of it, I was disappointed that it seemed a little too droopy and long on me.

Shoes:  Converse (kids) (Available at Kohl's here)

Clutch:  Boohoo

As I explained on the blog before, there is a long piece of fabric that goes under your legs and is brought back up and around and then tied at the mid-section.  So, it seemed very complicated, if not impossible, to hem.  Then, I realized hemming this piece would actually be super simple.  There is a seam that separates the fabric from where it flows in the front to the part that wraps around.  My tailor simple separated those two pieces, took out several inches and then re-attached the pieces.  Voila!! The dress now has a fabulous fit and I love it even more!

Glasses:  Valentino

I paired this dress with white sneakers for a recent weekend look.  It was perfect in the 95 degree weather!

Do you have a favorite go-to for casual wear?  For the tunic in other looks, see here and here.
For the slip dress in another look, see here.
For the tie-waist dress in other looks, see here and here.

Red Lips & Corset Details

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate!! My outfit for today probably isn't very Easter-y, but I'm wrapping up my short series on black dresses with this lace-up style from Forever 21.

Dress:  Forever 21+ (Available here)

I really love corset details, so imagine my surprise when I found this bare, but not too revealing, dress.   

Boots:  New Look

The neoprene fabric is a substantial weight without being too heavy, and the overall quality of this piece is really great!  I have been rather impressed with Forever 21 lately.  They have had some unique and cool pieces. all made well with nice fabrics.

Forever 21 has more of a juniors fit, which works well with my petite frame.  Juniors fits tend to have smaller overall proportions - I find their plus size line fits my bigger parts (bust and belly) while also fitting my smaller parts (hips and shoulders).  I did need to make one alteration to the dress which made a big difference in the fit - I took the shoulders up to move the waistline of the dress up to my natural waist.

Jacket:  Jennifer Lopez Collection for Kohl's

Sunglasses:  Tory Burch

Even though I think the quality of the dress is good, I was a little concerned that the dress could read too "junior."  Skater style dresses, while cute, tend to read a little young to me, and after a lifetime of always being thought of as younger than I am, I generally prefer to look my age.

Wanting to make the dress a little more grown-up, I opted to keep the hem as-is.  The dress was a little longer on me than intended, but I thought the longer length helped offset the low neckline. 

I considered pairing the dress with lace-up stiletto heels, but I thought the boots felt fresher and more modern.  The boots helped offset the overt sex appeal of the dress and were also comfy - more and more important to me these days.

I finished the look with a blush moto jacket, soft red lip, and a cute telephone clutch. 

Clutch:  Torrid (Similar available here)

Earrings:  Macy's

Would you wear a dress like this?  Where would you wear it?  What do you think about the length - good as is or would shorter be better?

For the moto jacket in other looks, see here, here, here, here, and here.

The Ubiquitous LBD

The little black dress is a wardrobe staple.  It's the perfect go-to for pretty much everything, including work, casual days, dressy evenings, holidays, and more!

For today's post, I'm rounding up some of my favorite LBD looks through my years of blogging.  Take a look:

A colorful blazer is an easy topper for black dresses.

Left to Right:  Red Hot; Day-to-Night Dress Up

A mini dress is great for a night out on the town.  These are all from eShakti and custom fit to perfection!

Left, from top to bottom:  Saint Louis Fashion Week:  My Experience, My Fashion;  Cutouts and Lace-Ups
Right:  eShakti Holiday - 70s Child

Paired with a faux leather jacket, a black dress works for both weekends and work.

From Left to Right:  Savoring Spring; Black Is The New Black

A black dress in a relaxed shape is an easy choice for summer when paired with high heels (or flats) and/or a floral kimono.

Left:  Kimono for Date Night
Right, from top to bottom:  Black for Summer:  Fresh Picks from Torrid; Queen Cobra

An LBD is perfect for holidays and other special occasions, especially with tulle, lace, or metallic details.

From Left to Right:  12 Days of Holiday:  Black Swan; 12 Days of Holiday:  New Year's Cocktail

A white or ivory jacket makes for a graphic combination.

Left, from top to bottom:  The Essential LBD; Evening Textures
Right:  Manic Monday:  The White Blazer

The little black dress doesn't have to be so little...make it a maxi for maximum impact.

Left, from top to bottom:  Easy Like Sunday Morning; Black Velvet & 3rd Blogiversary!!
Middle:  Edgy Formal
Right, from top to bottom:  Earthy Glam; Wild Card Wednesday:  Leather & Lace

What do you think - are you a fan of the ever-versatile black dress? 

Queen Cobra

For many people, the little black dress is a style basic.  I think it can also be a style statement.  I love wearing black and have never been of the mindset that wearing it is boring.

Seriously...why is it the best color?

Dress:  ASOS (Available here)

For today's look, I paired the dress with python heels and a textured clutch with metallic threads for a simple spring/summer evening look.  A coiled snake necklace completed the look.

Necklace:  eBay

Shoes:  Anne Michelle

I mentioned the first time that I featured this dress that I was considering having it shortened.  I decided to have a few inches taken off of the length.

I also had darts put in the bust to take out some extra fabric under the arms.  The shoulders were a little too wide, but adding darts created a slight cap sleeve effect and provided a better overall fit.

Clutch:  The Limited

Alterations are really necessary for most people and most off-the-rack clothing.  Some people will have an easier time of getting a perfect or close-to-perfect fit right away, but for the rest of us, alterations are a must.  Alterations are also what allow us to create a unique look by customizing pieces to our preferences.

Is the little black dress a wardrobe basic or style statement to you?  Or both?

Do you find a perfect fit right off the rack?  What brands fit your body best and why?

For this dress in another look, see here.

LBD Love

Sorry I've been out of commission for a while.  Busy days and nights at work took their toll, and I developed a cold which led to a nasty bout of bronchitis.  Got meds and starting to feel much better!  

Today, I'm back with a new outfit post talking about the ubiquitous little black dress or LBD.  The LBD got its reputation as a wardrobe must-have for a good reason.  They are versatile enough to work for a variety of situations.

Dress:  eShakti (Available here)

While this dress is too short for work, it is a perfect dress for evenings as well as weekends.  Having first dressed this one up with sexy lace-up heels, for today's take, I wanted to give it a more casual spin.

Jacket: Torrid (Available here)

Booties:  Target

Wristlet:  Torrid

I paired my lace-up tunic from eShakti with a faux leather moto jacket and more casual shooties.

The weather has been so all over the place this winter.  The weekend before last, it was over 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  This past weekend it snowed.

I had planned on wearing this look for a casual dinner date with the man during that warm weekend, but as the sun started to go down, so did the temperatures, and I ended up changing my look. 

In case you haven't noticed by all my recent bare leg photos, I'm ready for warm weather!!  It's actually been a pretty mild winter in my area, but I'm sooooo not a cold weather gal. 

Sunglasses: Calvin Klein

I did previously wear the dress and jacket out to dinner with plum tights and booties.  I've gotten really lazy with wearing tights as of late, which means I've mostly been sticking to pants for the work week, but they're definitely a great option for still wearing your favorite skirts and dresses during the colder months!

If you're a skirt/dress wearer, do you find yourself reaching for more pants in the winter?  How do you mix up your LBDs for more wear?

For the jacket in other looks, see here, here, here, here, and here.