Sunday, September 7, 2014

The Lovely Lookbook: Dress Edition



I haven't blogged in awhile and I have a good reason.  August is the busiest time of the year for me because it's back to school I go.  I'm a middle school teacher at a private school where I have the privilege of teaching 5th through 8th grade English.  Yeah. You English teachers out there know what I'm talking about.  Don't get me wrong, I really do love what I do, it's just that everything else in my life seems to end up on the back burner when I'm focused on the beginning of a new school year.  Throw in a husband who is an assistant principal, a first grader, and a pre-schooler, and you can imagine how cray-cray life has been these past couple weeks at the How's house.

Now that we are back into somewhat of a routine, I decided that I want to continue blogging here; documenting my style journey as it continues to evolve.  I have to admit that I've felt pretty good about my "comfy teacher style" outfits for work.  I've learned to remix pieces and utilize what I already own.  The best thing is I'm getting dressed in less than five minutes and I haven't felt frumpy yet.  It just goes to show that when you own pieces that you feel good about wearing, you can avoid that moment of standing in front of your closet saying, "I have nothing to wear!"

Today I'm linking up with Caitlin and Sarah's first edition of a style challenge they've entitled "The Lovely Lookbook."  Both of these young ladies blog about style in a way that I can get on board with.  They're all about shopping your closet and making clothes work for your body type.  Check out their blogs and you'll see what I mean. 
 
This month, The Lovely Lookbook is featuring dresses, so I thought I'd participate in show and tell time.  Here's my steal of a deal: a black and white striped fit and flare dress by Peter Som for Kohl's.  



Original price: $68
Clearance price: $20, minus $10 off coupon in the mail
I paid: $10 plus tax
 
Eek!  I cannot even begin to express my excitement when I found this dress!  I'm 5'0" and recently figured out that after having two children, I can't shop the juniors department anymore.  Fortunately, many stores that I love carry petite sizing.  The day I purchased this dress I wasn't looking for a dress at all.  I browsed the petite section and nothing really caught my eye, so in hesitation I picked through the regular clearance stuff.  This dress instantly came into view.  I was like: My size? Check!  Modest neckline? Check!  Modest length? Check! Hides my baby belly and scoliosis curvature? Check!  Remixable for every season? Check!  Remixable for different occasions?  Check!  Timeless color and pattern? Check!
 
I wore this to work on Thursday when we have to wear a skirt or dress for chapel.  I paired it with gold flats and a neutral statement necklace (both purchased on clearance). I chose simple gold earrings, and even wore a gold clip in my hair. 
 


I felt comfy, cute, and stylish all day.  It was about 90 degrees so I chose not to layer a cardigan or jacket.  I felt like the necklace and the gold shoes were enough to pull the outfit together.  You better believe I'll be wearing this dress again for other seasons and occasions.  Because it's neutral, I can definitely add some color with accessories and completer pieces.  It would also be fun to do some pattern mixing!  

Do you have a dress that you absolutely love?  How do you style dresses for different seasons and occasions?
 
P.S. Linking up with The Pleated Poppy What I Wore Wednesday!

3 comments:

  1. That dress is fabulous on you! Modest necklines are one of my big things and they can be so hard to find, even for plain t-shirts! You found a winner and it will be so versatile. :)

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  2. That's too funny that we like our dresses for the same reason. What a great deal you found. It looks wonderful on you!

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  3. Love this dress on you! You will be able to create so many looks!

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