Meet my favorite dress (above).
I’ve had this dress for four years. To say I adore it is a complete understatement. This dress is like a dear old friend. I take care of her as if she were made of gold. I never leave her lying about (like the other clothing in my life), I wet clean her once a month (none of my other clothes even know what the inside of a dry cleaner looks like), I try my hardest not to wear her when I clean the flat or print on my letterpress (this is a big deal because usually I don’t even pay attention to getting things dirty) and most importantly, I wear her at least once a week all year ’round, period.
I really love this dress. (See the pattern up close on Lena’s blog.)
Some of you may already know my thinking on wardrobes if you’ve read my closet clear-out post (sorry if I was a little harsh on you with that list but it had to be done). I believe in buying quality not quantity. If you have a $100 wardrobe budget each season I would suggest buying one piece… spend that $100 on something really special! Maybe it’s handmade or made of really nice material or maybe it’s a fit and cut that will work for you for some time to come. Any way you look at it putting your dough into something well-made is, in my opinion, so much better than buying five things that will last you five months (if that). I advocate for building a relationship with your clothing. And that brings me back to my old friend … the dress!
Sometimes I will run into people I’ve known for years and they will say, ‘I love that dress! Is it new?’ and I’ll walk away smirking because I know they have seen this dress many, many other times. They may even have told me before how much they love her. Ha! I’m tricking them. I make this dress work hard for me by wearing her with all sorts of different layers, scarves, jackets and what not.
So here you go … five ways I wear my favorite dress. Nothing groundbreaking here (I’m no fashionista) but maybe one of these stylings will inspire you to get the most out of one of your favorite dresses (or men, your favorite button-down, perhaps).
1. Basic. The long cardigan. Never do tire of this sort of layering. How could you? This is the look the dress tends to be paired with in the warmer months.
2. Warm. This is a mens cashmere sweater that I cut the collar and cuffs out of. Paired with a thick wool scarf this is a toasty look (and feel).
3. Comfy. I love pairing something draping over something long. The dress barely peeks out but it’s so fun to know it’s there. I usually put a long cardigan over something like this so it’s all long and comfy all the time. This is my version of sweats.
4. Layered. Little sweater and jean jacket. This is a classic pairing and in the autumn and spring it’s a great way to stay warm without wearing bulky layers.
5. Mixed. Love mixing patterns. Hard to tell but I have three patterns going here. Scarf + stripes + dress. If I’m in need of some perking up I usually go with a combo like this. Mixing makes me smile.
So whatever the combo, I encourage you to have fun with your favorite pieces and most importantly, love the clothing you purchase. I hope to be showing you more stylings with my dream dress in another 4 years.