a tale of two dresses

It was the best of finds, it was the worst of finds ...
I may have spent my budget for March (and April, ahem) on these two dresses.
I went to Ross recently and could not believe the gorgeous dresses they had. I also tried on a Tahari purple dress and a Vivienne by Vivienne Tam black-and-white striped knit dress, but these two were the top contenders.

Laundry by Shelli Segal color-blocked silk dress

• I'm not sure whether the bright color-block print on this dress is really me, but do you know what's got me hooked on this dress? The silk and the way it feels when I'm wearing it. It just feels luxurious. The neckline and bare shoulders would likely require a camisole and a cardigan to be added if I wanted to wear this to work.
• SIZE & FIT: The dress seems to flare out at the bottom and I'm not sure whether that's a good thing.
• As much as I love the silk, this might be a return based on the fit. 

Calvin Klein double-zipper sheath

• I've wanted for a while to add a LBDD (little black dress with a difference) to my wardrobe, and this Calvin Klein sheath dress fits the bill. The zipper detail is fantastic (and I don't even really consider myself someone who likes zipper details).
• SIZE & FIT: I wish that Ross had a 0 because I suspect it may have fit better. While taking the photos, I decided to try it on with a belt. I'm not sure whether that choice is making you smack your forehead and shout, "No! No! Don't ruin the great line of the zippers!" I think taking up the hem just a bit would help with the overall look, too.

 Yeah, I'm not sure why I'm posing barefoot next to a pair of shoes, either.

Belted

• THINGS I LOVE: the zippers, and how you can adjust them to give the dress a different neckline. After looking at the photos, I realize I might need to apply a little strategic tape or a pin to keep the tucked-in fabric from shifting.
• This really appears to be a dress that could take me from work to happy hour with a change of shoes, accessories and neckline. (Alas, after work my first inclination is to change into a baggy old tee and shorts, then lounge on the couch with a bag of Cheetos and a soda, but let's pretend my life is a little more glamorous than that). 

So right now, I'm planning to return the Laundry dress and keep the black one ... what do you think? 

a happy ending

        Today was my big presentation for storytelling class. My topic was Hans Christian Andersen. He wrote "The Princess and the Pea," "The Little Mermaid," "The Ugly Duckling", "The Snow Queen" and many other stories. While many of us are familiar with the basic outlines of his stories, it's surprising to read them in their original form! The language is beautiful, and his imagery is almost cinematic.
         It wasn't mandatory to dress up for the presentations, but most of us did in some way or another. Andersen often made paper cuttings while he told stories, so I thought this dress would be perfect. The print is reminiscent of his paper cuttings (a very elaborate creation of his is shown below).
    

       Looking at this photo makes me realize that these tights are definitely the wrong length for me.  I suspect they're supposed to be capri length on someone of average height. They were a necessity, however, for surviving the air-conditioning. I'll be looking for an affordable, longer pair sometime.
      It's a big relief to be done with my presentation! All I have left is an informal reflection that's due Sunday. I'm really happy to be done with my first full-time semester. It was intense and rigorous at times, but I'm glad that I did well and stayed focused. For next semester I'd like to think about having some kind of schedule to keep myself on track with readings and a way to organize my papers better.

Goodbye, ponytail! I'm excited about getting my hair cut tomorrow.

     For my next post, I'll be reviewing two pairs of boots. I'll be keeping one pair as a birthday present to myself, so I'll be trying both pairs on with different outfits to help me make a decision. I hope you can come back and help me decide! :)

Try-it-out Tuesday: obi belt

    This is a simple, basic dress perfect for work, but I wanted to make it a little more fun. I decided to take the snake-print belt off my INC dress (seen here) and replace the black belt this dress came with.

    
      I tried letting the belt hang down, then tried tying a bow. Neither looked quite right. So I ended up tying it obi-belt style. It would have looked better if the dress fabric was softer.

     I like the way it looks, but it was a little hard to breathe. I need to find some longer sashes!
     This outfit was a bit fancy for working with the Magic Carpet Book Club's second-graders, but hey, why shouldn't I dress up for read-aloud? :)  Because our theme is stories from around the world, today's selection was Judy Sierra's "Tasty Baby Belly Buttons." If you are looking for a fun and spunky heroine to share with children, Uriko-hime is quite suitable (she makes a mean dumpling and has a way with a sword).
     Happy Tuesday!

 

Try-it-out Tuesday: Pinterest-inspired

     During the summer, Pinterest and I were likethis. I was enthralled with the possibilities - no more ripping things out of magazines and losing them or having no neat way to collect them! Everything in one place! I can write little captions to remind me of why I ripped it out in the first place!
     I pinned recipes, possible DIY projects, 2 million cupcake recipes ... anything that caught my eye. And then to balance out the cupcakes I dutifully started a board for other foods (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner).
     Alas, Pinterest and I have cooled down to a long-distance relationship. I stop by once a week, and only for a minute or two at that. We're still fond of each other but it's not the same. This blog has become my new time-suck project, and Pinterest knows it.

Source: weardrobe.com via Carrie on Pinterest

     I seem to excel at pinning outfits that prominently feature things I DON'T own (i.e. colorful things). But I've seen so many bloggers wearing cool outfits inspired by pins that I decided to browse my board one more time for Try-it-out Tuesday. And the one shown above looked perfect.

     According to the tag, the dress print is "Fresh Zebra." Looks like I was on an animal-print kick when I was shopping a few months ago.
     Things I like about this dress: the fuller skirt, the colors, and that it's lined.
     Things I wish I had noticed before: the dreaded chest-button gap. Very odd, as I'm not busty and the dress fits well everywhere else. Now I know to try a size up in this brand.
     Luckily, I'm not teaching this year, so I don't need to go into my "power stance" (hands on the hips) on a daily basis and risk giving someone an accidental eyeful. I first heard of the power stance from a teacher in my education program. He said he used it regularly when teaching middle school and that it was helpful for projecting physical presence when you're on the short side. When I first saw the power stance, I thought, "Nah, I can't see myself doing that." Fast-forward a year or two to my stint as a classroom teacher and I found myself using it ... everyday.

Fossil "Mystic" necklace

      I played around with buttoning the top button and adding a necklace, but it seemed like a little too much.
       Happy Tuesday!

size it up: Year of the Snake

One of my goals with this blog is to focus on how clothes fit. Cameras don't lie, so I'm going to use photos to help me decide whether to keep or return this item. I couldn't find this in a petite to compare the fit, and I don't think there were any size 0s, either. Can you tell I like to prowl the bargain racks?

I really like the color and print of this item. Being born in the Year of the Snake, I have an affinity for things that remind me of my Chinese zodiac year. I find it interesting that while the zodiac is officially Chinese, just about everyone in Hawaii could easily tell you their year.
However, there are some things I don't like about this dress. The bodice looks a bit baggy, and the sleeves are puffy and look too big. I will have to try it on again, review the photos, and make a decision.

I got these bangles on my trip to India a few years ago, and I regularly wish I had picked up heaps more in different colors. Hard to resist when they come in different sizes and in a dazzling array of colors and designs.
One of the things I like about this dress is the full skirt. Couldn't resist taking a twirl and doing my best supermodel impression. Hope you don't laugh too hard!

Dress: INC from Macy's; bangles: India; flower ring: Forever 21.