HOT (weather) dresses

Even as I find myself moving away from the strapless dress more and more (more logistically complicated/more skin than I ought to be showing in my 30s), something about over-the-top temperatures calls for less fabric. And boy, have we been having a sweltering summer here in New England. Less fabric + no straps = less sweating? I can only hope.

ecote silk strapless dress (via urban outfitters(?))

need supply co. (via need supply)

thread social tulip print romper (via gilt)

velvet heart tie dye dress (via ideeli)


diane von furstenburg calida dress


lauren moffat silk floral dress (via gilt)


marc by marc jacobs little blaze bandeau cover up (via shopbop)


need supply co. vine print dress (via need supply)

killing me softly...

That would be Saks I'm talking about. With their awesome sale prices. I had this whole other blog post in the works, and then I found out that about said sale. Online now, in stores tomorrow. Then I checked out what sort of prices were to be had on dresses at the aforementioned sale, and my head pretty much exploded. Yup. I found these TWENTY-FIVE lovelies within minutes. (Click for larger image.)(from L to R) 1. under.ligne by doo.ri drawstring mini dress, 2. tory burch marsha silk dress, 3. tibi rio silk caftan tunic, 4. tibi chelsea abstract print dress, 5. theory virgilia madras plaid dress, 6. thakoon shadow print smocked dress, 7. shoshanna strapless silk mesh jacquard dress, 8. shoshanna sand dollar eyelet dress, 9. robert rodriguez sequin tank dress, 10. notte by marchesa sequin mini dress, 11. milly jacquard puzzle dress, 12. mbymj wave print interlock dress, 13. lotus grace bow-belted polkadot dress, 14. jay godfrey racerback pailette dress, 15. gryphon sequin embellished shift dress, 16. elie tahari lisette lace georgette dress, 17. dvf ninel strapless dress, 18. dvf mortiz dress, 19. dvf mademoiselle silk chiffon dress, 20. dvf lelette strapless dress, 21. dvf jaelle gypsy halter dres, 22. dvf breeze pintucked shirtdress, 23. bcbgmaxazria 2 for one piece dress, 24. alice + olivia silk tank dress, 25. ali ro striped gingham combo dress

I tend to stay away from Saks because, well, it's usually many many times above my price range. But on sale... well, everything in that mosaic above was $250 or less, with a lot in the $80 to $150 range, and that's do-able. With some proper budgeting, anyway. Right? Right? Sigh. Moving along, here are a couple other pieces that I REALLY liked, but don't think I could quite pull off...
Still really loving the ikat prints. They can stick around for another year or two, and I'll still be enjoying them. (Carmen Marc Valvo Ikat Print Dress)
This is WAY WAY out of my comfort zone style-wise, but I just kept going back to it. Somehow, it all comes together so perfectly for me. (Z.Spoke by Zac Posen Matte Silk Judith Dress)

So, not that I'm encouraging any excessive or out-of-budget spending, but there's lots of eye candy to be had over on Fifth Avenue. Hope you find something lovely to covet!

PS. All photos are from the Saks website.

yellow-bellied

I really thought this ongoing obsession I've had with yellow would be a short-term thing. It's clearly not. Witness these dresses I've been coveting for many months:
Bonus points if you can guess which of these pieces I actually bought...(Click through for more detail + full photos.) At least bright, cheery yellow is perfect for warm weather!

Warm weather dressing

As soon as we get a few days of real sun + warm weather here in New England, I start getting the urge to shop for summer dresses. To me, summer dresses are casual. Sundresses-- strapless or halter neck or spaghetti strap numbers-- the type of thing you throw over your bathing suit and then head right to dinner in, are what I'm looking for.

betsey johnson yellow silk chiffon halter dress

marc by marc jacobs poppy halter dress

forever 21 cherry blossom dress

theory strapless silk dress

I'm a little too short to be comfortable in a maxi dress, but I love the idea of them as far as casual wear goes, especially now I'm too old for micro-minis and the like. If I get my growth spurt at 32 and grow another 6-8", I'll start shopping for these too:

roberto cavalli maxi dress

see by chloe color block sundress

While I wait to grow some more, I'll settle for this convertible number. My taller friends can borrow it and do the skirt thing:

catherine malandrino ruffle skirt and dress

Hope the weather's warm in your 'hood! I think I'll go ponder some margaritas.

There's something about the dress...

Little black, flowered, a-line, mini, maxi... they all have one thing in common. Put one on, maybe throw on some shoes or a simple sweater and jacket, and you're done. Just one piece. Great shoes or a bold piece of jewelry can punch up your look even more, but they're not necessary.

I'm convinced that the dress is the easiest way to look amazing (or just presentable) in no time at all, and being a low-maintenance sort of girl at heart, I'm obsessed. This blog is my effort to catalog all the dresses that catch my eye without actually trying to buy them all and going broke. Hope you enjoy the window shopping.