Several weeks ago, I showed you a grey, patterned silk blouse paired with a top that would not unfairly be described as a lobster bib. That pairing was fortuitous, but the blouse was actually purchased to wear with this grey dress.
You’ve seen the dress before, in 2015 and 2019.
Here it is, fresh and new again, with a patterned blouse underneath.
I may be going through a phase, but I decided after showing this dress in 2019 that all of my dresses look better belted (unless they have a set, defined waistband, like this dress). In fact, I look at older photos and wonder, “What was I thinking?”
There is a part of me, however, that imagines I will look back in a few years on the photos from 2019-2020 and also wonder, “What was I thinking?”
They say change is good, but I am not so sure. It may just be an irrepressible impulse.
All we can do, at any given time, is exercise our best judgment with the information available to us. Today, that judgment is: Belt it!
That means I am also keeping one eye on YOOX for additions to my — to our (yours and mine) belt collection.
Far more important than the belt, is the brooch.
If I re-trace my steps, I remember that the blouse was purchased to wear with the dress so that the brooch could be worn with it. Everything is in service to the brooch, which I do believe is well-presented here. The black blouse that I wore with Eiffel Duck would have been too dark.
You may wonder why I think a black blouse would be too dark when I’ve worn the brooch with a black dress. A fair question!
The black dress created a dark, contrasting background, making the brooch a focal point as bright as if a spotlight were shining on it. A black blouse under the grey dress would pull the eye away from the brooch.
The black dress created a dark, contrasting background, making the brooch a focal point as bright as if a spotlight were shining on it. A black blouse under the grey dress would pull the eye away from the brooch.
When taking pictures, The Photographer sometimes attempts to direct me — he attempts to direct The Directrice herself — with commands like, “Stand up straight” or “Do something cute.” He never gets quite the response he has requested.
The capering, the ludicrous poses, and the hula dancing are spontaneous and they only happen when I have to entertain myself while he is fiddling with his camera settings.
Dress: Tory Burch; Blouse: Isabel Marant from YOOX; Shoes: Tory Burch; Bag: Coach; Brooch: Q Brooch from Allison Hilton Jones
“Put a blouse under a dress” is the number 1 tip I’ve internalized from this blog 🙂
That’s a hit!
For a wardrobe where you are buying nice things and keeping them for many years it keeps the dress fresh.
This outfit is perfect. I have nothing more to add.
Works beautifully.
i love the brooch. very Jetsons.