The latest version of WordPress has been installed and I don’t know how to use it. It looks very different from the version I’ve used for years. Bear with me.
For those of you who believe that I am a bottomless well of original ideas, be assured that sometimes I see something on someone else’s blog, click through, and buy it without thinking — like a sheep with fine motor skills, Internet access, and a credit card. I just do what I’m told.
This dress is one such example. I saw it in some round-up of cute dresses for spring and said, “Yes. Why not you?”
Sometimes it is a relief to not think very hard, or think at all.
I think I saw this dress on WhoWhatWear in a round-up of spring dresses, and it spoke to me. Perhaps one could say that the dress initiated the conversation described above. I like a shirt dresses, I like toile prints, and I have a weakness for dressing like a sofa, so you can imagine that I needed little persuading. Oh! And this dress only cost $39.99.
You read that correctly. Not $3,999. Not $399.90. $39.99!
It’s from H&M’s “conscious” line of recycled fiber clothes.
I bought a size S because the XS was sold out and found myself swimming in excess fabric, so I asked Fatima to bring in the shoulders, slim the sleeves and narrow the skirt a little. These alterations seemed reasonable to me because . . . $39.99.
The fabric is terrific. The care label said that it could be machine-washed (gentle, cold) and tumble-dried on low. Personally, I put hardly any of my clothes in the dryer and I rarely trust a label that says it’s ok — so there will be no tumble-drying. But I did wash it (in a lingerie bag) and it came out beautifully. It was also dry after hanging for less than two hours after emerging from the washer.
This easy silhouette is in for spring. That seems correct for RTO.*
Also in for spring is the ultra-miniskirt (not right for RTO; always NSFW) and low-rise trouser (please, no).
The Photographer wanted to make sure that you could see the narrative of this print.
And now, here is something else I bought simply because someone showed it to me: groovy, hideo-marvelous sunglasses.
When I appeared in front of him, I expected The Photographer to say, “Those are very strange, dear” — but I got no reaction. After six years of taking my picture, does he no longer see me?
The recommendation for these shades came from The Atlantic Pacific, a blog I like to check in on periodically.
I am just learning the latest version of WordPress and don’t know how to create a hyperlink. Or even italicize very important text. I’ll double back and provide some links once I have figured this out.
* RTO is the HBR+ acronym for Return-to-Office.
+ HBR is the abbreviation for Harvard Business Review.
“Like a sheep with fine motor skills.” OMG, I just laughed so hard I spit my coffee out! That’s so descriptive of most of my online shopping too.
I feel your WordPress pain. Learning their system and then maintaining a WP site is a total time suck. I am in the process of setting up blogs on Blogger and Typepad because those platforms seem way easier to me and my GenX menopausal brain.
Hello Christine Q — What is your blog about? The Directrice (and probably the Directorate) wants to know.
I was too frightened to say anything! Fortunately, years of training, both marital and photographic, held firm and I was able to complete the task.
hahahahahahahaha!
P.S. Google Domains is now out of beta, and using FRIENDSOFDOMAINS gets you a 25% discount for you or any of your blogging acquaintances who would like to ditch the WordPress universe completely. You can use Google Domains to host your custom domain and Blogger associated with a Gmail account to blog. This set up looks like it is going to be way cheaper, safer, and less complicated for people who actually want to spend their time posting content as opposed to trying to guess what’s in WordPress’s tormented mind. FWIW. And no, I don’t work for Google!
LOL!
but what is RTO? You provided an asterisk, but no accompanying note….
I am very awkward with the new WordPress, Hope. Sometimes I can’t even see what I am typing. There is no “save” button, so I think that it is auto-saving my precious words as I type them? Anyway, thank you for reminding me to complete the post; I have supplied the definition!
I love toile but it is hard to find. Love your humor!
The sunglasses really complete the outfit and truly are hideo-marvelous. I didn’t know there was such a type of toile, but it is a good descriptor.
Ooh, that beautiful tied collar with the gathers—I’m sure that’s the wrong vocabulary, but it’s a gorgeous detail. I love the fabric (rapture toile, heh) and the big cuffs, too. I’ve scored a few surprising treasures at H&M over the years, some of which have fooled even my most avid vintage-ista friends.
Just darling – I’m such a fan!
Late to the party once again, but I have to chime in to say that I also love denim jackets with dresses and sneakers! Especially a patterned dress like this one, I think the denim anchors it perfectly. And are those Cole Haan oxfords you’re wearing? I tried mine with a pencil skirt and wasn’t happy with the look, but perhaps something longer and/or more flowy will do the trick.
They are Cole Haan Zero Grand oxfords from several years ago. Good eye, Shopgrrrl!
I’m even later to the party, but oh, how happy I was after I suddenly realized I needed a dose of Directrice Prose — and then when I went to the blog to look, there were 3 or 4 I hadn’t read yet! And this one is RICH: sheep with fine motor skills, [dialogue with a dress], Rapture Toile, hideo-marvelous.
I’m rationing myself to one post per day until I’m through finals week.
Thanks, Directrice!