Two Ways: Dotted Sleeveless Dress
May 24, 2012
Dress: Mango Polka Dot Dress ($40)
From Left, Earrings: Monroe Feather Earrings ($175) Belt: Old Navy Leather Belt ($13) Bag: Little Edie Bag ($168) Cardigan: J.Crew Cashmere Cardi ($178) Shoe: Aldo Parm Flats ($80)
From Right, Sunglasses: Oversized Sunglasses ($35) Bag: Linen and Leather Bag ($198) Earrings: Gorjana Bloom Earrings ($35) Belt: Asos Metal Keeper Belt ($11) Shoe: Seychelles Stick to Your Guns Flat ($80)
For Casual Monday. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, navy is to summer what black is to winter. Here, I paired my go-to neutral with this citrus-hued cardigan for a preppy but punchy combination.
Usually, I like to choose a belt in a contrasting color. But with British tan shoes and a British tan purse, a British tan belt just felt like overkill. So I added a navy belt in a cool shape to coordinate with the dress.
I always like to wear yellow gold accessories with yellow attire. I think it enhances the richness of the metal. I also made sure to choose a bag (Yes, the Edie, again.) with yellow hardware to match.
For the hair, I would wear it down and loosely waved. For the makeup, a sheer red gloss and a neutral eye palette with defined brows will do the trick.
For the Market. How awesome is this Ann Taylor bag? I love the pop of bright pink. It would make a superb choice for the beach or the farmer’s market, if you are so inclined.
To carry the fuchsia into the outfit, I chose a patent leather belt from Asos. If you ever need an inexpensive accessory to boost an outfit, Asos is the place to go. They have the best clutches, belts and trendy accessories for a lady on a budget.
These shoes from Seychelles are very comfortable. I bought a pair on Gilt Groupe last summer and had to replace them because I wore them so frequently. A word of caution though, on me they ran a bit large.
For the hair, I would want to keep it off my neck in the summer heat, so a loose updo or a braid. For the makeup, a light pink gloss, a pop of pink blush and a hint of bronzer is all you need.
Granted, the model is probably super tall, but based on the mango site it looks like that dress would be too short for my office even on a casual day. It's really cute, though.
Love this dress. If only it were longer! Which raises the question: how short is too short for casual office wear? On the model it's mid-thigh, a good 6-8 inches above the knee. I don't usually wear anything shorter than 2 inches or so above the knee at the office, even on casual days. Am I too conservative?
Amanda: I didn't notice how short in looks in the picture until later. I do think the model is probably 5'10, so that contributes.
I usually go for three fingers to four fingers. Whatever that comes out to be.
Three to four fingers sounds like a good gauge. And regardless, there are plenty of polka dot dresses out there and I really like these ideas for how to wear them.
Love the dress! Has anyone ever bought anything from Mango and returned it? I am also worried about the length for work (I teach middle school) and want to be sure it's an easy process in case the dress doesn't work out.