Hi Belle,

After gaining a little weight in my lower half, many of my sheath work dresses are slightly more snug than usual. Not bodycon by any means, but enough to make me question if it looks inappropriate for work. Do you have a rule of thumb for assessing how tight or loose a sheath dress should fit? I’d rather not have to buy new dresses if I can still get wear out of these.

Thank you! NS

To quote Edith Head, “A dress should be tight enough to show you’re a woman, and loose enough to prove you’re a lady.”  But sometimes it’s hard to know if your dress is too snug.  Here are some good rules of thumb.

1) The dress should skim the body, but not squeeze or pull across the body.

2) If the skirt rides up when you walk, it’s too tight.

3) Pinching the edge of the dress, there should be at least some loose fabric.

4) You should be able to wear the dress without Spanx.

Sometimes there’s enough extra seam in a dress that you can have it let out, so you don’t have to buy new.  If not, you’ll have to decide whether you plan to lose the weight or simply size up.  If you’re not sure, I would buy a couple of inexpensive wrap dresses.  You can wear them now, and then if you lose the weight, they’ll still fit. The RealReal always has a good selection of under-$100 DvF dresses to choose from.

Memorial day has come and gone which means summer is finally here. With it, comes the office AC. It’s only been two weeks since our northeast office switched it on and I’ve been frozen everyday no matter what I wear. Figured others might be feeling the same.

Would love any thoughts you might have for finding an affordable cozy jumbo sweater this time of year, or any other solutions you’ve found for surviving the office freezer!

My best chilly office tip is to buy a heating pad.  Yes, a heating pad.  You lay it across your chair and sit on it.  It provides a surprising amount of warmth.  Another option is a foot warmer.

Beyond electric solution, a cozy sweater is always an option. My preferred sweater is the MM. LaFleur Morandi.  It’s unfathomably warm, but it’s a bit pricey.  Another option is a good cocoon sweater; I like this $23 Halston shawl collar and this stone-colored cardi from ASOS.  Another great option is Nordstrom’s Bobeau Long Cardigan.  Plus-size? Try this Junarose Cardigan.

If neither of those is the right option for you, a cashmere shawl is a good choice.  Just elegantly drape it over your shoulders.  I love this one from Alexander McQueen.  For something affordable, try this Cuccia Italia ombre wrap.

Hi Belle,

I love the fruit prints that I keep seeing everywhere.  The trouble is that I can’t find anything in my price range.  Can you help me find some fruit print pieces, maybe a cardi or a dress, for less than $100?  Maybe just a little over?  Lemons, cherries, something like that.  

Love the blog, AS

The fruit prints are a really fun thing for summer.  They can add a little whimsy to your outfit, but since it is such a trendy thing, you’re right not spend too much on it.

I thought this lemon-print Leslie Fay shirt dress was a great piece (it also comes in plus-sizes).  Lord & Taylor also has a lemon-print cardigan that’s really cuts (it also comes in plus size, as well).  This Unique Vintage cherry print dress is also a lot of fun.  Express has a cute cherry print top you could wear under a red cardigan.   It’s a little more than you wanted to spend, but this Rails strawberry print shirt has been on my wishlist for a bit.

Dear Abra,

You’ve said before that you’re obsessed with big hair, so I think you’re the right person for this question.  Do you use mousse or something else?  

Lisa

I really choose my products depending on the day, and the hairstyle I’m going for.  But on an average day, I’m using KMS Add Volume Texture Cream.  You rub it into your hair from the ears to the ends to add lift.  It’s a milder take on big hair.

Prefer your lift at the root?  You have two options, mousse or texturizing spray.  I’m a big fan of the Pantene Volume Mousse for fine hair.  Use a silver dollar size amount and work it into the hair from the crown to the front, and then pull it through the ends.  For volume and texture, spray Drybar’s 3-in-1 onto the roots when the hair is wet, and then dry.