I said it last week, and I will say it again: I thought I would wear suits all session, 30-days in, I just want the comfort of dresses. Pants pinch. An a-line frock has never done me dirty. Here is an outfit that is a half-step below a suit on the professionalism scale but a mile better for comfort.
This blazer from Nordstrom is a good spring suit color, and when you wear the jacket over the dress it feels really fresh. I absolutely love the slightly shorter jacket to wear with dresses as well.
I own this dress from Veronica Beard. It is so comfortable and breezy and easy to wear. The sleeves are a good length. And the color is a rich midnight navy.
As to fit, the size guide says I am a M. Because this is a stretch sweater dress, I didn’t want it to fit like a sausage casing, so I sized up to an L. It’s a little loose in the waist, but so comfortable on that I wear it for any 16-hour day that I can.
Full disclosure, I bought this dress from Nordstrom for session, and before I could wear it, Veronica Beard offered to send me one as a gift. And you bet I raced to return mine and accept theirs, but if that not had happened, I would have been happy with my purchase. It’s a little spendy, but because you can wear it 9-months of the year in the lightweight knit and neutral color, it’s a good buy.
I love these muted red flats from DKNY. A slightly richer, burgundy color tones down the pop and makes it a bit more versatile. Love the buckle.
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I need a tutorial. When can you wear a blazer with a dress? I try it on and it looks off. What makes it work vs flop? Is it the materials? The length or fit of the blazer? My body shape? (I am very hourglass and many blazers look sort of tent ish if they are supposed to be loose and casual.) It looks like I got cold at the office and had to put this thing on as an afterthought.
I second this!
I’m also an hourglass and have found a couple of things that help me for wearing a blazer with a dress:
-Like Abra mentioned, a shorter blazer can definitely help. If the blazer ends at/near the natural waist (narrowest part) it can help avoid a boxy/”tent” look.
-With a shorter blazer, choose a dress that is also close to the waist to keep the silhouette neat
-Another option is to choose an a-line dress and a longer/hip-length blazer that is cut close to the body. This one felt “off” to me at first but I found that if both just kind of skimmed the waist and backside, it looks sleek, especially with heels.
-Last one and this is a “look” but I like it – a dress and long blazer that are the same length, hit around the knee length. Basically a dress suit but they don’t necessarily have to be coordinates. Again for an hourglass shape it helps if both the dress and the blazer have structure at the waist.
I have a similar dress from boden! Need to wear it more often.
Gorgeous Veronica dress, but it killlsss me to see it styled with sandals. This is a work dress. Pls pls pls, Veronica, serve full work looks! Retailers need to know working women need FULL outfits. Give me the whole thing, head to toe! For inspiration and purchase! -rant over-