Hello, Kelly!

St. Patrick's Day has passed, but that doesn't mean we have to put away the kelly green.  Months of winter are finally giving way to spring and this bright green is on my mind.


 My contribution to this week's color pick is a dress is by Banana Republic and though I loved the pleated ruffle neckline and the flowy fabric, it needed some work to make it fit just right.  A couple of darts in the back drew in the bodice for a better fit.

These are a few more Kelly items I'm drooling over:
ALDO Hatchet Mini Structured Tote With Luggage Tag On Strap $49.00

Kelly to My Green dress by Trina Turk

Dream of the Crop Cardigan in Kelly Green $29.99 at ModCloth

Nine West Women's Lanae Fabric Dress Sandal $29.00 at amazon.com

Confectioner's Dream Dress

I was in a pinch for a dress for family photos and so I decided to spring for this one.  It is lovely, and if you love ironing this is definitely the dress for you.  After 20 mins I got most of the wrinkles out, but once it was smoothly pressed, I noticed that the fabric was full of pulls.  I have to have this dress for family photos, so I can't send it back.  My "Plan A" dress was too big; this one was "Plan B" and I am totally out of time for a "Plan C."  So, this is a cute little number, but maybe not worth the $90 price tag.  If it I had it to do over, I'd hold off on purchasing until it goes on sale.

Confectioner's Dream Dress in Sky at ModCloth.com

I only had two styles in mind for this dress, I may post more later as ideas come to me.  For the first, I ditched the lace belt, though it is cute and fits well, for a yellow gross grain ribbon.  Then added my go-with-just-about-anything Charlotte Russe peep toe pumps.  This style is by far my favorite.  I love the little extra pop that the yellow adds.

For the next outfit, I brought back the belt, traded out the peep toes for brown heels and an ivory crop cardi.  I feel a bit like Alice in Wonderland in this combo, but that won't stop me from wearing it.

Shop the outfit:
There's an Apple for That Cardigan in Ivory from ModCloth.com

Definitive Drama Heel in Brown from ModCloth.com

Greenhouse Grandeur Dress

Now, before you take a look at this lovely dress, you should know that it has already sold out, and so has the skirt of the same fabric.  But, since it sold out so quickly there's a fair chance ModCloth will bring it back, especially if enough admirers ask them.  So, now that you've been warned, let's see the dress!

 Greenhouse Grandeur Dress by ModCloth $109.99

The print is much bolder than I usually wear, but it's so gorgeous, I couldn't resist.  I love the satiny-cotton fabric, the fact that it has pockets, and the full skirt.  The belt is not removable which can be a little limiting when it comes to accessorizing it.  No matter, I'll work around it and show you three ways I styled this dress.

Work or Brunch:

This time around when choosing the style for this dress I really didn't want to buy any new accessories, so I only used items I already had in my closet. My trusty burgundy Qupid heels and bright blue crop cardi make this dress pop even more.  I cannot wait to wear this to a weekend brunch!

Going Out:
For date night, I'll ditch the shrug and add my black patent pumps from Charlotte Russe and some chunky jewelry.

Casual:
And this is probably the look that will get the most wear.  The hair goes up into a pony tale, the heels become comfy Soda flats and the shrug returns in a conservative navy blue.

This dress is so lovely, I highly recommend it if it comes back in stock.  Pretty please, ModCloth!

How to Wear Leggings

As I mentioned in a previous post or two, I commute on foot and by train most days.  It hasn't always been this way, but this is my life now and I'm adjusting quite well.  I love wearing dresses, but it's a long, arduous walk when the day turns windy and I'm desperately trying to stay covered to make it home.  Bicycle shorts and capri leggings seemed like the obvious solution, but all my research said the same thing:  Unless you're an little girl, leggings and bicycle shorts are a major don't.

Well, I disagree.  So I bought a few pairs of capri leggings and proceeded to try to figure out how to make them work. What I discovered is that they look best when you're not trying to hide them.  One person said she wore bicycle shorts under her dress so she could ride her bike to work, but the line of the shorts showed through the skirt.  That's definitely a problem, but it's one that goes away if you don't try to hide the shorts.  My personal rule for wearing them is that they must be longer than the dress.   Here are a few styles of dress that I wear almost exclusively with leggings.

The Sheer Dress

I love a watercolor print and this little dress from Target gets lots of summertime wear with my teal flats.  However, the fabric is sheer and has a deep V in the back so a slip is not an option.  I'm not really sure how anyone could wear it without leggings. 

The Shirt Dress

This Forever 21 red geometric print dress was an instant favorite, but it just didn't look right until I added the leggings.  I usually wear it with Jessica Simpson ballet flats and my Charter School Cardi by ModCloth in Navy Blue.

The Tunic Dress

Another Target purchase and again very sheer and an open back, but also so short I cannot bend over in it.  However the cut is so flattering, I can't just let it sit on the shelf.  I normally wear ankle length leggings with this dress to give it more of a tunic feel.

The Knee-Length Dress

This is a tea dress by Effie's Heart.  The capri leggings here barely show, but they do coordinate with the navy color of the dress.  If the dress is a cotton fabric like this one, I usually add a nylon half slip to keep the dress flowing freely.  Cotton on cotton tends to stick together.

If you're looking for your own Capri leggings, check out ModCloth's Across Town Shorts

with lace trim.

I usually go for cotton like ShopRuche's Forest Cottage Leggings