Fall in Love with Karina Dresses

Fall is almost here and it's time to switch from short skirts to something with a little more length but the same comfort and breathability that I love in summer.

A few light layers over this breezy easy Cecelia dress in Green Sleeves is the pe rfect compromise to ring in the first month of autumn when the weather still can't make up its mind if it will be chilly or warm.  This Labor Day Weekend, Friday through Monday, you can save an extra 20% off this dress at Karina with code Fall4All.

So, in the morning I can be warm against the shorter days and the paler sunshine and in the afternoon I can shed my cardigan and stay cool when the sun finally comes out.

If you haven't tried Karina Dresses yet, get ready for the most comfortable easy dress you'll wear in any season.

Shopping Info:  Cecelia Dress in Green Sleeves-$108 from KarinaDresses.com  Save an extra 20% off this dress at Karina with code Fall4All.

Baby Blue With Milreason

If there are two things I can count on they are these:  1.  as much as I regret to leave my bed so early in the morning, the morning sunlight is the most glorious and 2. Milreason makes absolutely stunning dresses that make getting out of bed on the weekend so much easier.

I feel like I can't win sometimes.  When the sun comes up at a reasonable hour, it is also terrifically cold outside that I sit in the car a moment looking with dread at the frosty air before stripping off my coat to plunge into the frigid world for a few pretty pics.  Alternatively, when the sun comes up well before any objective person is ready to be awake in the world, it does so to a blissfully warm temperature that makes my ante-meridian photo sessions extremely pleasant.  My choices are either lose sleep or risk frost bite.

Ah, but it was not such a difficult choice this morning.  I've been looking forward to this collaboration with Milreason and this V-Neck Wrap dress is my absolute favorite shade of baby blue with such a flattering cut and fit that I practically bolted out of bed today to snap a few pics in the golden hour.

With stretchy fabric, a swing skirt, a fitted waist and an oh-so-flattering cut, this baby blue dress is has the classic style I adore with the easy-like-Sunday-morning fit and feel that I need on days like this.  If you haven't been to Milreason yet, this little dress is one great reason to checkout all they have to offer.

Shopping Info:  Milreason 50s Style Dress Wrap V-Neck Sleeveless Cocktail A-line Dresses for Women with Pockets-$32.99, Chelsea Crew Gatsby T Strap Heels-$70

Frugal Elegance: Collaboration With Milreason

I cannot resist the elegance and beauty of a vintage style dress and this particular electric blue cocktail dress from my collaboration with Milreason reminds me of all the understated courtliness of Grace Kelly. 

This dress has such a graceful skirt and a nice length.  The slightly swooping neckline and belted waist bring tasteful attention to all the right places.  A zipper runs down the back and this dress has pockets

I normally wear XS and ordered this dress in size small.  I think it fits really well, so do read the size chart and consider sizing up when ordering.  

Milreason offers inexpensive vintage style fashion with all their items currently under $40.  They make trying new things so easy!  

Since this shop is still quite new there will be lots more lovely dresses on the way from them.  Hopefully this will be the beginning of a long term relationship, because I think this dress is fantastic. 

Shopping Info: Milreason 1950s Dresses for Women Vintage Cocktail Party Dresses with Pockets

More Prepared = Less Stress

So, the snow days have come and I've noticed some pretty interesting changes this snow around.  Normally even the mention of snow has people here panicked and cramming into stores for the most perishable groceries and anxiously wringing their hands, glued to screens as overly tan meteorologists explain just how bad it could get while simultaneously never acknowledging or apologizing for causing a panic and being totally wrong last time...and the time before that....and the time before that......

And then there are the schools here, which tend to keep kids in classes until the last possible moment, when roads are already becoming slick and dangerous, because they don't want to use another snow day (maybe because of so many false alarms).  I remember one such case in my youth.  I was six or seven and the administration decided to keep us in class until 2:15p.m. so it wouldn't count as a snow day.  

By the time we got on the bus it has already been sleeting and snowing for over an hour.  As the bus slid down a steep hill, it started to turn sideways.  The driver regained control, we all thanked God that no one was in the on coming lane, and I was personally thankful to have been the first stop on that route.  There were plenty of other kids who still had another hour or more to go on those increasingly treacherous country roads.

But, this year everyone was calm.  There was no rush to clean out grocery store shelves or gas pumps, no arguments with bosses who wanted to dock pay for people leaving early or staying home.  Instead, I believe most people are stocked up on necessities and jobs are prepared for people to work from home already.  Schools sent out a message saying, "virtual school until further notice."  And it was all just that easy.

I'm not a Pollyanna kind of person, so I'm not going to pretend all the lockdowns and such have been a godsend, but if there are good things, I believe it's important to acknowledge them, and these were some very good things.  People being prepared to take care of themselves in an emergency is very good.  People being more focused on the safety of others than arbitrary numbers is very very good.  

The bottom line is all this adds up to Less worry, Less fuss, and a little more time to wander in this winter wonderland.

Shopping Info: Fabulous Fit and Flare Dress Sleeveless Fit & Flare Midi by ModCloth

Pockets & Pencil Dresses

I'm the kind of lady who like to travel light.  I don't like bulky purses and the 90s are over, so chain wallets are right out.  I may bring a bag, but I don't like to carry it around all day.  I like to have my hands free, and the best way I've found to do that is to wear a dress with pockets.

Typically the dresses I find with pockets have a full skirt so I was pleasantly surprised to find this Gown Town Women's 50s Style Business Pencil Dress with Pockets.  With a gorgeous bright color, stunning vintage inspired design, and a magnificent fit, this dress has it all And Pockets!!  These pockets are so nice, spacious enough to carry a few things without adding too much bulk to this svelte style.

Even though pockets haven't been a typical aspect of dresses for the past 50 years or so, they were a common feature in the dresses of the 60s and the many decades before.  I know I'm not alone in this sentiment about pockets.  I think every gal gets excited to find that often overlooked aspect of a dress, and this is nothing new.  Did you know that ladies have always needed pockets?  In the 1700s, a pocket was actually a separate garment worn under the petticoats and around the waist.  

According to the Victoria & Albert Museum, "In the days when people often shared bedrooms and household furniture, a pocket was sometimes the only private, safe place for small personal possessions."  Certainly those days are over, but the need for pockets remains, which is why I am always tickled at the thoughtfulness of a company that adds pockets to their dresses like Gown Town Vintage.

I cannot stress this enough about Gown Town dresses, they are extremely nice quality dress for very reasonable prices.  Recently I tested a look alike dress from a competitor company.  The dress was the same style and price, but the quality was dismally lower.  I'll be doing either a video or a blog post, perhaps both, to show you the difference in quality between the two dresses.

In the meantime, if you haven't tried a gown town dress, you absolutely must.  They have lots of styles and sizes, plus a variety of vintage and modern design dresses.  For my final post in this month's collab with Gown Town Vintage, I'll be showcasing one of their modern style dresses and it is exquisite.  You don't want to miss that post, and the year's almost over, so it will be on the blog very soon!

Shopping Info: GownTown Women's 50s Style Business Pencil Dress with Pockets