Hi everybody! My name is Grace and I am the editor of colorandgrace.com. It is my pleasure to be the guest writer for this amazing blog by Rhea! I am so excited to have this chance to share my fashion “two cents” with you.
For most modern women, our life is so busy juggling family and work responsibilities that we often don’t take time for ourselves. So I really appreciate whoever it was that first created the dress for women. This one piece garment is a real life saver because it is so easy to style and naturally flattering to a women’s figure. You can never have too many dresses in all fairness. You can literally wear them for pretty much any occasion and wearing a dress can sometimes make it look like you’ve made more of an effort than you actually have, which is always a bonus. Plus, whenever you get a discount on a new dress, this is just another excuse to go shopping. But who’s complaining? I’m definitely not.
What do you look for first when you go shopping? I always start with my colors because this is the first thing that catches my attention. You may already have noticed that my style depends on it. I LOVE bright bold colors so much that when I set up my blog’s name, color took top billing, even before my name! But it’s super important to know which colors work for you and which to stay away from. What colors are your best friends? Mine are red, burgundy, black and blue. As with most people, I have way too many black items in my wardrobe. So when I go shopping, I always remind myself to look for other colors first.
The second thing on my dress checklist is the style. I wear a petite and only have about 5 feet of height to work with. I am also not the most curvaceous woman you’ve ever seen. My figure is closer to a clock than an hour glass! So I usually look for a dress length that ends slightly above the knees. Since I don’t have my high school figure anymore, a tummy friendly dress works best for me. It seems I’ve become a bit too American with my diet! A shift style dress is the best for most women who want to hide a few extra pounds. I also love a dress cut that flares out a bit at the bottom. This type of dress can create the illusion of more shape than I really have.
Number three on my list is the fit. If the dress is too big on the shoulders or too long for the sleeves it can look like I’m swimming in it. Anything that makes me look even shorter than I am is a fashion no-no to me.
I rarely buy clothes online because I am so picky! Plus you lose the thrill of the hunt! I must try things on first to see if it is the perfect piece that I was looking for. There’s a trick I use all the time to make sure I have a clear vision of what looks good on me. This is to wear the best fitting clothes I have when I go shopping. If the new one looks better or at least equal, then it is a yes. If not, better to let it go and save your money for something better. My unbreakable rule is to buy clothes for the body I have, not the one I wish I had. In other words, don’t buy something that may fit if you lose 10 pounds just because it’s on sale. Everything you buy should be for immediate use. After all, how can you show off your new clothes if they’re hanging in your closet?
Red dress @TJ Maxx
Hairband @Loft
Clutch Purse @Saks 5th Avenue
Strength Elephant Charm Bracelet @My Arm Charms
Leopard Booties @Nordstrom Rack
Below you will see a small collection of my dress posts from the last 3 months. The reason I can’t show you any from earlier is I just started blogging in December! Unfortunately that means I don’t have spring or summer dresses to show you. Yet! But I will soon! I would love for you to check out my blog at https://colorandgrace.com for upcoming daily posts. I will be featuring more current and seasonal dress looks along with lots of other styles. There’s some pretty good story telling going on too! I hope you can find some inspiration and just maybe try something new.
I also welcome you to share your thoughts and experiences with deciding on the perfect dress for you. What is on your must have checklist and where do you find your unbeatable deal?
Thanks again for reading!
Cheers!
Grace
Today’s Link ups:
The Skirtista Diaries with Rhea
16 Comments
Carina
Dresses are indeed instant outfits 😉 Especially if they are so stunning on their own. Nice selection you have there girl! I LOVE the orange poncho dress most!
X, Carina
Running White Horses | Fashion + Travel
gliang
Thank you very much Carina! I love that dress very much too! Hope to see you soon! 🙂
Ada
WOW GRACE, YOU HAVE A GORGEOUS COLLECTION OF DRESSES. I love dresses and I love leopard. Your collection is bright, fun and unique. You styled each one beautifully, also.
Have a great weekend! <3 Ada.
gliang
Lol! I do have a few. 😉 Leopard is my must have for my closet and you will see more and more later. 😉 Have a great weekend too!
Dawn Lucy
So excited to have you join us for Fun Fashion Friday! Love this cute dress with those fab booties! I used to not be a big dress gal, but lately I’m really seeing the beauty in having an instant outfit ready to go! Have a great weekend!
OXOX
Dawn Lucy
http://fashionshouldbefun.blogspot.com/
gliang
Good morning Dawn! Thank you so much for hosting it for us! I found dresses are easy to wear and show my girly side. 😉 Have a great weekend!
Chiara
I love your blog!!!!Awesome pics!
Chiara
http://blog.pianetadonna.it/shesinfashion/
gliang
Thank you so much Chiara! I hope to see you here more and more! 😉 Have a great weekend!
olivia
Lovely look!!
fridaynightstyle.com
gliang
Thank you Olivia! Have a great weekend! 🙂
Kaley
Love the double leopard with the bow bag!
xoxo
Kaley
My Closet Life Blog
gliang
Thank you so much Kaley! I love your newest outfit very much too! Take care and have a great weekend! 🙂
Abby
That leopard dress is so pretty!!
By the way, I have new posts on the blog. I’d love for you to check them out 🙂
Abby of Life in the Fash Lane
gliang
Hi Abby! I love the beach wavies and I am going to try next week! Thank you so much for stopping by. Take care and see you soon!
Andrea
Grace – I totally agree about dresses being an instant outfit. The right ones make me feel great and it takes less time for me to get out the door. Thanks for sharing your insight. I might need to go buy a new one this weekend 🙂
gliang
lol! Sounds great! I went shopping last night but 2 and a half hour I didn’t find anything. 🙁 I am always so picky. 😉 Have a great weekend!