Monday 13 October 2014

HOW TO WEAR A SHIFT DRESS

There are many factors involved in making a woman of a certain vintage looking fabulous and, in my opinion, not all of them involve clothes or shoes or accessories.  Most importantly, for me, is the knowledge of what works for your body type, what your body’s assets and flaws are and how to take the best advantages of the former and try to minimize the later. And one more important point – you have to be brutally honest with yourself.  And that, my dear readers, comes with experience.

camilla and mark shift dress
Dress:  Camilla & Marc
Shoes:  Christian Louboutin
Bag:  Chanel
Hand cuff:  Hermes

I am also quite aware, that why my legs are still slim and toned (due to hours spent in the gym and on the running track), my face is a signal of my age, hence as much as I am tempted to wear extremely short skirts, tight dresses and plunging necklines, I am well aware, alas, that this type of clothing is more suitable for my daughter.

Having said all that, I am all into dresses at the moment and I have a new flavour of the month - a shift dress.  I adore them for their simplicity and versatility; their clean silhouette fits almost every body shape and size, you can dress them up or down and they are fantastic transeasonal staple.

In one of my recent trips to Camilla and Marc, I spotted one of them in a luminous orange hue and took it to the change room. I loved its easy cut and the way it accentuates the best parts of your body and hides the ones that you are not so happy about; the single colour of it is a perfect background for playing with all sorts of accessories, from necklaces and bracelets all the way down to shoes and bags, depending on the occasion, your mood or the time of day. 
For a trip to the movies I paired it with thick heeled short black boots, a funky necklace and for a colour pop (my favourite way to wear brights) – an aqua shoulder bag.  

As the days are getting cooler, a pair of black tights is a great addition to this sartorial look.  On a night out to a dinner at a two-hatted restaurant, I accessorised it with a string of pearls, a Chanel evening bag and a pair of killer heels from Christian Louboutin.  But no matter where or how I wear it, this dress always earns a compliment.

Dress:  Camilla & Marc
Boots:  Midas
Necklace:  Zara
Bag:  Coach