HOW I MADE A CHAMBRAY DRESS INTO A COAT (LOOK #1)

Hi everyone,

When it comes to clothes, the one thing that really makes me happy is the knowledge that the items in my wardrobe are worn to their full capacity.  As you know, versatility in clothes combined with an ability to mix and match them, results in a significant increase in the number of outfits in your wardrobe which in turn leads to saving clothet space and money.

Of course, you cannot wear a ball gown to do your grocery shopping and jeans and a tank top will always be what they are no matter how gorgeous the shoes that you wear with them are but certainly, there are some pieces in your wardrobe that would fit multiple purposes or weather seasons: a polo neck under a cami dress to keep that effortless everyday edge in cooler months or if you are facing a day-night scenario, you could wear a jersey tee under a sequin slip dress during the day and easily get rid of it for a night out. 

EVEN SMALL ACCESSORIES LIKE SCARVES, SHAWLS AND TIES WORN 

DIFFERENTLY COULD BE ALL YOU NEED TO NAIL YOUR OUTFIT OF THE DAY

As I mentioned previously, my shopping mantra for clothes is to buy them from the places where I can easily get a refund if I change my mind, so when I bring a new piece of clothing home, I try to figure out how it will fit in with my existing wardrobe and how many potential new outfits I can get out of it.  By following this rule, I have managed to avoid many disappointments and save myself a small fortune on otherwise unreturned and unwanted items.

This method, clearly, is not applicable when I travel, here I have to take a chance and hope for the best.

A case in point is my new chambray button down dress.  If you read my previous post, (A Chambray Dress for Stroll in the Park) I mentioned that I bought it in such haste that I didn’t even have time to think what I was going to wear it with and it took me a couple of months to finally put it on.

Now that I feel comfortable wearing it, I started thinking what else can I do with it.  The answer came sooner than I expected.  I was getting ready to meet our out-of-town friends to take them to one of my most favourite places in Sydney, Parsley Bay, when it occurred to me that the jacket that I was planning to wear over a t-shirt had been borrowed by my daughter and was not in sight.  It was also a possibility that I might never even see it again (if you live with a teenager, you probably know what I am talking about, right?  I was running out of time and started panicking when I my eyes set on the chambray dress, so I just grabbed it and headed for the door hoping that it would work.

 My outfit on that day was white cropped linen pants and a yellow t-shirt and multi-coloured open-toe shoes – very bright and summery.  I was carrying a messenger bag in muted blues and greys but it looked like it needed an injection of bright colours too, so what did I do?  I grabbed my skinny scarf in yellows, pinks and blues and tied it up around the bag.  It looked much better now. 

The day was sunny and quite warm but as the sun began to set, I felt a slight chill in the air and I put on the chambray dress, or shall I call it a coat now? Surprisingly, it seemed to match my outfit quite well.

To make it more cohesive (and to illustrate the point that I was making earlier), I used the same thin scarf but this time rather than wrapping it around my neck as you do with a tie, I just threaded it through the top button hole of the coat.  This unexpected accessory was just what I needed to give my outfit the desired twist.

Do you follow any rules when clothes shopping? Would like to hear your thoughts on the subject

Until then,

.