HOW I STYLED MARCS CAITLYN SHIRT DRESS

Hello dear friends, hope you are all well

Here is an interesting coincidence.  While we in Australia are stocking our wardrobes with summer clothes, the Northern Hemisphere is bracing itself for the cold months ahead but what makes us united is the fashion forecast for the trend colour of the upcoming summer/winter season (depends in what part of the world you are living) and it is RED.  We are saying good bye to Barbie pink, (to be honest, I wasn't into that one anyway) but am very happy to welcome the strong bold red colour into our wardrobes.

Every time the fashion wheel turns over and puts LRD (little red dress) back on a radar, it reminds me of our 2007 European honeymoon.  One day while exploring Rome, we came across a museum called Ara Pasis.  

Neither of us ever heard of it nor it was on our to do list but what caught our attention was a giant cube in red coloured glass with a white rectangular plinth underneath with the words Valentino A Roma plastered over one side of it,  placed in front of the museum's entrance.   Inside the cube we could see a mannequin clad in a beautiful red dress. Still not knowing what to make out of it but thoroughly intrigued, we bought the tickets and went inside.

As we stepped inside the museum, we were faced with a row of mannequins draped in white dresses flanked by two groups wearing red, Valentino's favourite colour. 

Further on we saw a group of mannequins wearing black and further on the last group were in multi-coloured dresses.  I have never seen anything more beautiful than this collection of sublime high-couture dresses. I was fascinated by the design, shape, the masterful skill of draping that Valentino is renowned for, the sheer elegance of every exhibit and his genius vision that he so artfully was able to transform into these marvelous creations.  I think I can honestly say that it was my first fashion moment.  If you have a moment, please read the whole account of this event covered in The New York Times Magazine .

Sixteen years ago there were no iPhones nor iCloud storage options, all the photos that I took,  had to be downloaded from my Canon camera into my PC.  Since then I have changed my PC twice but always made sure that I backed-up all my photos onto the hard-drive first, they are very precious to me and bring back such sweet memories.

Speaking of red dresses, let me tell you about mine.  I was in David Jones department store browsing through the dresses when I reached the Marcs section and saw it.  The first thing that draw my attention to this dress was its rich, bright and deep crimson hue.  I  also liked the shape of the softly puffed sleeves and the snap button front fastening.  The fabric belt helps to create a definition of the waist while an above the knee A-shape skirt visually slims the hips and elongates your legs.  The moment I put it on, I fell in love with its gorgeousness, it felt like it was meant for me.

On the way back to my place, I started thinking of what kind of shoes I should wear with it.  I definitely didn't want to try it with sneakers as I knew they will make it look too casual.  I needed the shoes that will complement the dress without taking away its centre stage.

  

In the ended I settled with a pair of low heels updated version of the classic Mary Jane style black suede shoes with a cup patent toe by Edward Meller.  They have quite an unusual detail -  the strap does not have a clasp and is made of two pieces - most of its length is leather with a short piece of elastic attached to it which allows you to slip the shoe on or off effortlessly.  The elastic is hidden behind a large faux pearl that adds to the shoe that instant uplift like a cherry on the cake🍒.

My accessories are quit simple: black hoop earrings and a ring and I chose to carry an off-white handbag rather than black one as I didn't want them to be too matchy-matchy.  

What is your take on a red dress.  I know that the prime red is not everyone's cup of team, however there are so many different shades of red that it is just a matter of  choosing the right hue that suites your skin tone, body shape or hair colour but most importantly is to stay true to your taste and aesthetic and look fabulous.