Last night, I'd planned a fancy outfit, perhaps something to polish off my abruptly ended Stripes Week. But all I felt like wearing was PJs this morning. Except I arbor overly casual clothes in public.
I'm one of those people who think that casual clothing culture will bring about the end of Western civilization (as alluded to in Sal's recent post on over-dressed vs. under-dressed). I see people wearing jeans to the symphony, & I want to beat them upside the head. A friend of my husband wore jeans & polo shirt to our very formal daytime wedding 11 years ago, & the memory still makes me cringe. While I don't bother going to the grocery store in full gothic regalia & my daytime style is subdued compared to many of my goth friends, I'm still far more dressed up at the office than most people here in Silicon Valley. Yet I refuse to wear anything that actually smacks of PJs!
Here's my solution -- A soft, cozy outfit made of knits in flowing lines & a little bit of ruffle & only the most simple of accessories.
What I'm wearing:
Black knit long-sleeve dress, Newport News
Purple peplum sweater, Chadwicks
Black tights, Calvin Klein
White silk scarf printed with crows, skulls, books, clocks, etc, Libertine for Target
Purple dangly earrings painted with bats, local artist
Purple lipstick, Sephora
This is probably the most comfortable dresses I own -- it's stretchy, it's long, it has long sleeves & a wrap front. The neckline is a little low for the office, so I filled that in with a soft-as-kittens silk scarf (could have worn a cami underneath, but couldn't find a clean one; hey, it's a Monday!).
The sweater is equally soft & has a sweet peplum ruffle at the waist, nothing constricting, just a little bit of flair. I could have gone even more PJ-like & worn leggings underneath the dress, but, again, it's a Monday, so I couldn't hunt down clean ones. Still, these are very comfy, properly fitting tights.
Might have worn flats, but the rest of the outfit was so laid-back, I didn't want to look like a complete slob ;-)
What do you wear when you want to be comfortable yet look good?
Comfort doesn't mean looking like a slob at all! A little coordination goes a long way. I totally agree that the casual thing has gone too far. I will have a very strict dress code at my wedding!!
ReplyDeleteI usually wear a band tee and skinny jeans, complete with a grumpy face. You far better than me on Monday Days.
ReplyDeleteI used the fact that I walk to work as an excuse to wear casual clothing. I do keep a gross of alternate shoes at work, but most of the time I'm just too lazy to change. I've even carried alternate outfits to work and changed in the bathroom, but I have to be feeling pretty ambitious to pull that off. So I admire your stamina. Ironically, my casual clothing is probably less comfy than a dress. Jeans are just easier than tights and slips etc.
ReplyDeleteThat looks good - I'm always afraid a peplum waist will make me look even more squat than usual.
ReplyDeleteI have trouser jeans and many comfy boucle sweaters (all black, of course) to choose from when I'm feeling lazy or sick.
I'd like to have a dress like this! Looks both comfy and pretty.
ReplyDeleteI own a pair of very elegant dark blue jeans which are a size too big but still look good when paired with heels.
I simply HAD to buy those even though they are loose-fitting - they are my favorite brand AND were on sale. ;)
Add a fitted black sweater and a pretty scarf / outstanding necklace - done! And very comfy, too.
Hexotica - True, true! And I wish I could have thrown out that "friend" from our wedding, LOL.
ReplyDeleteJulietslace - Heh, I just didn't photograph the grumpy face.
mystressprynne - I find jeans a bit less comfy. Too much waistband! Dresses are more flowy.
LovleAnjel - Thanks! I like a little peplum for waist definition (tho' this sweater is kinda loose).
Sal Kaye - I stock up on these kinds of knit dresses :-)
heheh, i passed via word of mouth that there were to be no casual wear or strapless dresses at our wedding. It worked, everyone dressed fairly nicely. We did 'creative black tie, historic formal welcome' because we got married in historical outfits, him in kilt, myself in an elizabethan gown, our attendants attired accordingly.
ReplyDeletethe increasingly casual dress of society in general gets on my nerves. I consistently overdress. :)
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-d