Why I LOVE a Dress

Good day, dear reader!

Happy Frockday! I know that for many business people, Friday is casual day, but for me Friday is Frockday! (I have an overwhelming need for alliteration and puns in my world…) One of my Style Resolutions for 2018 is to wear more dresses. When I was in the classroom, I wore a dress every other day, and it made me happy. Now that I often work from home, I have fallen out of the frock habit, and need to get some of my mojo back. I know. Some women never wear dresses. I know clients who flat out refuse to consider them when I make the suggestion, but if you are on the fence, here are some of the reasons I love to rock a frock.

One and Done

A dress is the ultimate throw-and-go. One piece, and you look like you made an effort. With none. Bam. Of course, you do still need to put on shoes, and maybe a scarf or some earrings, but basically you are done. No worrying about whether your pants and top compliment each other. No proportions issue, or heel and hem trials. No fiddling with to-tuck-or-not-to-tuck. Or half-tuck? Arrrgh. Nope. None of those issues with a dress. Slip over head, zip if needed.

Instant Column of Color

If your dress is solid, or one pattern all over (not color-blocked) then you have an automatic column of color. For those of us who might like to look a little taller, or a little more slender, a column is a great way to go. A dress with tights and boots of the same color will give you a really long column, with no stress, and lots of style. If the weather is too warm for tights, a dress that goes to your knees creates an automatic column from shoulder to knee, which gives a much longer visual line than crop pants or shorts!

More Forgiving than Trousers

Most dresses do not squeal when you have one too many desserts on vacation. The fit often has more ease than a pair of jeans, and are not likely to expose the love-handles. Not only are dresses more forgiving than trousers (unless incredibly body-con, which really isn’t day wear anyway), they are often easier to fit and alter than a pair of trousers. There is a dress to flatter every body shape out there. It´s just a matter of finding yours. Sheath? Fit and Flare? Swing?

Cross Seasonal

I find dresses cooler in the summer than shorts and a tee. Less contact with my body and more air circulation is a great thing in my book! A swingy summer frock that only touches my shoulders is about the best style idea for a blistering and humid day, far better than any short-short. No waistband equals more cooling. A dress makes a great swim-suit coverup, too! (With less of the peed-my-pants effect…)

The summer dress transitions well into fall or can start its heavy lifting in the spring with a cardie or shirt over the top, and some tights and boots. Or maybe just a little ballet flat rather than the summer sandals.

On a chilly winter day, I can fit more cozy layers under a dress than I ever can under my jeans and a sweater, and I can still pile a cardigan on top for extra warmth! Another plus: With every layer, you trap air and create insulation. A dress with thermals underneath can be just as warm or warmer than a pair of jeans and a sweater.

Dress Up or Down

One of the biggest myths out there is that a dress means dressy. Not true! (That’s why I called it a myth.) As a girl, when I would go shopping with my mom, her catch-phrase for a good piece was “You can dress it up or down.” So much so, that we still laugh when we say it today. Take your LDD (Little Day Dress… It doesn’t have to be black!) and throw on a jean jacket and some flats. Go shopping, and sightseeing. Take off the jean jacket, throw on a shawl and some heels, and Pow! You are ready for a dinner out. No phone booth needed for the transformation. Yes, you can do that with jeans, too, but you’ll likely still need to change your top. I find dresses so practical that I almost always pack a dress when we go on vacation. (Sometimes even when we go camping!)

So how about you? How do you feel about dresses? Do they have a place of honor in your wardrobe, or do they never see the light of day? Why or why not? Let´s start a conversation in the comments below! I love to hear your thoughts!

Stay Stylish!