We all have preconceived ideas of what we can or cannot wear on our bodies for whatever reason.
We’re too old, too heavy, too short, too tall, too skinny, too timid, too conservative, you name it.
I’ve got mine.
Let’s see…defined waist (so I don’t look too heavy), open neckline (so I don’t look too short), not too short ( so I don’t look too desperate) and lately I’ve been starting to wonder if sleeves have become necessary (because if my arm is up here, what is all that hanging down there?)
I have an hourglass figure. Undefined dresses or “tent dresses” as I like to call them, are made for the long, lean and flat chested. Not the vertically challenged with bumps and lumps.
Or so I thought.
I spotted this silk Anthro dress this past August and fell in love with it right away.
I wanted it badly but in my mind it was still “no-go” territory due to the voluminous cut. When I was visiting Sylvia in NYC in September and we spotted it while shopping at Anthro she agreed that it wasn’t even worthwhile trying it on as it wouldn’t look good on my body type. At that time the price was too high and I was too tired to argue but damn I still longed for that dress.
Months later when I spotted it was on sale for 70% off all bets were off. I was trying on that gorgeous dress.
Challenging preconceived ideas forces you to be creative.
I would make it work.
Et voilà
Challenging some of our personally held beliefs about we can or cannot wear ensures that we don’t become limited in our second skin choices.
I simply added a belt to make the dress work for my body type.
Some might attribute my refusal to simply let this dress go as pig headed stubbornness, however I like to think of it more as problem solving with tenacity.
If you truly love something will find a way to make it work.
Same could be said of anything in your life really.
Have you ever challenged your preconceived ideas about what you should or shouldn’t wear? If so, were you happy with the results? Did it change your perception of yourself?
Linking up with Visible Monday I Will Wear What I Like
I love this post and I love this outfit! That dress is brilliant and beautiful. You are beautiful! I don’t know that I have any preconceived ideas about how I should dress that I have challenged. I often think that my outfits may not be age appropriate (at least, according to the magazines and some people I run into in my life as an attorney), but I just don’t care enough about it to do anything differently. 😉 Merry Christmas!
Age appropriate is such a subjective term. It’s like trying to define beauty. To each his/her own. Makes life so much more interesting don’t you think? Merry Christmas and thanks for stopping by : )
You have owned this dress – and it is a beauty. So glad you’ve made it yours – you’re a gorgeous hourglass. I used to worry about my upper arms, not my best feature at 60, but I’ve learned to let them be. Now I embrace sleeveless dresses and no animals have been frightened : > xox
-Patti
http://notdeadyetstyle.com
Ha ha! It is funny because often the only people that even notice such things are ourselves. Everyone else is too focused on themselves!
The print of this dress is fantastic and you were right not to give up on your dream. You look great in this cut, all thanks to that itsy-bitsy belt, ta-dah! I love the black accent pieces and also that cute owl bag again. You look polished, quite stunning!
I had to chuckle when you mentioned your arms. I published a post earlier this year that covered this very issue – it’s been my most read piece so far – http://www.annasislandstyle.com/2015/07/these-arms.html
Let me know what you think x
Anna
Anna’s Island Style
LOVED that post Anna! Thanks so much for sharing it with me.
Stunning outfit – and I often think adding a waist to anything makes it suit anyone, or maybe that’s just me… Certainly seems to be my trick too. I think there’s things I definitely can’t wear though – any kind of huge shoulder looks pantomime on me, for example!
So I won’t see you wearing that 1980’s look anytime soon then? ; P
Aha. Anthro strikes again! I love this dress and I think it would be great even without the belt. I think it’s so funny that we all have these pre-conceived notions about what looks good and what doesn’t. I’ve recently gained a lot of weight and I am so self-conscious about my waistline. I am wearing big tent dresses and caftans and large tunic tops every day. Though recently a stranger, someone who didn’t know me in my previously thinner state, mentioned how tiny I am. What???
Anthro is my Kryptonite. I can’t seem to kick it. The last retail store where I shop.
Obviously you haven’t gained the weight on your face as I see no signs of it.
Any time I’ve worn a tent dress I’ve been asked outright when I’m due. That was a few years back now though. That pretty much cured me for ever wanting to wear one again.
Oh you were so right to buy this. Wow that print is stunning and looks knockout with the biker jacket, beret and boots. And your darling owl bag picks up the turquoise in the dress beautifully.
Often all it takes is the willingness to do a leap of faith and then add one tiny detail and BOOM – a fantabulous outfit emerges!
It’s so easy to get sucked into thinking only certain styles work. Of course, for the most part that is true but doesn’t this just show, keep open minded and wonderful sartorial magic can happen!
You are a great inspiration for showing just how it is all in the details. Each of your outfits build upon this.
Since you gave the dress a waist, it seems a bit like your changed the dress to fit your needs, rather than changing how you thought about waist-less dresses, but I rather like the idea of making your cloths work for you 😀 And it is such a fun print, I can see why you didn’t want to leave the dress behind.
I tend to shy away from things with frills on it, especially around the chest area. It just consumes me, even though on other body types I love the look….
Ha! True. You caught me : )
Hmmm….I feel like you’re talking to me here ;)! I love how you modified this dress, and it looks lovely on you!
I think each of us deals with these issues. Merry Christmas Lana!
You totally own that dress – it is so very you, flamboyant, bold and beautiful and on sale, too? You’d have been mad to miss it.
I love how you’re wearing it but I think you could totally rock a tent dress.
I tend to shy away from midi length as I think they make me a bit mediocre but when i do step out of my comfort zone I do quite like them.
xxx
I also think our state of mind plays into how we feel in the outfit. If I’m having a skinny-good-hair-day I can wear just about anything. Self confidence is everything. That and not giving a flying **** ; P
I love Patti’s comment about baring her upper arms and not frightening any animals! Yes, the upper arm thing can be frightening, and even when you do upper body weights it doesn’t seem to stop the sag 😉
I can see why you loved the dress, and you’ve styled it beautifully.
Like the theme of this post – “if you love something enough, you will find a way to make it work”. I feel that way about clothes and step out of my comfort zone frequently when I thrift shop. Love that orange bunny fur vest? I will make it work!! I don’t think that works in all areas of your life though, especially relationships….
Hmmmm…interesting. So far for me it has worked with relationships, but maybe that is the luck of the draw.
Boy, are you talking to the right person! If I wasn’t up to a challenge, I’d still be a sad middle-aged guy wearing boring men’s clothes. My challenge is perhaps greater than most people’s — and with a steeper learning-curve. In the beginning, I didn’t even know whether to pull a dress down from over my head or up from the floor.
It’s always educational to try new things. To experiment. To challenge our pre-conceptions about what works or doesn’t on our bodies. I find your “pig headed stubbornness” an admirable trait. It will carry you into uncharted territory which is where the real fun lives!
No doubt your challenges are larger than the average person. That is what is great about being non-average though…you are so much more interesting to know.
What a gorgeous print – I can see why you couldn’t forget this one. Well, good for you for taking charge of it! I think a wide belt would be great, too, to really show off your hourglass figure. I love the addition of the short leather jacket – very cool.
When I was blogging regularly, I did challenge my preconceived ideas, not always successfully! But those challenges help hone a style, and it’s now easier for me to decide what I’ll feel comfortable wearing.
I think it is true that blogging can help a person recognize their personal style better.
I completely agree with you about if you love a piece of clothing to make it work. This dress is amazing and I think adding the belt and that jacket made it really perfect for you! So happy you picked it up and at 70% off that is even a bigger score!
Rebecca
http://www.winnipegstyle.ca/Blog/default.cfm
Well if anyone can make something work it is you Rebecca : )
And don’t you look great in it! Love the jacket, boots and beret, too (you rock a beret!). Have a very Merry Christmas, toi!
Problem solved indeed! Although I bet it still looks fabulous without the belt (forget about those damn preconceived ideas. So glad you finally tried it on, and 70% off??? You go girl!
I can see why you fell in love with the dress! The pattern is gorgeous, and the belt definitely gives it the shape it needs. I stay far away from shapeless or ‘tent’ dresses, too. They are overwhelming, and I just don’t like the look, but adding a belt or something to provide shape really helps.
It is indeed a beautiful dress. How clever of you to make it work. You are right in saying that we should challenge ourselves. Otherwise we get in a style rut.
I must say that when I tried shapes which would never be my first choice, it usually did not work out too brilliantly. More like OK which, for me, is not good enough. However, I did have some preconceived ideas, like: don’t wear longer or boxy tops on A-line skirts which were “solved” because the items changed shape in the new fashion and did work. Not always but often.
Greetje
Sheesh, if I’d read this before our meetup I would have brought a belt for that gold coat. Hahaha! – but that wouldn’t have worked either. But the belt with this dress is perfect. I’m glad you persevered. Really, I think you could wear almost anything Suzanne, with your brilliant non-stubborn-problem-solving-with-tenacity skills. It’s that creative mind.
Brilliant Suzanne!! When pondering what you’ve said & shown, maybe we need to rethink some of these “rules” for dressing our bodies! Just like some of the fashion rules have gone to the wayside, maybe so should some of these rules!! Because really, that print is so gorgeous, and at 70% off….you could use the fabric for many other things, if you didn’t succeed in wearing it! jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I totally agree with you. First of all though, love the dress. I can see why you wanted it so badly. I’ve been totally loving tunic style dresses the last few months and yes, being short and busty makes them challenging. But I love them so I wear them; even if the cut isn’t flattering the fact that I feel fabulous when I’m wearing them is.
Debbie
http://www.fashionfairydust.com
I think you totally nailed it when you said, “If you love it, you’ll find a way to make it work.” That’s a mantra I’ve adopted through fashion blogging, and with each passing month, I find it’s relevant to other facets of my life as well. I actually really like a blousy, voluminous dress belted at the waist. It feels a bit more dramatic than belted a shift. And that vibrant print is just your style!
<3 Liz
http://www.withwonderandwhimsy.com
oh yes, I agree: If you truly love something will find a way to make it work!!
Love how you make it work, wearing a belt and a short jacket, and enjoying all those fabulous colors!, such a magnificent print!!
besos