I am normally a stickler for tailored clothing. I want my clothes look like they fit my body, at the very least at my waist if no where else. I don’t want to look like my body is hiding in bolts of oddly draped fabric creating new or bigger curves and bumps.

So then why did I fall for this vintage Joseph Ribkoff dress?

It’s black.

(boring!)

It has lots of extra draped fabric.

(adding an extra three-banana-split-daily-habit-washed-down-with-chocolate-cake-and-cookies in visual weight)

Why would anyone other than a person with a model’s physique (aka Melanie) try to wear such a piece?

Two reasons…it’s comfortable and it’s stylish.

Comfort And Style Can Coexist

I wore this outfit out last week but changed up the boots to red and felt rather chic despite the fact that this would not be described as figure flattering.

What’s working?

The matte black fools the eyes, diguising what is convex or concave.

The cut of the dress and the tone on tone textures create visual interest.

The dress is rather heavy so the volume created on the lower half hangs down rather than out.

The fabric is quite bouncy and actually jumps as I move.

The dress doesn’t do my body any favours then again it doesn’t do it a disservice either.

This may be more of “women dressing for women”.

 

Style is fluid it changes with our bodies and minds.

The willingness to try out new things and challenge my preconceived ideas keeps my style choices flowing and growing.

Well, that and thrifting which is the single most creative compelling force in my wardrobe and Etsy shop.

Oh the treasures one finds!

I’ve had a bit of a run lately with black dresses in my Etsy store which is odd since in the past I used to skip right over the black sections. Now I take the time to go through them and have been pleasantly surprised by the number of pieces that came home with me.

 

A black dress acts like a blank canvas.

I can show off some the jewellery I’ve made by hand or funky patterned boots.

 

Added bonus, this dress is streamlining my workload.

When in the fitting rooms I just pull it off over my head, no zippers or buttons slowing down my shopping progress. I can change faster than a speeding bullet in this thing!

When I thrift I am focused and determined.  I cover lots of stores so anything that can speed up the process is welcome.

 

The willingness to experiment with our own personal clothing choices is an opportunity to discover new pieces of ourselves, to see ourselves with fresh eyes.

The creative possibilities are endless as long as our minds remain open.

If there is one thing I’ve learned in my fifty one years on this earth it is,

“Never say never”.

 

 

Are you a woman that dresses for other women?

Or you do dress for yourself?