Tis The Season To Be Dressy!

This season we have really backed the dress. We have every shape imaginable and every length. You will find the perfect one in our store, I have no doubt.

This week I would love to chat about why you would need to add that special addition or 2 to your Summer Wardrobe.

Why buy a dress over pants and tops you ask?

First and foremost... your humble dress is your "go-to", your no-brainer, your " I don't have time to chase down my outfit, iron separates or think about what goes with what right now..." We are BUSY!!! Busy mums, busy working women, right?

Dresses are flattering and if you buy the right one for you it will work in any situation. Don't be afraid to show off your shape and the right dress will do that. We sometimes get the comment that our clothes are "baggy". Well, we do love our lifestyle clothing and we tend to stay away from "event" fashion that is more structured and less comfortable in our Queensland summers.

Just because the style is looser though, does not mean you lose shape. If that is the case you are buying the wrong size or the wrong label. A great label will always promote and flatter your shape because, they are generally designed to emphasise the shape and form of a woman's body.

The fabrics and styles used have enormous capacity for variation... meaning they can cling to all the right (or wrong!!) places. They can sculpt or drape whatever the occasion calls for, but ultimately our dresses should flatter and emphasise a woman's body to give her confidence when she wears it.

It is all about feeling good and looking good and it should fit in a way that makes you feel more confident about yourself. Even the most self assured of us can use that extra little boost that comes from a really great dress.

Buying a dress is automatically good value. You have a whole outfit with the one price tag. You're done!

If you live around where we live, you will be LOVING the dress this summer. It is hot! Also don't forget if you are pregnant or menopausal you are going to be feeling the heat even more than your average person... do yourself a favour and do an easy kaftan or slip dress... you will love the freedom of it.

Breastfeeding mums how perfect is the dress with an opening at the front? A lot of our mums come in looking for the dress that will take them from pregnancy to breastfeeding. So not only practical but there it is again... the money saver 😊

Brave + True - Lido Dress with Short Sleeves - SHOP HERE

Dresses are not just for Summer! My personal favourite of styling a winter dress is definitely donning a pair of knee high boots with tights. Dresses look amazing with a leather jacket or denim jacket thrown on for a classy evening or great casual boho look. Love those looks and wish I lived in a colder climate so that I could have these looks going on more often than we get to 🤔 The humble dress is versatile so don't dismiss it - for every season it will turn up and work hard for you.

Dress your dress up or dress it down... some simple make-up and flats and you can go meet up with friends for lunch. Going straight from work or in a rush? Swap out your flats for some heels, throw on a jacket and some red lippy and you are ready to party. For the casual look don't be afraid to throw some cool sneakers on with your dress especially if it is tea length and up. This season I am going absolutely nuts over sandals and I have to admit I am loving my metallics to pair back with my jewellery and its just so easy to go from daytime into the night.

I feel ultra feminine when I put on a dress and I know my husband appreciates a dress as it is just the way of things isn't it? Boys love girls in dresses... and hey! thats not a bad thing right? 😘 For me, I am drawn to anything lower than knee length, as I have a real hang up about my legs. I also don't love my arms now that I have lost weight so I would prefer to hide them but when it is hot I will throw all that out the window and wear sleeveless.

If that happens I will make sure that I pair it back with some statement jewellery to take emphasis off that part of me that I feel self conscious about. I want to say though, that almost every woman I have ever styled hates/dislikes their arms, knees or ankles. Weirdly enough, it doesn't matter what size they are. We all have these hang ups it seems.

As a stylist I must respect this and go with alternatives that highlight their strengths. Just between you and me though, sometimes I am looking at them thinking I can not see what you are seeing 🤔... I think this happens to pretty much everyone because we are by far our worst critic. When she is standing there saying how much she hates her fat arms, I am thinking oh my goodness I love how that colour is making her eyes pop or how beautiful and youthful her skin is.

So remember to be kind to yourself and look at yourself through positive eyes. Think about the parts of your body that you love and that you want to have on display. If that means bringing out the girls then do it! If you are an apple shape (bigger around the middle) but you have great legs, then show those babies off! Sometimes thinking about the parts of your body you like or dislike is going to be the key to what the perfect dress is for you. If you don't like that part... then celebrate the parts you do like.

Dresses create a flattering vertical illusion. You can find the perfect dress that works for your body shape. The one colour, pattern, and fabric create a less fussy look so the eye "travels" over the "complete look" rather than starting and stopping over areas we would rather down play. So for example, I am narrow across the shoulders so like my video about the MegbyDesign Edith dress, you will see me opening up the buttons to create a v-neck which opens up the chest area giving me more balance to my smaller upper body.

I often use ruffles, pattern or colour to balance out my body proportions. Ideally for me, anything that emphasises my waist, décolletage and bust is going to be a plus as they are my best assets. So dresses do give you the ability to show off your best assets in the simplest way possible. As a stylist I usually look at your overall proportions and I really try to stay away from stereo-typical body typing as it is very few of us that fit perfectly into those categories.

MegbyDesign - Edith Dress - SHOP HERE

Travelling is super easy with dresses. As mentioned before they can be transformed with a simple shoe style and jewellery change. I always find if I travel with dresses my "looks" are more complete. Nine times out of ten when I do separates I get there with 12 pieces and I am scratching my head thinking why did I bring these again? I am usually so busy up to departure time that I never ever get to do the planning that I have planned to do...🤪

Buying a dress is a little bit liberating in that you can go crazy with patterns and prints and colours. You don't have to worry about chasing down the right piece to go back with it. Summer is the time to be wearing your brights, prints and florals to lift your mood. Go ahead and fancy things up a bit for this party season and don't be shy! Colour is in xox

If you would like to know what is best for your shape and size please give us a call or book online for one of our in-house or virtual stying sessions. We would love to help you find the perfect dress.

This year has been like no other with the late late arrival of our labels. We are spoilt for choices so we are blessed to live in a country that has a beautifully long summer.

Till next time

🌻🌞🌼💛🧡🤍💛🧡🤍