All Dressed Up...

...and nowhere to go? Maybe it's not as bad as people say it is. Dresses as casual wear is a nice change from t-shirts and jeans.

You may recall that I've looked long and hard for the perfect dress for my work's holiday party (yeah, I know it's been a while since I've last written). Ideally, I wanted something that could be dressed up or down. I was even willing to spend more for the dress because I wanted something nice and long-lasting to invest in. Alas, I've looked high and low and couldn't find what I was looking for...until the day before the party.

I had taken that day off of work because I had to go get sworn in for my license. After that was done, I decided to hit the Friday sample sales. I figured that it was one of the few opportunities I had to go, now that my work schedule is so busy, and I needed Christmas presents anyway. To my chagrin, I spent a lot of money on myself (and a little bit for 2 t-shirts for the boys of my family), but I landed a lot of good stuff.

One of the purchases is this wonderful Beaus and Eros dress. It's long-sleeved--perfect for this weather--and very, very soft. I could easily dress it up with a nice necklace and pumps, or dress it down like so. Or dress it down further with flip-flops. $25 is admittedly more than I'd like to spend on casual clothing, but this has such a professional look that I knew it can go a long way.


Here is my Christmas party dress in all its glory. I went without the tights (which I did wear for a different holiday event), and accessorized with my own Garden Variety bracelet and the vintage yellow clutch I snatched up at the Goodwill.


This Ella Moss dress is incredibly soft and drapes beautifully. I love how there are multiple layers that makes the dress look elegant but not weigh me down. I got it for $40--far lower than what I had budgeted for a nice dress. As it was a sample, I evaluated the construction carefully before plunking down my money. There was a split in the seams of the halter strap, but the pros of the dress greatly outweight the little tiny flaw, which was easily fixed with a needle and thread.

In addition to the draping, the gorgeous color got my attention. It's a deep (almost midnight) blue, which is as close to black as you can get and still be different from the typical LBD's out there. Another thing I love about this dress is the casualness of it. Sure, it can be dressed up for a party the way I did, but because the fabric is not satin, taffeta, or anything else that would give it away as a "party dress," I can easily dress it down with flip-flops for the summer.

I'm so glad that I was so productive on my day off ;-). Now it's time to go finish my Christmas shopping to the extent possible. It's been incredibly hard because I've been working long hours, but a little bit of local retail and a little bit of online buying helps knock a few names off that list. Hope you're staying warm and got everything done!