The dress that changed my life

/ Meg

At some point in the last few months, my style has changed dramatically. For a while I was contributing this shift to a pair of $6 leggings I bought at Target, crediting them with giving me the ability to wear a pair of slouchy black boots with a dress to work. Not too keen on the idea of freezing to death when the temperatures dropped, leggings opened up a new world to me: the world of wearing skirts. In winter!

What I failed to realize? I never would have bought the leggings — or the skirts, or the dresses — without having first purchased The Dress.

The Dress is a deep pink color cut just above the knee, cinched at the waist with a matching fabric belt. It’s a classic silhouette that hugs my curves just enough to be flattering — but not enough to hug some, ahem, areas I would rather not be hugged. Y’all know what I’m saying.

After undergoing a period of intense emotional change and losing a bit of weight, I was feeling ready to embrace something new and different in my life. I wanted new clothes! A new attitude! A new me!

And I got it. Walking around H&M in Annapolis with my mother, I came across The Dress on a random rack, tried it on and, a mere $30 later, took that baby home with me. It wasn’t something I would have normally chosen for myself, which is exactly why I bought it. After years of steadfastly refusing to wear anything exposing my legs, I was ready to let all of that go.

The first day I wore it to the office, I created a bit of a stir. Gone were my baggy, frayed black dress pants — the ones I purchased right after college in an effort to establish my “career wardrobe.” (Some of my fashion choices from that era, just a few years back, still haunt me.) In a dress — and a dress that showed off my figure — I earned appreciative looks from friends and coworkers, gathering up their compliments like sprinkles on cupcakes.

Wearing The Dress to work — where attire is pretty business casual — gave me a super confidence boost. And whenever I want to feel cute, sassy but professional, I throw on this lil’ number with black flats, a chunky black necklace and get ready to take on the world. I love it so much, I’m even wearing it in my column photo at the paper! Basically, it’s my Power Dress.

Do you have a Power Outfit — a certain article of clothing that makes you feel so good every time you wear it? I’ll cull any ideas for a back-up. You know, just in case The Dress ever lets me down. (Right. Like that could happen.)

19 thoughts on “The dress that changed my life”

  1. Aww, great post! I know what you mean about power outfits. I have a few. I have a couple pencil skirts that when I wear with heels always make me feel really professional.

    And I know what you mean about leggings with skirts! I’m in Florida, but it still was cold here during the winter (haha) but I would still wear skirts with leggings or tights and it was like a totally different outfit!

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  3. It is the dress! It looks very good on you! And of course, it’s pink. Just the right color.

    I don’t really have a power outfit. It’s the quality of my hair and my mood that boosts my day!

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  9. I love wearing dresses, and I hardly ever do. You look marvelous in that one – it’s the perfect color for you.

    Makes me want to find a great dress for myself!

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  13. You look so lovely in that dress! And what a beautiful color, too!

    I don’t have a power outfit, but I do have power-boots. They’re a pair of black ankle books and they go with almost everything in my wardrobe, from the baggy pair of jeans to the cute black dress. They also make that click-clack sounds when I walk that make me feel uber confident.

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  14. you look great in your dress! i can see why it’s your favorite one. i haven’t found *the* dress for me (yet). where’s your bow belt?? hehe. and you’re not copying me–we’re just really similar! bow belts should be wardrobe staples for everyone. i keep telling tritia that she should get one.

    sadly, i don’t have a “power outfit”. it’s one of those things that have to find you, and not the other way around, you know?

    …maybe i should shop more. 😉

    ❤

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  15. I covet that dress! And…power outfits…I feel ya. I have a collection of dress pants that I horded immediately after college graduation. I even have a pants suit (a fashionably tailored one, mind you) that I bought specifically for interviews. I’m not particularly fond of rigid work wear, so DROOL dresses!

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  16. Aren’t dresses wonderful? I never used to wear them, but about 2 years ago, it hit me that dresses are even more comfortable than jeans. And they make you feel pretty. Glad you found THE dress that makes you feel good!

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  17. Hooray for The Dress! It really looks fantastic on you.

    I have my own version of The Dress that I got from a Gap outlet somewhere in South Carolina last month. It’s black, short-sleeved, cut just above the knee and ties behind the back with an inch-wide sash-y kind of thing. The fabric is a polyester/spandex combo, but it is so light and movable that it is perfect for spring. It can be dressed up or down, and looks AWESOME with black leggings. Like yours, it hugs just the right parts of the body without being clingy. It’s one of the few dresses that, when I wear it, I really feel like me.

    Glad to know I’m not the only one with a fantastic dress!

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  18. That is an amazing thing!
    For me, its a green tshirt that my friends gifted me on my birthday. I have never worn the color green so it kinda make me feel good.. and I love it now 🙂

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