In the past two months, I've ended up buying quite a few formal dresses because I simply could not pass up how good of a deal they were. I mean, how often can you find designer and department store dresses for less than $70? Some of these are less than $20!
So I now have a small supply of formal dresses and am prepared for most any formal occasion if it were to arise. I like to be prepared and have options when it comes to outfits and clothes so these dresses will be good to have when something does come up. I don't currently have a lot of formal events on my calendar in the near future, but I know something will come up eventually. Then I'll be glad I don't have to worry about not having something to wear.
Jeffrey Godfrey - Pink sequin dress from Last Chance - $63
I love pink, and I love sequins. So naturally I just had to try on this dress when I found it at Last Chance, which is basically Nordstrom's super mega clearance store. I loved it when I tried it on and it was one of those moments where I knew I would complain and wish I got that dress if I didn't buy it. So even though I don't currently have anywhere to wear it, it's a great party dress to have.
It's not a trendy dress or anything in terms of its style, so I'll just be here waiting for somewhere to wear it. Obviously with the deep v neckline and sequins all over, it's definitely a dress for a nighttime occasion. I paired it with my black block heels to keep the dress as the focal point.
Ted Baker - Scalloped skater dress from Marshalls - $60
I fell in love with this dress the second I saw it in the designer section of Marshalls. Obviously I love the color, but I also adore the mesh details, the scalloped hem and design throughout, and the rose gold zipper, but you know my favorite part has got to be the pockets! Ted Baker is one of my favorite designers, and he really nailed this one for me.
The rose gold zipper at the back makes it pair perfectly with my super sparkly and cute rose gold glitter heels that I bought when Charlotte Russe was going out of business. They add a fun touch of sparkle and don't clash with the dress.
Because it's a knee length dress and isn't super flashy or anything, this could be used for several different occasions, from weddings to parties to Easter or anything really. It could easily be dressed up or down depending on how you accessorize it, particularly the shoes. This is the only dress in this post I actually have a specific plan and event for. I'll be wearing this to my cousin's wedding at the end of August.
Chelsea 28 - Pink asymmetric ruffle hem dress from Last Chance - $20
When I was at Last Chance, I wasn't actually looking for anything. I was there with my sister to help her look for a dress to wear to our cousin's upcoming wedding. But of course I ended up finding stuff, including this cute ruffled dress. Besides the color, what I instantly liked about this dress is how it's different from anything I've owned or worn. The ruffled asymmetric hem is just so fun and really adds some flair to the otherwise plain dress. The dress just seemed a bit more mature and sophisticated than what I currently own, and since I'm not a teenager anymore, this seemed like a good buy.
It's actually quite versatile. It could be worn like this with some nude heels for a classier and simpler vibe or some higher heels for a bolder look. I don't really have much experience dressing up for more formal "adult events", but I do feel like this could even be worn with a blazer for something kind of business casual if you're in a more creative field of work.
Jump Apparel - Floral party dress - $16
I've never actually been to a high school dance because I never went to any of mine (I'm an introvert and they just weren't/aren't my thing), but this dress is definitely the kind of thing I would have worn to homecoming. I love the darker floral print on the black, which really pops. And of course, the best part is the pockets! And although this is actually a juniors dress that was probably intended for a high school dance, it's an overall party dress that could be used for various events, like a wedding or a big, fancy birthday party.
The color scheme is really quite unique compared to other formal dresses I've seen. The black and different shades of pink/pinkish purple make it great for fall. While many would probably choose to wear black shoes with this dress, I have these pinkish purple Sam Edelman block heels that bring out the dress's pinkish purple color without drawing too much attention away from the dress.
BB Dakota - Rose gold sequin deep V shift dress from Nordstrom Rack - $15
I don't know about other people, but I consider rose gold a shade of pink. And if you know me, you know I wear pink every day. So if I wear this somewhere and someone says "Where's your pink?" or "You aren't wearing pink!" I'm going to think they're wrong. I mean, it's called rose gold, and rose is pink.
Anyway, back to the actual content. Like I said with the first dress, I love pink (I love rose gold ― it's my favorite metallic color), and I love sequins. So of course I was intrigued by this dress upon finding it on the Nordstrom Rack clearance dress rack. I don't own any formal shift dresses, so this definitely adds variety to my wardrobe. Like most of these, I don't have somewhere to wear this yet, but I think it would be great would a New Year's party or a Roaring '20s/Gatsby-inspired party. The sparkle, color, and shape of the dress just give me some Roaring '20s vibes. I also think this would be a good dress for a fancy birthday dinner. It's a nice balance of fun and formal but still kind of casual, which comes from the shift dress design, I think. Maybe that's where I'll wear this dress. That's totally doable.
The dress itself, is actually quite simple and plain despite the abundance of sequins. Since rose gold is a pretty muted color, it's actually not super flashy and can be accessorized with a bit more. I'm not sure if black block heels are the best choice of footwear for this dress ― maybe nude heels of some sort would be better? ― but they're the only shoes I currently own that I feel go with this best.
No comments
Comments are moderated and must be approved before publication. Profanity, hate speech nor any offensive speech will be approved.
Words have power. Don't abuse them.