DUET DRESS, FALL LAYERING AND LOFT SALE PICKS

I bought this dress because it’s so easy to wear and looks like a blouse and skirt combo. As a mom of a preschooler I’m always looking for pieces that require very little styling. This dress makes the cut. It looks like a top and skirt combo but is actually just a pullover dress with easy blouson styling. It’s meant as a summer dress, therefore sleeveless. So for this cooler day I layered a thin black turtleneck underneath. You could easily add more texture and dimension to the look by layering a printed cardigan over it instead of layering a turtleneck underneath – or for really cold days you could do both. You could also easily make this dress work for the office by pairing it with something like this cute knit blazer.

I love the blue of the skirt – a really pretty gray blue that has a subtle satiny richness to it. It’s also really soft and the pleats make it universally flattering.  It’s fully lined, which is nice for the tail end of Summer heading into cooler weather. I was debating between the Regular and Petite size and ended up choosing the standard size due to length but in retrospect the Petite XXS would have been better, especially if you plan to wear the dress by itself (without layering under as I did).

My warm brown mules have been perfect for the current season and will work well into Fall. Mules are all the rage right now and have always been a favorite style of mine because they elongate the leg. Also, nothing is easier to put on than a slip on style! I love this pair – so similar to much higher-priced designer ones but a fraction of the cost. You can see them styled here with a completely different color palette earlier this Summer. They’re extremely comfortable and work just as well with jeans and cropped pants as they do with dresses and skirts. So versatile.