25 Days of Style: a Fashion Blog series -- Day 18

     Day 18 and the Zara shopping loot continues today and OH-EM-GEE. If you think I’m in love with the blouse that I wore yesterday, then there are no words to how much I love today’s look! When I was flipping through the racks, this piece definitely caught my interest. I believe my exact words were, “Oooh!” Then while I was in line for the dressing room, I was looking at the stack of clothes that were in my hands (yes, a stack) and began having doubts about this dress.. “Maybe I couldn’t pull it off? It is a white dress. But I love the leopard poplin / peter pan collar. Is it too boring? Conservative? But it does have potential. Oooh! It’s got pockets!” But like a veteran shopper, never judge something on a hanger until you’ve tried it on. As soon as I put it on, I had a Holly Golightly moment. The dress needs some minor adjustments, like the sleeves would be better if they were ¾ in length instead of the full sleeve, but the silhouette of the dress is so classic, the material is great, and it’s beautifully made. And to top it all off the fit of the dress was like it was tailor made just for me. Fashion 101: if a garment fits really well, it’s going to look expensive regardless if you bought it from Bergdorf’s or H&M. I can’t emphasize fit and tailoring enough!


     As soon as the shopping bag was happily in my hand and I continued to roam the rest of the mall, I began thinking about exactly how I would style this dress. So what do I know about this dress? -- it's white with a leopard poplin/peter pan collar, A-line, knee length, and long sleeves. And then it hit me, my initial inspiration – Holly Golightly! Then the entire look came together like that -- keep the dress as is, but those wretched sleeves really need to be shortened or rolled up, big tortoise shell sunglasses, color on the lips, and black Mary Jane shoes. The dress emanates such a 60s look to it, that I couldn't help but wear it as is. And with the right accessories, I look like I'm ready for Sunday brunch with Truman Capote or cocktails on Lexington Avenue. I'm usually not a big fan of animal print, especially leopard, but in small doses like a scarf or ballet flats, or like the poplin/peter pan collar on this dress, I can tolerate. 

     I knew Holly Golightly didn't wear Chanel, the costume designer of the movie Edith Head along with Givenchy (yes, the Hubert Givenchy himself) dressed Audrey Hepburn after all -- a life long relationship that began with Roman Holiday. But I can't stress the importance of investing in quality made pieces. I know not everyone can afford Chanel or Givenchy, but the products these fashion houses produce are pricey for a reason. They're made impeccably well, they will last you for a lifetime, and most importantly they're so pretty. Nothing beats the original! You have to think about it in a cost per wear perspective. For instance, instead of buying the $20 satchel from Forever 21, saved your money, and invested in a Mulberry satchel instead, you're guaranteed to get your money's worth by carrying it around forever. Because chances are, it's going to last you forever compared to that Forever 21 knock off. And that's how I feel about my handbag purchases. They're called luxury goods for a reason, you know. Just think, when you get old and have children yourself, you can pass it on to your daughters and how cool would it be to have a classic and vintage handbag? (That's what my mom does!)  


Love, KB

dress with leopard poplin/peter pan collar by Zara

Mary Jane shoes by Cole Haan 

sunglasses by Ray-Ban

black quilted chain bag Chanel