Spring Dresses!

Hello my friends! It feels like it’s been a really long time since I’ve logged on here so I’m excited to share some great spring/summer dresses with y’all. As soon as it warmed up enough to start wearing dresses I was on the hunt for some new ones that would fit all the desired criteria so I’ll actually wear them (I think we’ve all bought that “perfect” strapless dress, only to find we just don’t want to wear it due to having to wear a strapless bra, etc. Or is that just me?): comfortable, cute, no need for a strapless bra, can wear it with what I already have in my closet, midi length, flowy/breezy, and classy. I usually make sure there’s no zipper or that it contains at least some smocking/elastic; comfort is key!

I apologize for the dusty mirror, it’s so odd how quickly it gets dirty and that I never seem to notice until I look at the pictures after the fact. I also have been lazy when it comes to cleaning up my office before taking pics, but hey, not everything has to be perfect. *shrug*

I wanted to keep this one in “ivory floral” – now out of stock – but the girls were just a bit too big in the size that fit the rest of my body best (14, this brand runs small and the dress lacks smocking, boo!). Oh well, it was the priciest and most formal of all the dresses I tried anyway.

This one is tied with #2 for my new favorite. I’ve worn them both so much! I just adore how throwing on a dress is as easy as it gets, yet you look like you actually put some thought into your ‘fit. This particular color (oat coral) is not available online, except in plus sizes (I’m wearing a 10). But Taylor makes this style of dress in many colors and this one is pretty adorable. This one is also super cute and comes with its own belt. This one is another great option and it also comes in plus sizes.

These shoes were a fantastic purchase – they are still in my regular rotation after 5 years! And of course I bought them in black and brown, because that’s what you do when you find an item you love 😉 While I 💜  everything about them (mostly the comfort and style), they are starting to rip just a bit near the ankle strap as they are not made of leather. So I’m considering buying this year’s version (in dark tan and gold) as they are on major sale right now!

And here’s my other favorite from this group of dresses. I am embarrassed to say how often I’ve worn this one lately. It’s just SO easy to throw on, with or without a bra. This color is sold out, but they offer it in a really pretty green and orange floral as well. I have tried a few Astr dresses in the past (mainly at TJMaxx), but the sizing can be pretty funky IMO. This brand is similar to FP in that many of the styles have a ton of cutouts or are backless, so that’s pretty limiting to me as well. I bought an XL in this dress, but an XL in this dress just didn’t look right as the seam at the waist was way too tight. So it’s been too many misses for me to keep trying their online selection, but I guess I’ll just keep my eyes out at good old TJMaxx.

These next two were impulse buys from TJMaxx, in-store. I spotted them both hanging by themselves on a rack and was surprised how much I liked both of them when I tried them on. Because they were TJMaxx finds they are out of stock online in these exact colors, but here are some of the first style in different prints (1, 2, 3). I bought the size 14 and it fits well.

This one is a little brighter than I would normally go for, but I dig it! Here is a very similar option in berry. It’s also offered in ivory/beige and Amazon has a few versions of it as well. I also got a 14 in this one, but I could have easily done a 12. Because it’s a tad big I do have to mess with the neckline a bit or I can get a little overexposed. But it’s oh-so-comfy and a little shorter than some of my other midi’s but still falls below the knee.

How cute are these wedges btw? They are pretty tall (5″ heel, 1.7″ platform) so I’m 6’1 when I wear them, but thankfully my 5’10 husband is a secure man (lol) and they are very easy to wear due to the platform and the ankle tie. They are just so classic and recently I had to get rid of my last pair of neutral wedges as the elastic got too stretched out. Luckily they lasted me about 10 years! This new pair seems very high in quality, so hoping history repeats itself. They are a tad tight on may wide feet, but I am confident they’ll stretch.

Luckily I can still wear this jacket at night or in places with blasting a/c because I am OBSESSED! It’s not only something I want to wear constantly -seriously, I’d wear it to bed if that weren’t crazy – but people compliment me all the time when I wear it, always a good sign haha.

They are already a pretty good deal at full pop (~$198) considering the quality of the suede (I imagine I’ll be able to wear this baby for a long time), but why pay full price if you don’t have to? You can usually find some good deals at Amazon (~$80-$150) on these jackets, but I’ve found that Postmark/resale is really the best way to go. I got one in light grey last year and more recently in “Sun Valley” for $50-60! Both were brand new with tags! It helped me feel a bit better about buying 2 suede jackets in 2 years – I could just not decide on one color. This girl needs options!

It only hit me some time last year that I need to get some more belts – they really do add that finishing touch, plus it’s always a good look to accentuate the waist, so I just bought some stretch belts from Amazon because I never wear the ones that don’t contain elastic. Who wants to be constricted? Not me. I eventually picked these as they are offered for a great price, they are pretty simple, and they have a nice color selection. It’s good to have a few neutral options, after all. I like the gold one more than I was expecting so, although they didn’t arrive in time to make it in this blog post, you’ll probably be seeing them soon!

Which is your favorite?

XO, Kate