When the summer is hot and the days are long my favourite place is by a pool with a good book, but of course that’s for high days and holidays. I love a relaxed-sarong-style-look, but rocking up to run a blogging workshop in a tropical wrap over swimsuit with a frangipani flower in my hair wouldn’t really cut it.
I love fashion and trying to look stylish, although I don’t always achieve it. So today here’s another Lifestyle Fifty fashion post, showing warts and all what I think works for me, and encouraging you to find your own personal style too.
Easy Wear Summer Dresses to suit different body shapes
The style I’m loving right now is a bit retro, because I can remember jersey being a go-to fabric way back in the 1960’s.
A Jersey wrap dress I bought from Target is a winner. It hugs in the right places, has a bit of a pull in around the stomach section and falls to a flattering length on the knee. It also doesn’t crease, and feels lovely against your skin. Worn with nude shoes with a bit of a wedge heel, white and navy beads (mine are hand made and bought form a market stall in Esperance, WA) and voila, stand up straight, and I’m set to go.
Tip: A good bra is essential (and spanx type undies do wonders for less than perfect tums)
What do you reckon. Does this sort of style suit you or not?
Fashion police, aka the wonderfully outspoken, knowledgeable media personalities, Trinny and Susannah in the UK would probably say this style has elements of ‘Bombshel’ about it. And you don’t have to have a perfect figure to wear it because it particularly suits a few lumps and bumps curves. But I think that any body shape can be bombshell sexy – it’s how your present yourself that’s important.
“Think Marilyn Monroe, Gretta Garbo or Anna Nicole Smith. A bombshell is all about sexy curves. All the time, day or night. A bombshell is all about fitting waists and formfitting clothes that highlight the curves. In fact if you don’t have curves the bombshell look will not work for you.”
I really adore this little go-anywhere, black wrap dress by Autograph for sizes 14 and up. It’s a ‘Bar Detail Wrap Mid Dress’ for $99.99. You can buy it at AUTOGRAPH
The other look I’m loving right now is a casual maxi. Again it doesn’t crease (winning) and it’s easy to wear.
You could wear this style of dress if you’re a bean pole delight, or a curvalicious lovely. I had a little fun teaming it together with a black sun hat (just a bit rock ‘n roll) and a big pair of sunglasses. Okay, I have to let on, they are prescription glasses but what the heck? Prescription sunnies come in all shapes and sizes to suit us these days (aren’t we the lucky generation).
So what is Jersey?
“Jersey is a knit used predominantly for clothing manufacture. It was originally made of wool but is now made of wool, cotton, and synthetic fibres. Since medieval times Jersey, Channel Islands where the material was first produced, had been an important exporter of knitted goods and the fabric in wool from Jersey became well known. The fabric can be a very stretchy single knitting, usually light-weight, jersey with one flat side and one piled side. When made with a lightweight yarn, this is the fabric most often used to make T-Shirts. Or it can be a double knitted jersey (interlock jersey), with less stretch, that creates a heavier fabric of two single jerseys knitted together to leave the two flat sides on the outsides of the fabric, with the piles in the middle. Jersey is considered to be an excellent fabric for draped garments, such as dresses, and women’s tops. ” Wikipedia
Apparently in 1916, Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel upset the fashion industry by using jersey at a time when it was only associated with underwear.
Who do you want to be today, by Trinny and Susannah.
“You’ve read The Rules, you know your shape, and you’ve worked out which colours suit you best, now you can have some real fun and learn how to vary your look according to your mood. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE TODAY? “
It’s a great book and gives lots of style ideas. You can buy it on Amazon.
More Style Posts
You might also like: Wardrobe and Style Tips, and How to look 5 years younger than your really are, or 16 Ways to Glam up and Dress Like a Rock Chick and What Shall I wear today? Oh Boho
Question: Do you have a go to dress that you love? Why not tell us all about it in the comments section?
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I think the wrap dress in the first pic suits you perfectly Jo. And from Target! I might have to go and check that one out. My wardrobe is sadly lacking in summer dresses. I am not quite sure how that happened. Probably working in a male dominated industry and living with all-males hasn’t helped my fashion sense! Thanks for another great post Jo.
Thanks Jill. I nearly wore it to the blogging conference but decided on something else! Yes, Target – have to say I do love that store. Perhaps you’ll come to enjoy summer dresses again one of these days when you cut back on work?
I can’t believe that the blueTarget dress you show was draped over my arm on a recent shopping trip. It looked like it would be flattering and comfortable and priced to please me. However I ran out of time as I was actually there to buy gifts for someone else, so I placed it back on the rack. So crazy that you chose the same thing on the other side of Australia!
Jan, that is such a coincidence! What a pity you didn’t buy it – you could have sent a pic for Lifestyle Fifty. You’re right it is flattering and comfy and a good price. I’m giggling at the chance of this happening all the way on the opposite side of Aus!
I always want comfort, something I can move in and doesn’t crease. On or below the knees so when you sit down it doesn’t ride up and expose your thighs. I am moving away from black to x
Oh i so agree, Rae. Comfort, movement and something that doesn’t crease. I love your style … classy and distinctive. However unlike you, I do like black though, but not all the time.
I think the wrap dress looks gorgeous on you Jo. I think I might give this style a go. I have tended to wear shift dresses over Summer. Some with a high neck (which hide the scruffy neck) and cut in armholes which gives the illusion of having nice broad shoulders. I haven’t got into the maxi dress, because I am so short and feel that they look silly on me. Most of them are far too long anyway!
I’ve seen you in a figure hugging LBD (in a guest post on Lifestyle Fifty) Kathy, and you look gorgeous in it. I know what you mean about maxi dresses 😉 Same for me.
Great ideas as usual Jo. Might give these a try myself…. just as soon as the weather starts to warm up!
Look forward to a few pics – when the weather warms up 😉 Thanks for reading Kim 🙂
I love the style of the first one the most and it’s a style that I think suits me as well. I’m loving my LBD at the moment, the one I’m attempting to style 52 ways. I’m almost tempted to follow this challenge up with a one dress for everyday of the year challenge.
That sounds an impressive challenge Raychael. I’m going to pop over and have a look 🙂