Nine months ago I tried to start a blog.
Then I got busy, got distracted, got married, got lazy (I’m telling myself to be positive here), got frustrated and then – just today – got back into it.
I wanted to create medium through which I could celebrate and elevate dresses the way Purseblog.com honors handbags and Denimblog.com meditates on the subject of jeans.
But my voice didn’t sound like my own when I wrote about dresses. So I sulked about it. And I wrote less, and I wore dresses less, and every time I saw a dress in a store window I felt like it was taunting me – and I had to look away.
I planned a wedding, an entire event centered on a dress, without writing about it. Deep in dress-lovers’ denial, I watched 13 girls walk down my aisle in different dresses, and I didn’t chronicle it on the blog.
But today that changes. I’m ready to get into blogging again, blogging about dresses.
So today I make a humble resolution: to no longer let sleeping blogs lie.
A recent trip to Bloomingdales flagship store on 59th street brought back memories of visiting the orthodontist, so abundant was the metal adorning the dresses. The good news is that you save money by not having to buy additional accessories as these dresses come fully equipped…neckaces, belts, spare change…all sewed right on. The bad news is that you can gain a few pounds just by slipping into one.
Catherine Malandrino has a full line of decked out dresses including this long sleeved black v-neck with a water-toned jeweled brooch as the focal point.
Take a closer look at the brooch. Looks like we weren’t kidding about that loose change thing…
And this metallic Malandrino shift has a lattice chain at the bust line:
The trend is not limited to the neckline.
This Adrianna Papell party dress comes with a silver and gold beaded belt.
Take the 2-for-1 trend seriously and you can not only find yourself a dress/accessory, but also an outfit that does double duty as casual and chic. For example, try this charcoal gray Shoshanna dress with a double strand necklace can be dressed up with a blazer or down with a cardigan.
Another chapter in Dress Blog’s short history was written today when Dress Blogger in chief was stopped on the street.
A woman asked gently, “Excuse me, could I ask you where you got your dress?”
Ah, the nine words that are the reason this blogs exist, spoken sweetly by a stranger somewhere around West 4th street.
“Of course,” Dress Blogger in Chief replied, feeling the day improve just a bit.
The woman smiled back, “I’ve been looking everywhere for a sweater dress just like it.”
As it turned out, Dress Blogger in Chief’s dark gray, knee-length, 3/4 sleeved, cotton blend sweater dress, the inquiring stranger was informed, is a favorite from Fall 2008 – therefore unavailable, therefore disappointing news to anyone who is looking to buy it. Of course, a plug for Dress Blog ensued – friendly stranger if you’re reading this, I hope you find the sweater dress of your dreams – but more importantly, two ideas were sparked in Dress Blogger in Chief’s mind:
1) We need to feature some more fun, wearable, easy sweater dresses
2) What this world needs is a website that sell’s big brand name fashion from last season and last year.
Likely, that second idea is fodder for a half dozen posts to come. For the moment, it’s time to feature some form fitting, sleek sweater dresses that will keep you warm as you strut your stuff.
We like this chic Ann Taylor V-Neck:
And this J. Crew Turtleneck:
If Turtlenecks give you the creeps, try a crocheted flower at the neckline:
This cool cowl neck from Anthropologie puts a fresh twist on your basic black sweater dress:
And this basic navy sweater dress by Three Dots makes an easy trasition from day to night. Pair it with a blazer and belt for day or boot and a chunky necklace for night!
If you’re celebrating the dawning of the New Year this weekend – like many of our Dress Blog readers and staff – mazel to you and good Rosh.
If you’ve still got three months and change until you feel like you can officially put this year to bed, well, at least you’ve got some time to kill before you have to make another batch of resolutions.
Either way, Monday marks the official start of Autumn, and Dress Blog is ringing in the new season with a post on our favorite materials for fall fashion. Packed away are our favorite summer fabrics like gingham and linen, so that we can make room for our old friends, wool, tweed, and cashmere. And while Cotton will always be the fabric of our lives, we love the following three dresses that can only be truly appreciated when the mercury starts to drop and leaves start to fall.
Look how luxe this Ralph Lauren cashmere dress is:
This sleek sleeveless tweed is perfect for the office or drinks afterwork.
And plaid is perfect for cozying up in – another great choice for our weekend warrior.
We here at The Dress Blog were thrilled to receive our first fan mail!
And we were even more excited to slip into advice columnist mode (and attire) when we were invited to weigh on the question this Dress Blog reader wrote in.
“Dear Dress Blog,
On summer weekends, I always just slip into a cool, summery dress and life is easy. Now that fall is here, I need some good suggestions for casual, comfy, warm dresses for weekend-wear. Help!
Sincerely,
Dressed Up in NYC”
We respond:
Dear Dressed Up~
Good question! As fellow residents of New York City, we know well that when September arrives, your haltered, strapless, silky sundresses suddenly lose value. But not to worry: the dress industry has definitely caught on that just because summer is over doesn’t mean that Dress shopping season is. For the next six to eight months it’s all about sweater dresses, turtleneck dresses, long sleeved dresses and warm, thick fabrics.
Some of our favorite casual fall dresses, great for weekends or even for work, can be found on VictoriasSecret.com, a reliable source for cute, inexpensive, casual dresses.
We like this gray cowl neck:
This white silk V neck:
This cotton and cashmere turtle-neck with pockets in perfect for fall color “red chili”:
And this pretty purple silk and cashmere blouson sweater dress:
All are under $100 and can be paired with leggings and boots on the weekends or a blazer and heels at the office!
Hope this helps!
Dress-Blogger-in-Chief
If you have a question for The Dress Blog, you can email us at TheDressBlog@Gmail.com
“Power-Dressing” is the tag line of Bloomingdales fall fashion campaign, and we at The Dress Blog like their power dresses. There are 48 featured styles and until September 20th, you can enjoy a discount of $25 – $500 off.
You’ll find dresses that are perfect for work like this Calvin Klein Sleeveless Sheath…
And it’s affordable!
Or this Elie Tahari Belted Sheath:
As well as dresses that more for play like this Black Halo mini ruffled dress…
Get ‘em while the sale is hot.
With Labor day just around the corner, celebrities are trying to satisfy their last little white dress cravings in the waning days of summer.
Which is your favorite LWD?
- Hayden Panettiere in Zac Posen
- Emma Roberts in Monique Lhuillier
- Kim Kardashian in Stella McCartney
Want to find your own cute white dress to languish the last days of summer in?
We like:
J. Crew’s Alexa dress in white
The one armed dress may have a history that dates back to the grecian goddesses of yore, but they are back with a vengence for Fall 2009.
The Dress Bloggers have found examples of asymmetric lines in dresses that range from black tie to back-to-school at stores that range from DVF to Dillards (check out the selection below). But even with the abundance of one shouldered dresses, we’re not convinced we’re in on this trend.
Find it 
Find It 
Find It 
Find it
Tell us, when it comes to dresses, do you prefer symmetry? Let us know by commenting on this post!
Remember when we determined that purple is the new black?
Well, Lizard is apparently the new leopard.
That’s right, you already love crocodile skin on your bags, pocket books and of course shoes. But why should your feet get to have all the fun?
Slither into one of these sexy snake inspired dresses to show off your wild-side.
Try this Stella McCartney Lizard print on for size.
Or browse the budget versions Arden B is hawking.
Arden B Metallic Reptile Print 
Arden B Python Print
To celebrate the end of summer, I decided to go golfing.
Second only to tennis (and maybe synchoronized swimming??), Golf ranks high on the list of athletic activities at which you can excel while wearing a dress.
I’ll be wearing this Nike Golf Dress the next time I hit the links.
Good at Golf? You can wear one too!
