Happy Monday my little chickadees.
It’s true, while the fine people of France were celebrating their independence, your pal Plummy was celebrating the 33rd anniversary of her escape from the womb. I don’t exactly remember what it was like in there, but I figure it was a lot like The Poseidon Adventure, with my in utero self being played by the inimitable Miss Shelley Winters. God I miss Shelley Winters.
Sadly, my one true birthday wish –I wanted to shoot a piñata with a gun– went unfulfilled, but alas, ours is but a vale of tears and through no fault of my own, Dora lived to explore another day.
To celebrate Plumcakemas, Hot Latin Boy took me to a new Argentinian place whose premise seemed to be to throw meat at you until paid to stop. I wore a maxi dress and thought of you, my beloved readers.
Mine way a long grey number similar to this rayon/viscose blend from Remain, available for under $100 at Nordstrom.
The brown belt for my particular gray dress would’ve been a misstep.
Not a grave one, but I used a wide black silk belt from Josie Natori instead and was all the better for it.
I think it originally belonged to some ridiculously expensive bed jacket I got on clearance at Neiman’s. Anyway, the silk is glorious and as thick as my thumb and although the jacket itself is lost somewhere in storage, I regularly call upon the belt to class up an otherwise middle-of-the-road outfit.
I slipped on a brushed silk shawl from Lanvin –the color teeters between the matte greenish silver of the underside of an olive leaf and the blue silver of a steelhead trout (I can’t imagine cuddly Alber Elbaz had that precise combination in mind, but it worked), flat sandals and a pair of substantial sparkly earrings in various shades of steel and smoke. The whole look was effortless and comfortable, exactly what a maxi dress should be.
I believe I might’ve accidentally led some of you down the garden path where cardigans and shawls are concerned.
Although my personal preference is for shawls there’s nothing saying you can’t wear a cardigan with a maxi dress.
In the shoes for maxi dresses post When I suggested our dear reader exchange the cardi for a wrap, it was a question of formality –she was attending a wedding and shawls are a bit dressier– not some well-hidden passage of Leviticus damning to hell anyone who dared combine an ankle-length dress and button up sweater (although it makes about as much sense as half the other laws in there). So go ahead and wear them both. I’m almost positive you won’t get picketed.
So with that little teaser, you’ll have to stay tuned for the rest of the week when I will go to great lengths (see what I did there?) to address your concerns large and small.
I like the look of that dress but it’s a prime example of one of my major trend annoyances. The tie on the shoulder. If it’s meant to be ruched just sew the ruching into it. I hate that little shoe string dangling down my upper arm. I am ticklish and I will not stand for it. Harumph!
Comment by Abbenormal — July 16, 2012 @ 3:47 pm
My main question about the maxi dress is this: can a 5’4″ apple ever, EVER, wear one without looking like a fireplug? I anxiously await further posts on the subject.
Comment by Jezebella — July 16, 2012 @ 4:35 pm
Good to know I won’t be stoned for wearing my maxi dresses with cardigans and blazers. I wear them all the time for work and I think I look adorable. Now if I could just find more dresses that actually come to my ankle…oh the whoas of being tall!
Comment by Jeni — July 16, 2012 @ 6:38 pm
Your birthday outfit sounds lovely, and I’d love to hear if you ever make your pinata wish a reality. I second Jezebella’s query as well; for girls on the shorter side, how does one pull off a maxi without becoming a sad little tent of fabric?
Comment by Missie Sue — July 16, 2012 @ 9:21 pm
Y’all, she’s getting to that. This isn’t going to be the only maxi dress post this week.
Comment by ChloeMireille — July 16, 2012 @ 10:56 pm
Thanks, Plumcake! Looking forward to seeing all you have to say!
Comment by SarahDances — July 18, 2012 @ 10:10 am