I can’t believe I didn’t think to pair these two pieces — dress and necklace — before. They’re truly perfect together. I feel like most of the credit needs to go to my MaxMara necklace, which has proven to be a statement accessory superstar. So much for all the doubters (ahem, my husband) who questioned the wisdom of my decision to buy it. Almost every time I am in need of a special piece to elevate a simple outfit, this necklace does the trick. It’s a compliment magnet too. There is something surprisingly elegant about all those big pieces of resin.
My outfit was not the only good thing going for me. Behold, a Good Make-Up Day:
Don’t ask me what I did differently that day, because I have no idea. I just, somehow, magically, looked far more rested and fresh and glowy than usual. Like lightning in a bottle, this whole effect has proven rather difficult to replicate. If you’ve got some new must-have beauty items to recommend, I’m all ears.
Back to the outfit, with one more word on the dress. I am starting to be less enamoured of the bell sleeves. I know they’re currently trendy, and they’re not flappy enough to actively bother me, but I feel like they make the dress look a bit “fancier” than I’d like. Plus, they’re hard to fit into blazers without wrinkling them. I’m debating taking the dress to the tailor to consider a partial sleeve-ectomy. Thoughts?
Bell sleeves are associated really strongly for me with my taste when I was 15. It’s not the exact same look this time around but I can’t get into them as a trend. Yours are pretty subtle but I’m always in favor of making clothing more wearable.
I don’t hate-hate them, but I don’t love them either. But I can see how, if something has strong associations with a certain era of one’s life, it might be hard to revisit a trend. For me, that’s chokers. Can’t do it.
Could a tailor add a button or closure to the sleeve so that you could choose to wear it bell or tighter on the wrist. I like the look of the bell sleeve but believe they can get in the way when working. Btw that necklace is amazing.
Part of it is that I’m not a fan of long sleeves, period. I prefer bracelet-length or shorter. I’m not sure if anything can be done about these, but I have another dress to take in to the tailor, so I may as well bring this one along too and ask.
I’m Pro sleeve-ectomy, but I also have a mild hate on for the current bell sleeve trend. The dress looks fantastic as is, and will still look fantastic with the sleeves slimmed.
I think it would be too expensive to slim the sleeves. I’m probably going to ask them to cut/shorten them instead.
I haven’t gotten into bell-sleeves either, I can’t imagine them being practical in anyway. Although yours are not as bad as others I’ve seen. Maybe b/c I roll up my long sleeves over 50% of the time. It’s interesting you write it’s a good make-up day b/c you seriously look gorgeous in every close-up blog photo I’ve ever seen you post!
I don’t post close-ups very often for a reason 😉 It’s usually just a lucky good angle, but a Good Makeup Day is a different thing.
In the name of not just making do, get the sleeves slimmed and shortened. You will enjoy wearing it much more and it will not affect any of the other things that you do love about this dress.
TOTALLY endorse the “sleeve-ectomy” idea–I’m thinking just above the elbow, near the seam that begins the bell.
Will still look totally awesome, and perhaps a little less “done”!
That’s what I was thinking too … above the elbow, or a little bit higher.
Maybe the good makeup day can be attributed to wearing blush colored clothing so close to your face – it’s very flattering in the photos. Love the echoing shapes in the necklace and skirt. And count me as a fan of the bell sleeve.
ooh, never thought of that. I will have to test that theory next time I wear this dress.