One dress, three looks

As I scramble to find the "perfect" dress to wear as a guest for an upcoming wedding, I once again find myself in the "will I ever really wear this expensive dress again?" situation.  For that reason, I am leaning towards a simpler black dress because, with the correct accessories, I am almost 90% sure I could re-purpose and re-wear it! 

To prove my point, I found a simple and cute black dress at Ann Taylor LOFT and styled it up in three different ways for three different occasions. 

This first look is for a wedding.  It's dressy but not over-the-top AND works for spring, summer and fall weddings (awesome!).

(1) Crystal lattice necklace, $325, J. Crew (2) Linen/Cotton Dress with Ribbon Waist Tie, $79, Ann Taylor LOFT (3) Enzo Angiolini Beehive, $99, Piperlime.com (4) Lightweight cashmere scarf, $70, Banana Republic (5) Flutter-flower clutch, $128, J. Crew

The second look works for a day at work.  Clean, classy and professional.  Think of all the different possibilities by simply switching out the cardi.  Or by adding a belt!

 

(1) Seedbead Bib Necklace, $49.50, Martin + Osa (2) Linen/Cotton Dress with Ribbon Waist Tie, $79, Ann Taylor LOFT (3) Striped Deep V-Neck Cardigan, $69.50, Martin + Osa (4) Lynn peep-toe pump, $98, Banana Republic (5) Slouchy Hobo Bag, $64.50, The Limited

The third look is the one I struggle with most: making a dressy dress work for casual weekend.  But it looks good!  Casual shoes instantly dress-down the look and the worn-looking denim jacket completes the feel of casualness.

 

(1) Tano Electrorocker, $199, Piperlime.com (2) Linen/Cotton Dress with Ribbon Waist Tie, $79, Ann Taylor LOFT (3) Feather Pendant Necklace, $34.50, Martin + Osa (4) Steve Madden Bride, $79, Piperlime.com (5) Nolita denim jacket, $98, J. Crew