Seven Dresses - Day Five

To round out my work week, I returned to another dress that is a favorite of mine to wear to the office. Although the dress itself does not have pockets, like the dress from Day 2, the sweater that I wear with it does, so it makes an ideal outfit for interview days. It's more special than my typical blouse and trouser combination, but practical enough for transporting and setting up video equipment. All in all, a good balance of form and function.

Generally speaking, I try to avoid pattern in my wardrobe. Loud, busy, all-over patterns make me feel like I'm wearing a sofa. I tend to stick to clothing with solid colors, but interesting shapes or special details. This dress was instrumental in opening my mind to experimenting with pattern. It predates the addition of the Day 1 and Day 3 dresses to my wardrobe by a couple months, and I believe that if I hadn't proven that I could pull off this much pattern in this dress, I might have steered clear of the other two dresses, which I have come to enjoy more than this one. It might not be my favorite piece, but it was significant in the development of my personal style, so I decided to include it in this project. Besides, I think the solid cardigan helps neutralize some of the visual impact of the pattern anyway...

Of course, this look had its moment in the sun as well -- I wore it to the Arlington Race Track to celebrate Dad's birthday last year. It might have been a touch too fancy for the occasion, but it was new at the time, and the allure of a new dress is hard to deny. When you have new clothes, it's difficult to resist the urge to show them off, and honestly, any excuse will do.