Friday 20 May 2011

No sleep tonight.

Absolutely AGES ago, maybe November, I popped into Dorothy Perkins and saw a gorgeous, form-fitting spotty number on the mannequin. The cut – plunging cleavage, fitted waist, tulip skirt - reminded me a lot of the red dress I’d just decided to wear to the Christmas do. BUT I balked at the £40 price tag, and stepped away. The dress stayed on my radar though – as dresses tend to do – and when it popped up in the sale a good four months later, I squealed. And then felt gutted, because it was in that horrible ten-days-from-payday period where spending any money is strictly forbidden. So I moaned about it, and wailed that it would sell out on Twitter (newsflash – it STILL hasn’t), and generally felt sad, because lord knows I do not have enough dresses.

However, Lucy told me that when she’d seen the dress, she’d thought how perfect for me it was, and insisted on bailing me out, pre-payday – sending it out to me a couple of days later. I was so touched – what a kind thing to do! But then, Lucy is awesome. But then, when the dress arrived, the dress I’d wanted so much, an awful thing happened – I wasn’t sure how much I liked it. It fit nicely – the 12, which I’d normally buy, was far too small (I tried it in store), but the 14 fit perfectly, with room for a dignity-preserving vest top underneath it to boot (without, it is VERY low cut). However, I thought it was a bit lairy for work and a bit too formal for casual, and convinced myself to return it. But, the gods of dresses (goddesses, surely?) had other ideas, and the receipt went walkies. And as I’d been so torn about keeping it, that I took it as a sign and wore that sucker.

And now, after the saga of getting the dress, nearly giving it up, and deciding to keep it after all, well... I love it! I decided to ignore my reservations about it being too bright (something that REALLY doesn't matter when your colleague is rocking hot pink most days) and wore it to work, and, well. The last time I wore something so complimented was the first time I wore last week’s frock to work. Even though it’s colourful, the cut is so structured that I actually feel really smart in it. I actually think it could be a ‘conference dress’ (a moniker reserved for sensible items like this and this).
 
Dress – Dorothy Perkins
Necklace – Topshop
Shoes – Primark

It’s a great dress for those days that you want to make an extra effort. Especially if, say, you had a slumber party at a colleague’s house the night before to commiserate another colleague’s leaving, with copious amounts of wine, cake and fajitas, and really didn’t get a lot of sleep, but would rather it wasn’t screamingly obvious that you were hungover. Coincidentally, my new favourite second-day-hairstyle, Heidi braids, is also good for those days.

Yesterday MAY have been one of those days. Thank god for makeup, right?


By the way, thanks so much for all your lovely comments on my new layout! I’m ever so happy with it, and I’m so glad you all like it too.
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18 comments

  1. I'm always apprehensive at first about wearing bright colours to work but it definitely makes my day a bit better when I can look down and see some pretty colours. I love how the light reflects off the white circles on the dress a bit so you look slightly shimmery and magical! Also i LOVE the ankle boots next to you. P.s you look beauts, as always :) xx

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  2. That is such a lovely dress! I can see what you mean about it bein a conference dress, I am so glad you kept it!

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  3. Tis a very nice dress, your hair looks great up like that.

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  4. Im so glad you kept it, it looks gorgeous on you! xxxx

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  5. I love this dress, now I am no longer a jobless hobo eating beans from a can while wearing my pjs, I think I should buy more dresses.

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  6. I love it! I know what you mean about wearing stuff like this to work, I always bottle it and wear something really boring but go you for wearing it, it looks lovely!!

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  7. I love this! Dorothy Perkins is a shop I rarely go into, but I see so many nice things in magazines and on blogs that I really must drop in past. After payday, obvs.

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  8. Ohh that's such a beautiful dress, and it suits you so much! xx

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  9. I'm lucky and I can wear what I like, demin shorts today! but when I go on conferences I do like to wear something smart and a dress like that is perfect.
    I love your hair up like that, I will have to give that a try x

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  10. Fab dress, I really love it. :)

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  11. Clearly it was fate! Just like me and the River Island Paris print stuff - you can try and fight it but these things have a way of winkling their way into your wardrobe. It looks bloody lovely on you.

    Glad I'm not the only person thinking that DP are overpricing their stuff though. I do find it hard to bring myself to spend £40 on a dress.

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  12. I bought this dress yesterday! TWINNIES! I got the 12 and it is *slightly* too small so it's my incentive to shred my little heart out for the next 30 days

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  13. you look lovely...and have one of the best dress collections!

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  14. You look adorable! I've noticed some of DP's sizing going a bit funny recently...will have to keep an eye on that! x

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  15. I think Lucy was right, it is perfect on you - and I think it's really great that you kept it as it looks fab!

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  16. Aww, it is lovely and how nice of Lucy. I like to wear vaguely work/daytime inappropriate clothes all the time. It is all about the right shoes.

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  17. That's so nice of your friend lucy, I too have a strict no spending atleast 10 days before pay day - & that is always when something crops up that I want to buy!! I love the dress though, really suits you - I think you could actually dress it down easily aswell. Perfect!

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