I have to say, I have been tickled to see the return of the flattering wrap dress. Diane von Furstenberg popularized the wrap dress in the 1970s with her jersey knits and exciting patterns. It's a quick way to look feminine and chic.
DVF dresses are a classic and likely to never go out out of style. The trouble I have had is committing to a pattern. The dresses run between $200 and $300, and I still haven't found a pattern I'm willing to wear forever. In my reality, that's a big expense for something I may not wear very often (most people have at least one piece of clothing that "seemed like a good idea at the time," but doesn't get into circulation much). I could purchase a solid color, but that seems like a cop-out.
In the meantime, I found this dress at Wal-Mart for $15. The pattern and colors aren't perfect for me (it definitely highlights my "alabaster" legs — self-tanner coming soon), so I make sure to wear lipstick to avoid looking too washed out. I always get compliments when I wear it. There was some expense to have the skirt taken in and shortened, but even adding the $25 alterations expense still gave me a washable wrap dress for $40. I'll keep wearing this dress until I find a high-end replacement I like five times better.
- I'm a fan of this wrap dress (less than two years old, Wal-Mart, $40 ($15 + $25 in alterations)
- Naturalizer nude strappy heel (less than a year old, Ross, $13.50)
- Large-as-I-can-stand-it gold hoops (less than two years old, Target, $30)
- Indian-inspired gold necklace (less than two years old, Banana Republic, $24 sale)
