Tuesday 16 July 2019

Summer’s LBD - Umpteen Ways


Hello my lovelies, how are you?
Hope all is as well as can be expected and hoped for. 
Here, life at this time of year is full and fun and you find me in my summer holding pattern, fitting in blogs where I can.


So  lets talk about summer LBDs today.
 I do like an LBD.  For ease of wear and an instant fix of style and elegance with little effort required.  My type of outfit.  I've posted on LBDs many times and through the seasons, like 
in summers past.


I recently stumbled upon a wonderful stash of old businesswear bought in the summer of 2002.   Stuff I don't really wear in retirement but which I cannot bear to part with is as I love each single piece and each single piece cost me a bloomin' small fortune, back in my former life.   Naturally in amongst the pile the carefully stored choice pieces was an LBD.

And thus I was reunited with this simple but stylish black linen lined sheath/shift dress from East.  I set upon seeing how I could wear it in retirement with some more casual styling, something I would never have done when I was wearing it solidly through my working summers.  Back then it was teamed with stilettos, little jackets and real jewellery. 


So here's the more casual makeover I gave my summer LBD.




Tan accessories always tone down an LBD and bring a casual vibe to the piece.
I would say this was my favourite and most successful styling, so if you want to close down this page now, please do, my work is done!

 


Little gold sandals and bag are fine tor a dinner date, but not really how I want to make this dress work for me in the life I lead now.





Sludgy tones in this silk scarf make it a wearable option for my now.


Noooo, a gauzy gold shawl and sandals does NOT make this dress casual!!!


Yes, you're back on track, Pout - a summer hat and silver sandals DO lend a casual vibe to the LBD.


OK I just couldn't resist this ... a 60s headscarf!  I see this as a Jackie Onassis sightseeing look, do you?



A pout is a good accessory ,,, but NOT that gold bag, Pout!



This is where I need to be.  Tan tan tan.  And hats. 

And yes, this hat below worked too.


And ivory and red work so well with the LBD for a Lady Who Lunches look.
I bought the little ivory crochet hat in San Francisco whilst on a business trip and on a July day when the weather changed the weather from rainy to hot in a few short hours.  So it's exactly 20 years old.  🎶 Happy birthday 🎵, little hat!
TP's view on the hat?  "It looks like you have a pancake on your head."  But I think he's wrong, do you too?  It's cute.


So to casualise a summer LBD, I can see that tan is the big winner here.  Summer hats and sandals work.  Straw bags work.



Adding a scarf always works, IMHO.


And back to that 60s headscarf  - it works, if you're into ageing film star glamour!

By this time the poor photographer had been through a huge amount of accessory changes, and "the carrot" I have him was that he could choose what I wore that evening.  So when he saw the addition of a white print linen shirt from my 2002 stash he said ...


"That's what I want you to wear for our dinner date!"  But on reflection I guess he may have thought this would stop the interminable accessorising and his snapping duty would end so maybe this wasn't really his fave, just an easy get out of jail card!




And on that bombshell, let's summarise what can be done with a summer linen LBD.


On its own, worn simply with no jewellery and silver sandals, creates easy casual elegance.

      

Hat with black polka trim, tan bag and wedge espadrilles works.
Oh change of mind, this is my fave look - now aren't you glad you stayed with me?!!

   

Biting on sunglasses creates more Hollywood glamour but that is not the point of this little exercise!


Throwing a wild card into the beauty parade, an embellished cardi and toning glitzy belt is a nice look and is something I'd wear on amother date night, but it's slightly outside of my casualising the LBD remit, so let's move swiftly on.



Yes I did go a little totally off-piste with diaphanous shawls.


And yes, headscarves were a step outside my remit too,
but I think I mostly stayed on track and achieved what I set out to do.  Work a posher LBD into my summer-casual wardrobe.


How are you on summer LBDs?
Do they fit into your more casual lifestyle?
What time do you have to make businesswear retirementwear?



A la perchoine,
Mary x,




30 comments:

  1. I've got some sandal envy going on here Mary! I love the silver and the Tan that you're wearing. You've just proven what a sustainable brand East is. After going bust a couple of years ago they have just re-launched and I'm so glad to see them back xx

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    1. Great news about East, Laurie, thanks to the headsup. I pulled out this dress, an A line skirt and a shell top last week. All lined black linen, from 2002 and IMHO still looking good and timeless. So well cut, so well made. I'll add them to the East aqua linen suite I pulled out last year and I'll have some fun. The tan wedges are Next current and I struggle to take them off, they're that comfy!
      Have a great day, x.

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  2. How lovely to find that fab LBD again and what a myriad of options to dress it up or down! My favourite is the very first photo, however, combined with the hat in your favourite photo... The outfit with the scarf on your head reminds me of a Russian babushka, rather than Hollywood glam. Sorry, my Dutch directness is at full swing today but, thankfully you know me well enough! :o) I also love the last look with the pastel cardigan and belt. So fresh.

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    1. My dear, I do love your Dutch directness! Babushka it is then, but with a Kate Bush twist, allow me that!!
      I do like that charity shop belt , it's perfect with a couple of cardis in my wardrobe. Do you remember my East shift dresses? I unearthed a lovely stash.
      Hugs, x.

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  3. Well you are seriously smokin' hot in this LBD! I hope TP's heart is in good condition! Ha! I love black with neutral - so chic! You wear that head scarf like a pro - very much a movie star my stylish sista!
    xo,
    Kellyann

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    1. Oh sista, we did laugh at your comment!! Yes, black and a neutral creates something classy and TP is clearly drawn to a bit of class 😉. Or maybe that's all his old ticker can handle ....!!
      Hugs, x.

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  4. Oh let's not be too hard on our photographers Mary! Ha ha. I love your black dress the best with the hat! What else does a black dress need!

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    1. Thank you my dear, and so true, our photographers keep our blogs going, the unsung heroes.
      Hugs, x.

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  5. I am in agreement with you re the LBD and tan shoes, hat and scarf. You look fab. I actually liked all the looks though and I loved that gold bag!

    How patient you were to try everything on and your photographer deserves a medal, too!

    I admire that you kept your clothes from your working life. Even if I kept mine they wouldn't fit me anymore.

    Hope your week is going well.
    xxx

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    1. Thanks for your feedback Vronni, we're on the same hymn sheet. I'll try to incorporate those gold pieces into an outfit that I can wear OUT!!
      Hugs, x.

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  6. You really can't go wrong with a LBD and you've certainly proved this here. You look smashing too Mary - whatever you're doing it's working. xx Jacqui Mummabstylish

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  7. So good that you didn't just get rid of those delicious dresses when you retired. Alas, I did donate a lot of my work clothes to the charity shop and I am really regretting it now. So is my credit card as I replenish my stock.

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    1. Haha J, I expect I can be thankful that these pieces have survived so many annual culls since I stopped working. Sorry you credit card is suffering!
      Hugs, x.

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  8. Yes, my dear, we call this the summer blog slump were numbers and readers plummet! But never fear blog reading will be back in full force this Fall and you’ll find lots more ways to style this darling LBD! You look FABULOUS xo

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    1. Thank you my sweet. Yes, the numbers are all over the place, so pleased I see this blog as a pictorial diary, otherwise I'd be disheartened!
      Hugs, x.

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  9. This is all so fun! You did a fantastic job of remixing this dress! I just love your first outfit the most!

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    1. Oh thanks Laura, casual tan pieces really soften the LBD eh.
      Hugs, x.

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  10. Replies
    1. Oh Jorun, thank you, tusinde tak. Det glaeder mig at du laeser bloggen!!!
      Knus, x.

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  11. I love this idea! The only LBD I have is a cocktail hour one, so that's pretty well out. I think I'm going to need to go buy one. I scanned my closet this morning looking for a "work" dress that I could re-utilize as a summer casual dress. No luck, but now I think I need to go through it again. I love the looks you put together and chuckled through the entire post. I do like the white jacket with your LBD but I agree, I think your photog was looking for a quick way out of the stylings :P I love those tan sandals most and I agree that look with those and the hat will be the favorite. I do love the scarf and chewing of the earpiece of the sunglasses, though. Very Jackie-O-ish....or Audrey Hepburn. I love that hair and neck scarves are back in!

    Ruth
    VogueFauxReal.com

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    1. Such a sweet message Ruth, I'm so pleased you chuckled, and I chuckled backatcha when I read your comments!
      Hugs, x.

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  12. Just goes to show that when you buy good quality clothes they stand the test of time. You have styled it many lovely ways but must say that I can see the more casual/relaxed styles more useful in retirement.

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    1. Yes Christy, the fancy stuff is alien in our retirement wardrobes now eh. I'm finding it a challenge to mix my fancy evening dresses into my now-life though!
      Hugs, x.

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  13. This is such a classic little black dress and all the different accessories you've added show how easy it is for accessories to change up a look! I really like the scarf with it, and that straw bag is the perfect casual accessory! :)

    Hope that you had a great weekend :)

    Thank you so much for joining the #weekdayWearLinkUp :) I just posted this week's linkup, I'd love you to join again! :)


    Away From Blue

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    1. Thanks Mica, it's fun to have a try out with accessories wearing just one dress eh.
      Have a super weekend, x.

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  14. It’s great fun to see and read all of this! Happy to see you’re going strong! Dette skulle jeg ha skrevet på norsk, ikke sant!

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    1. Jamen, er det dig Jøren?!!

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  15. It is so nice to see you are out there having fun! Hi to the two of you from your friends in Oslo, Jorun and Rolf.

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    1. Netop! Vi ønsker jer en rigtig godt sommer.
      M&D xx

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