... this blogger gave to thee...
... five gold rings...
... four living hinges...
... three books for reading...
... two felted tooties...
... and a day Binging with Babish.
Dresses, dresses, dress it’s day six and it’s all about
dresses, and in particular apparently those brought to us through ASOS, a shop
I’m pretty sure I’m one of very few people who still calls it by its full name
of As Seen On Screen. This wasn’t intentional, when I’m looking for dresses for
this and all other posts, I pin all my options into Pinterest and pick based on
the picture without knowing where they’re from… in other words, I managed to
pick six dresses from the same website
Needle & Thread Clover High Neck Maxi Gown with
Embroidery and Embellishment from ASOS
That said, this first dress is at least not under the ASOS
brand, and it’s just pretty. I love Needle & Thread dresses, they’re use of
embroidery, sparkles and florals is something I am very drawn too as a
magpie. And as is the theme of this
years list, we’re slightly shunning sparkles for neutrals…
… I’ll let you pick yourself off the floor after that
comment. Take your time. I’m sure me not going über colourful or shiny is a
shock.
One thing I’m surprised about me choosing this dress over
the brands more colourful or sparkly options is that normally I dislike tiered,
multi hemmed gypsy style skirts. I lived through the return of the gypsy skirt
and everyone going boho in the late nineties early two thousands, with the
strappy flat sandals, vests and cropped cardigans. Some of my friends, the
style suited down to the ground, me, even though I tried, I never pulled it
off, but maybe I just didn’t find the right skirt, and this has made me biased.
Anyway, point is, this particular gyspy style skirt is suitably masked by
embroidered flowers that I really like it, it’s elegant and maybe its colour
makes it a little bit more wedding than Christmas/New Year party, but it’s
really just really pretty. I’d expect to see more of Needle & Threads
dresses in these lists in future years.
ASOS Scuba Zip Front Midi Prom Dress from ASOS
Recently, my little sister and I had a conversation about
dresses with visible zippers. She’s not keen, I’m not opposed to them, in fact
I have quite a few tops which have visible zips which I really like. In the end
we concluded that unless a zipper is a big feature of the dress and isn’t gaudy
or cheap looking, it should generally be concealed. I’m hoping, with this in
mind, that this dress will be approved of by her, I personally love the shape,
the folded neckline and the colour combination of that beautiful teal and the
gold of the zipper… only thing I’m never sure about is scuba fabric, if anyone
has any experience of it, I’d appreciate knowing what it feels like because it
looks structured but soft but it’s scuba fabric, is it the same as used in
scuba diving suits, if so surely it’s waterproof, which while it would be
excellent for spilled drinks when tipsy, is it rubbery or odd feeling? Just
always been curious.
ASOS Deep Plunge Bonded Velvet Prom Midi Dress in Plum from
ASOS
Little sister sent me this one a couple of weeks back,
alerting me to its beautifulness and instantly making it a part of this list.
It was also out of stock almost immediately, so the chances are you might see
someone in this dress or it’s deep wine red and teal green siblings.
Now, I grew up on the nineties, I went through the velvet
leggings, shirts, skirts and dresses phase. Mostly paired with Dr. Marten
cherry red boots with either tartan or yellow laces, and not all those choices
were winners, but I have always had very fond memories of my purple and green
crushed velvet dresses. So, I’m actually happy to see so many pretty velvet
dresses around. It’s finally a part of nineties fashion I am more than welcome
to back, normally the inevitable nineties resurgence every year or two just
infuriates me. Find another decade! That, or find different parts to focus on,
please?
ASOS Velvet Metallic Drape Open Back Midi Dress from ASOS
Another velvet dress, I couldn’t resist and actually, it’s
the only dress this year which has any glitz on it. I don’t think there’s been
a year I didn’t pick for this point that didn’t at least include on sequined or
metallic coloured dress in it. This is significantly subtle for me!
ASOS TALL Lace Cami Midi Prom Dress in Lilac from ASOS
One question about this dress, am I the only person who
doesn’t see this as being lilac? We have five or six purple lilac trees in our
garden, one outside my bedroom window and all grown from cutting from my grans
garden, which was taken from cutting from her parents’ garden… I’ve grown up
looking at lilac flowers out my bedroom window, and while I’ll give you this is
a very subtle purple grey slightly mushroomy colour, I wouldn’t call it lilac.
But, that said, I really like it, it’s just pretty and girly
and the kind of dress I could see someone wearing in the summer wandering
around in the warm and being remarkable casual for a lace dress, or in the
winter with a wool coat, scarf and gloves. I just like it, I can’t quite
pinpoint why, but I do and it’s not a colour I would go for but if I was
confident enough, I’d wear this… but I’d say that about all these dresses.
Keepsake Dreamscape Lace Gown in Navy from ASOS
Keepsake is an Australian brand I had never heard of before
this year and they make some very pretty dresses, I prefer their simpler ones,
but if you like big ruffles and bell sleeves you may like the less simple ones
too.
This one I like because, one, it’s sheer overlay over a slip dress which
is a style which is currently very popular and can walk the line between being
over and under dressed, modest and sexy all at the same time, and two for the
floral garlands that creep up the torso and down the arms of the dress. It
reminds me of the prints and patterns designed by the Rifle Paper Co., whom I
love – Cath Kidston and Orla Kiely* be damned, the Rifle Paper Co. florals beat
yours hands down in my opinion!
Sorry, I had friends at uni who would curse me for saying
that of their beloved designers, but I I never really understood the appeal,
and have always preferred the Rifle Paper Co.’s for not trying to reinvent
polka dots and chintz as something new. Anyway, those florals remind me greatly
of those embroidered on this dress, even down to the use of muted pinks, reds
and green on a deep navy base. It’s pretty and give it a fuller skirt and I’m
sold one hundred percent.
And there you go, six dresses for you to choose from and
only one tiny, teeny bit of sparkle!
Maybe we need some sparkly shoes to make up for it!
Merry Christmas! Part seven tomorrow…
* Orla Kiely and Cath Kidston have both actually been using some Rifle Paper Co. style florals this year, which I like but often find the shapes of their dresses very old fashioned. I do like Orla Kiely and some of Cath Kidston’s designs, I just feel like the latter is very similar to the sort of patterns you used to see in Laura Ashley in the eighties and nineties. Also, if I’m honest my friends’ love for her work slightly put me off because I never understood why they got so excited over it. I realise both brands are based in the vintage and kitsch style, this is purely preference and year on year, there are pieces I like and others I don’t, just like any other brand, please don’t think badly of me for having a preference.
Link || Needle & Thread High Neck Maxi Gown from ASOS
Link || ASOS Scuba Zip Front Midi Prom Dress from ASOS
Link || ASOS Deep Plunge Bonded Velvet Prom Midi Dress from
ASOS
Link || ASOS Velvet Metallic Drape Open Back Midi Dress from
ASOS
Link || ASOS TALL Lace Cami Midi Prom Dress from ASOS
Link || Keepsake Embroidered Lace Gown Dress from ASOS
Link || Rifle Paper Co. Website
Link || Orla Kiely Website
Link || Cath Kidson Website
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