Tag: Party Dresses

OOTD: Lovely Lace

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Lovely Lace

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

With warmer days coming- and more importantly, staying- I think it’s safe to say Spring is finally here! I’ve slowly but surely been leaving my heavy wool coat at home in the mornings when I leave for work- and instead reach for a cardigan that comes off by the time 2 p.m. rolls around the the temperatures are soaring for a few hours.

I’m ecstatic, as Spring of course means it won’t be too long until Summer is here again and I can start wearing shorts and head to the beach more often!

But for now, as to not rush things- I’ve been enjoying wearing some of the more colorful, feminine fabrics and finds in my closet. This vintage lace dress I had picked up years ago at a thrift store outside the city for a garden party I was attending in New York one weekend is a long-time favorite of mine. It’s lightweight, frilly, comfortable, and easy to pair with pretty much anything.

When I wore this the other day to work and then immediately to a post-office dinner, I paired it with thin black leggings and black lace ballet flats- because it is still April, after all- and going bare-legged after 6 p.m. in New England in Spring is either hit or miss. You either end up fine, or shivering uncontrollably. The leggings seemed like a good preventative choice- just in case.

But apart from how fun, classic and comfortable the cut and the loose fit of dress is- it’s the lace and crochet work that just screams “Spring!” to me.

Here’s a couple of closeups of the detailing along the skirt and the sleeves:

And even though I wasn’t at Coachella this year- I feel like this would be a great festival ensemble, as well. Boston Calling isn’t that far away, though- so maybe I’ll break this out again in a few weeks to wear while I’m dancing/singing along to some of my favorite artists on the lineup!

Later on this week I’ve got some pre-Easter prep to share before we break for the weekend and the holiday and I head up to Vermont to retrieve some of my family members who will be joining the festivities. Until then, though- I’ve got plenty to do at my office today and some much-needed sleep to catch up on tonight!

See you all on Friday, everyone! Enjoy your “Hump Day!”

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Late Fall Florals

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Late Fall Florals

Good Morning and Happy “Hump Day”, everyone!

With the weekend just a couple of days away- and snow allegedly on the horizon ’round my neck of the woods within the next 24 hours (noooo!) I’ve been trying to get as much pre-holiday prep done as possible so no amount of snow or freezing rain delays my schedule.

I’m presently in the process of planning both my Friendsgiving(s) and Thanksgiving wardrobes- which has also been a bit of an adventure in itself. While Thanksgiving will undoubtedly consist of an oversized, chunky sweater and pants with any variation of an elastic waist- I have to dress it up just a little for Friendsgiving- where my friends will be snapping plenty of photos of the food, decor, and our circle of deviants. I want to look good when those tagged photos hit social media!

For this coming weekend, I’ll be sporting this high-collared, bell-sleeved burnt orange and floral-printed dress to stay comfortable and chic while I serve my friends sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie!

I picked up this number at Primark a few weeks ago while shopping for some new fleece and velvet-lined leggings. The beautiful colors and simple design just screamed “Autumn!” to me when I first saw it- and once I tried it on- I knew I had to have it. I intend to pair it with either brown or black leggings and my brown, knee-high faux-leather boots (as shown above.) A girl still has to stay comfortable while she’s going for seconds on the green bean casserole, right?

My favorite part of this dress, however- has got to be the sleeves. They’re cute and feminine and give the dress a bit of character. I wish more of my dresses and tops had sleeves like these!

Pretty soon my wardrobe is going to be a lot more beanies and thermal-wear- so I’m hoping to get a little more use out of this dress before Winter officially kicks in the door and makes all of us miserable for the next 3-4 months (possibly longer- since this is New England!)

But for now, I’m off to work for a few hours before I head out to grab dinner and catch a movie with a handsome fella’ I kinda’ like.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday! Here’s to powering through to Friday!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Lady In Red…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Lady In Red…

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone!

What a weekend it’s been. One of my longtime and dearest friends tied the knot on Saturday night in one of the most fun ceremonies and celebrations I’ve ever had the fortune of attending (and I’ll have photos from the night up a little later on this week!)– and yesterday, a day that was supposed to be for rest and some self-care- was instead spent at an Urgent Care veterinarian’s office after Oliver sustained a back injury and needed to be checked out.

He’s thankfully okay (it was a strain/sprain and he’s on some anti-inflammation medication to alleviate his symptoms while he recovers)– but my nerves were shot. Once I’d had a chance to come home, shower, and unwind- it took me no time at all to succumb to exhaustion and fall asleep.

And now here I am, at work for another week. Sigh.

Before I launch into my e-mails, voicemails, and caseload for the week- I wanted to share the beautiful, Autumn-appropriate dress I wore to the aforementioned wedding this past weekend, first!

Red is a bold color I never shied away from- my hair was a fire engine red hue for a good several years, after all- and I knew with how bold and exciting my circle of friends are that donning a red dress in a church wouldn’t be frowned upon by them.

I opted for this fitted, quarter-length sleeved red dress that stopped just above my knee and was accentuated with a thin red tie around the waist to break up the simplicity of the fabric. I was covered- perfect for a formal occasion- but was still comfortable when it came time to throw back a couple of drinks and some wedding cake come the time of the reception!

And while more than one female guest ended up taking their heels off by the end of the night- I was able to stay standing in these black velvet, buckled ankle booties with a chunky heel to give me some height and some support. I haven’t really had a chance to wear these out because of all the rain we’ve been having- so I’m glad it was nice out by the time it came ready to head on over to the church!

I turned my convertible faux-snakeskin bag into a clutch for the evening, and the gray and black really played well against the dress, the boots, and my newly acquired dark gray manicure- which really pulled the whole look together for me.

I’m looking forward to getting some more wear out of this dress now that the holidays will be approaching soon- since the red will be pretty festive and the simple style of the dress will be easy enough to doll up or down depending on the event. This one is a keeper, for sure!

But I’ve got a lot of work to do- and this week is going to be another busy one I need to stay on top of- so I’m heading out to get things done before I can even stop and think about getting some much-needed rest and relaxation!

Here’s wishing you all a wonderful start to your week and a terrific few days ahead before we reach another weekend!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: In Bloom

by Ashley DeLarge2 Comments on OOTD: In Bloom

Good Morning, everyone!

I’m so beyond grateful it’s Friday. It’s been such a busy week- with work, post-office plans nearly every day, trying to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift before this coming Sunday- and squeezing in enough time for the gym and getting enough sleep to function like a relatively normal person. Although tonight is my bi-weekly family dinner with my mom, brothers, sister-in-laws and niece- I have to admit I’m looking forward to just being able to relax and sleep a little late tomorrow morning. I need it!

Earlier this week I had dinner arrangements with friends at The Local in Wellesley (one of my favorite towns in the Greater Boston area!) and thought it was just as good a time as any to break out an oldie but a goody party dress I’ve had since my early-to-mid twenties so that I could match the blossoming trees along Wellesley’s main street/historic district.

This lightweight, cotton dress with detailed embroidery and a floral print is the most beautiful shades of sky blue and pastel pink- and hits a little ways above the knee- making it easy to wear to both my office (with a modest button-up cardigan over it) and out with friends where I can expose some shoulder.

Wearing heels with this dress, however- can make it look entirely too short. Instead, I paired it with my pastel pink flats (which have made an appearance in some past OOTDs!) to stay comfortable and keep from exposing a little too much to those who were enjoying the late Spring afternoon/evening around the town.

And for my makeup- some shimmery pink eye shadow and lip balm was all I needed to keep things in a light, pretty and seasonal state.

I have a similar dress in a different pattern that I feel is more Summery given the colors- so I’m sure that will be making an appearance on the blog at some point after Memorial Day!

But I’m off to finish up some work for the week and get ready to catch up with my family tonight. I’ll be back on Monday- and in the meantime- I hope all the moms out there from all corners of the Earth and all walks of life have a truly beautiful Mother’s Day: filled with your favorite foods, maybe a little wine, some quiet time- and lots of pampering. You earned it!

I’ll be spending Mother’s Day with my own Mama- where we have brunch and some shopping plans in mind- so I’m hoping the nice weather holds up so we can spend more time outdoors.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

xx

– Ashley –