Amy Salinger: Hello and welcome to this edition of Sass N Style, with your host, Amy Salinger. Don't forget to go to the sassnstyle.com blog for daily style tips, so you don't have to miss me and not be able to see me for every two weeks.
Today we're going to be talking about cocktail dresses, those dresses for weddings and parties that you basically store at the back of your closet. No, no, no, no, no, let's go along with the theme of Amy Salinger styling, which is utilize everything. So we're going to take those dresses out from the back of the closet and I'm not only going to show you fun and funky ways to style cocktail dresses that you already have, but from night to day. So we're going to utilize it in all different ways. Let's go check out some cocktail dresses.
So first up, we have this lovely frock that I have on. Obviously I am wearing it in the evening way.
Secret to this dress, you know I love to tell you where I got things from. $25 at a street flea mart. I know it's kind of scary, I was literally trying it on the street. But the greatest part about the story is I then had to go to the tailor and spend $96 to get it fitted correctly.
To play off kind of the earthy, fun quality of it, I pulled in some other colors, layered up her bracelet. I chose this great turquoise color, because it's a pop against the dress. But I managed to bring the browns, not only through my ring, but down through my shoes. And in addition, I pulled the earthiness up through the earrings, but of course there is still a sassy effect, because it has gold. Lizard purse, flea market, it's about $15. So not only is this outfit chic and different, but it's also less expensive than most looks.
So next up, as I promised, we're going to make this fabulous frock into a daytime look. It's really simple honestly; everybody owns one, jean jacket. We're going to throw it on as a layering piece. If you're going to put a jean jacket with anything fancier, I would say go darker and go more fitted. So this one is not only fitted, it hits right up my waist. You do not want it to be any longer or you're going to lose proportion, meaning you want your body to always come like this, look like a woman's body.
Now I have decided, because it's my own personal style, to leave on all of these bangles. If that's not your style, doesn't suit you, take a few off. I have even left on the big earrings.
We're going for a few drinks, keep the bigger clutch, it's totally fine. A bigger clutch is also representative of a great daytime or evening feel. But if you are me and you carry the world with you during the day, you should have a bag that represents that. I'm ready for the daytime, and not even that, I've changed over my shoe to a bit of a flatter sandal. Actually it's completely flat because I can't stand walking around in heels. But it looks like the evening shoe. It's still that brown leather, kind of Grecian feel. So now I'm ready to go get a margarita.
So obviously I have changed into a new little frock, a new cocktail dress. This was a recent purchase at an amazing boutique that my friend introduced me to. It's called Beta Boutique, it's in Chicago. The reason I love it is because everything is fairly inexpensive and brand new, because it is a sample sales store. It's extra garments basically that the designers weren't able to sell. So if you are size 4x6, which is usually the sample sale size, then you'll do really well there.
I have added all of this gold jewelery, I have colors woven in through my bag. More color on my wrist. Not only including the turquoise, but I love that there is an offset color, there is orange and I'm keeping it very much my own, because you know I love to layer the bracelet. I am bringing the gold all the way down to the shoes. And because there is so much loudness, if you will, going on around the dress, I have gotten sun earrings for this look, maybe I'll throw in a diamond stud. But the truth is, with all of this big, bold gold going on around the dress, we don't need to pull even more in around the earring. Don't go overdone, go fabulous.
So now we have the daytime look for this lovely $80 cocktail dress that I bought. Now, I have kept on the jewelery, just like last time. What I want to show you is you barely need to change anything to pull that cocktail dress into the daytime. So I left on all my bobbles and I have continued with the gold shoes at the bottom, but I switched it up to a flat, kept to the Grecian style, because basically I love the Grecian style.
I promote only a little white jacket for summertime, because you get those chilly evenings here and there. The great thing about this one is its cloth, so it's a little bit lighter.
This one, I think, you should be wearing a cropped jacket. If you have a short dress, shorter jacket, it keeps the proportions better. Rolling up the sleeves, it makes it easy, more accessible. So we'll roll up the sleeves on both of the sides. And then of course let's not forget our bag. Pulling in yet again more gold, and a good neutral tan color; you wouldn't think of it with this outfit, but as you can see it worked. Gold hoop, simple go-to piece, talks about it in the jewelery episode, I'm sure you all remember. And now I have a fabulous daytime look with my great $80 cocktail dress.
So as the finale, we go to a dress that I know everybody has in their closet, the little black dress. This particular one I have owned literally since I studied abroad in New Zealand; that was about eight years ago, and I still wear it all the time, because I love it and it fits me great.
I wear this dress more in the daytime then I do going out to weddings and fancy events. But for you, more conservative viewers out there, I have decided to show you how to wear it more conservatively for the evening as a cocktail dress. Pearls automatically mean a little bit more conservative, but to add that little hint of Amy's style in there, I have taken a really long string of pearls and just wrapped it around my neck, over and over, straight out of nana's jewelery box, right on to my neck.
One of my blog readers asked me a very good question. She said, if you're wearing a big bold necklace, do you wear no earrings, you wear studs, what do your wear? The truth is, you can go either way. I just wouldn't put on something too bold with a big bold necklace, so pairing it with a tiny pearl is a nice way to tie it in without overwhelming your face. And little vintage chic ring, not much more jewelery than that.
One of my favorite materials, a patent leather clutch. Again, it's that little pop, that little shine, but still keeping it underneath the conservative umbrella. And I have topped it all off with one of my favorite new pair of shoes. It is a platform, 50s style peep-toe pumps. The platform is extremely, extremely in style right now, so why not keep up the conservative feel, but put those pops of trend in that make it your own personalized style. So now I'm chic, I'm fabulous, slightly conservative, and still looking great.
Now, the LBD, the little black dress, done at daytime. You can make anything that you assume to be one thing into something else just by the styling. So I'm going to show you basically that a flat boot is one of the easiest ways to dress on a cocktail dress. I wear this dress; I've worn it on dates, I've worn it out to dinner, for cocktails, the great thing is that I have an outfit I always go to, that's right I do repeat outfit. I love, love, love this blazer. It is military style blazer, but its got a great accented detail on it, between the buttons and the pockets. And the truth is, when I put it on, the dress becomes a backdrop for this fabulous blazer, which is fine, because then they won't even recognize that you're wearing the same dress over and over.
I just put on one simple big gold ring, and yet again I'm pulling in the patent leather, just a different style bag, kind of the bigger bag goes more with the daytime feel, and the big hoop yet again to pull off this whole funky look. This outfit is perfect if you're me for an afternoon meeting and then going straight out to dinner or drinks.
Just think, everything in your closet, not just your cocktail dresses, can be so much more than what you believe them to be. Learn how to style things correctly and your wardrobe will be that much bigger.
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