Wednesday Wishlist: Cozy Tunics

Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, holiday lights are going up, red cups are brimming with peppermint lattes and cocoa.  It's the perfect time for cozy knits -- specifically, a great knit tunic. Sweater dresses can be tricky. If they're too thick, or too clingy, or too bunchy you're going to feel lumpy and bumpy and spend all day fidgeting. But a looser tunic style is kind of perfect -- all of the coziness, much better fit. And great news: there are a slew of them in stores right now. Too bad it has been 90 degrees in Orlando for days.

But! Cooler temperatures must be on their way (please tell me that's true), so here are the snuggly knit dresses that I'll be wearing as soon as we're back to those chilly 70 degree temps.

Anthropologie Sparrow Cowled Sweater Dress ($158) -- there's something quite angelic about this one. I would wear it with black tights and flat black boots for a great chilly weekend look.

Shoshanna Lee Ombre Cable-Knit Sweater Dress ($395) -- it's hard to find a sweater dress with much color, so the little pop of mermaid-y blue and green is nice and quite flattering around the face.

Zara Long Sweater ($50) -- "What's wrong with being/what's wrong with being/what's wrong with being confident?" This model is feeling this sweater. It's styled to perfection with these leather leggings, and I can only assume that wearing it will make me look as effortlessly fabulous.

SET Turtleneck Sweater Dress ($425) -- a great shape in a very wearable color. It's an investment piece, but it's so classic you'll wear it for a decade or more.

Steven Alan Delevan Sweater Dress ($285) -- the short sleeves on this dress are interesting. It's counterintuitive for a cold-weather dress, but most of the offices I've worked in have been absolute saunas (NYC steam heat is no joke) so a little ventilation can be nice.

Gap Cable Knit Sweater Dress ($70) -- this looks like a nice little dress for the price. Reviews are mixed, but mostly because it seems like the original product photo included a zipper detail that isn't actually part of the dress.

Colorblock Tunic Dress ($138) -- an easy and chic work look. The colorblocking isn't too dramatic but still creates a nice shape.

Wishlist Wednesday: The Perfect Silhouette

The wrap dress gets a lot of love. It's simple, it's versatile, it has a nice feminine shape, and everyone loves the woman most associated with the wrap dress, Diane von Furstenberg (can I get a "YASSS Queen"?). But here's what I think: the wrap dress is overrated.

Go on, clutch those pearls.

If you're looking for a flattering, feminine dress silhouette, I'd like to make a case for the shirt dress. A classic shirt dress is super flattering. It can be demure or sexy, subtle or incredibly bold. The belted version, my personal favorite, instantly creates that sleek, feminine silhouette, but without the fit issues that a wrap dress is prone to. How many of us spend time trying to figure out how to prevent the gaping and shifting that inevitably happens with our favorite wrap dresses? Maybe you wear a camisole, maybe you add a hook or snap, maybe you just safety pin that bad boy and call it a day. If you're standing still, a wrap dress looks great. But if you need to move and bend and generally behave like a normal human being, a wrap dress can be a real bitch.

The shirt dress is a fall staple, and one of the few fall fashions that can be enjoyed in just about any climate (like, for example, sweltering Florida!). Here are some of the versions that I'm loving this season:

1. Mango Cotton Shirt Dress ($43) -- a very streamlined version available in several traditional colors, and also this pretty pale pink. This isn't the color that comes to mind when you think fall, but how great and fresh would it look with all of those autumnal shades like plum, oxblood, forest green, and navy?

2. Boden Silk Shirt Dress ($198) -- I am in LOVE with the mod feel of this print. I want to layer it up with tights, a blazer, and chunky heels for cool days, but it works just as well with bare legs and sandals if you just need to wear it right away (no judgement!).

3. Alexa Chung for AG Jeans Denim Mini Shirt Dress ($325) -- this is how the downtown girl does a shirt dress: very slim, pretty short, all denim. One of my favorites, for sure. 

4. Samantha Sung Audrey Forest Stretch Cotton Dress ($585) -- I love this print, because it is almost identical to the wallpaper I had in my childhood bedroom. If that's not enough to sell you, think about how flattering a bright, pretty print is around your face. 

5. A.P.C Shirt Dress ($325) -- the very chic, very French way to do a shirtdress. Fit is so important in this style, and you know the tailoring on this one will be impeccable. 

6. River Island Gray Check Shirt Dress ($70) -- I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of Buffalo check, but this gray and white version is kind of intriguing. Add a long, chunky cable knit cardigan and ankle boots for a super cozy fall look. (*linking to Polyvore because River Island's site seems to be down)

7. River Island Beige Color Block Shirt Dress ($100) -- the color blocking is cool, and the black ribbon belt gives you a very teeny waist.

8. Dorothy Perkins Black D-Ring Shirt Dress ($59) -- my favorite of the bunch. A perfectly fitted black dress is heaven, and you can't beat the price.


A few fit tips...

*I think the belted version is most flattering (particularly if you are curvy), but the boxier/drapier cuts look great if you want help creating a shape
*Watch the length -- people should not wonder if you just, in fact, belted some old button-down shirt
*A fabric with a little weight is best -- a light fabric can get too floaty and reveal the lumps and bumps, but a fabric with some heft will make sure the dress lays perfectly

Three Ways: Black Wrap Dress

One of my favorite purchases this month is a black wrap dress from H&M. I'm obsessed. OBSESSED. 

{Fit Tip: Even the best fitting wrap dresses and v-neck dresses can gape a little when you move. I bring these kinds of dresses to my tailor and have them add a tiny hidden snap or hook & eye closure. right where the fabric meets at the neckline. No one ever knows it's there, and you won't have to spend the day adjusting yourself to keep covered. It costs about $10 and is worth every penny!}

Amazing, right? It is incredibly simple but lovely, flattering, and (I hope) really versatile. I love it as an easy work option -- when you're running late, a classic dress like this can be a lifesaver. But I'm so excited about this dress I want more reasons to wear it, so I decided to play around with some other options:

Dressed Up

When you have a blank canvas like this dress, even the simplest accessories will stand out. It's tempting to load up with lots of jewelry (and let's face it, I probably will at some point), but how about just one bold bracelet and bright earrings?

And don't miss an opportunity to break out some sexy shoes. I am still in love with these Zara beauties and look, they work here perfectly! I think I need to buy these shoes.



Dressed Down

I usually live in jeans on the weekend, but this would be an easy way to change things up and still feel relaxed and comfortable. I'd wear this for brunch with friends or just running around the neighborhood taking care of weekend errands. I love the idea of layering lots of different neutrals -- just add a casual little jacket and scarf and then you have the perfect blank canvas to showcase your current favorite accessories (a sharp tote, fun flats, a great chunky watch).



Client Ready

I can think of a million ways I'll wear this to the office, but these chilly winter temps are making me crave a cozy knit sweater and great boots. Mixing black and brown can be tricky -- I think adding warm gold jewelry helps tie things together nicely. I just bought a similar tank-style watch and I love it, and I have my eye on this zodiac pendant (great on its own or layered).