One Dress, Five Ways!

I have a new dress! It’s from a brand called Quiz, which I’m not too familiar with, but I popped into their High Wycombe store while sale shopping, and liked a lot of their stuff. The dress I bought is a dark red skater dress in a heavy, textured sort of material – it’s not on their website anymore, but it’s worth checking out their sale anyway.

Here it is on its own, then, just so you can see what it’s like. A skater dress is pretty much a staple for me, and dark red is one of my favourite colours, so this is a very typical element of my wardrobe… Want to see how I can style it?

Look Number One: Library Day

So this look is a fairly simple one, dressed down, warm and comfy. A nicely-shaped cable knit jumper creates a more winter-appropriate feel, while the long necklace adds a little bit of interest. I love this fox necklace, it was a birthday present from a friend, and has probably been my most worn necklace this year – it’s so cute! I’d probably wear this look around town on a typical college day – in the library or at a lecture, it’s nice and easy to wear, while still being flattering and stylish.

Jumper: H&M (last year). Necklace: Layla Amber.

Look Number Two: Lunch with Friends

The addition of a shirt to the dress gives my waist a bit more emphasis, and the longer sleeves add balance to the a-line shape of the skirt. This look is perfect for days when you want to look a little smart, but still casual. Although they’re not in shot (self-timer problems), I’ve added glittery gold shoes for a bit of extra sparkle, and to match up to the collar studs on the shirt. Cream, gold and red is very classic, and leaves you plenty of options to accessorise – I’d add co-ordinating bangles and gold earrings, if I wanted to dress it up more.

Shirt: Primark. Shoes: Florence and Fred at Tesco.

Look Number Three: Networking Event

This is a slightly dressier version of this dress. A smart jacket and a bit of sparkle in the form of a very dramatic necklace make this feel a bit more grown-up, and while it’s still too short for me to recommend it as an interview dress, at a casual meet-and-greet, this is fun as well as smart. I had paired it with black heels, but they made me too tall for the self-timer frame, so I took them off. I included a shot of my hair down as well as up with this look, to show how it goes from office-y to a bit more fun (also, I hate the way my hair looks in a bun, so there’s one where I think I look okay!)

Jacket: Next. Necklace: Dorothy Perkins. Shoes: New Look.

Look Number Four: Walk in the Park

I find that a leather jacket is perfect for the edges of winter – you know, when it’s sunny and crisp-cold, but not wet or so frosty you feel like your hands are ice. The jacket will keep you warm enough, while still remaining part of your outfit, not a cover-up (especially if teamed with Primark’s Super Cosy tights, which keep your legs warm too!). Depending on the weather, you could bundle up with thick wooly scarf and hat, or simply throw a pretty delicate scarf around your neck. I’d wear this on one of my lunch break walks around Christchurch Meadow – I like to walk by the river with a friend to clear my mind in the middle of an essay-writing day!

Leather jacket: Dorothy Perkins (old, but there’s plenty about).

Look Number Five: Clara Oswald

So, this look reminds me terribly of the cutesy look of the current Doctor’s companion, Clara Oswald. She often has little collared dresses and cute prints – so I thought I’d see what that would look like on me! I quite like it, although I’m not sure if I would actually wear it. It would work nicely as a smart daytime look, but I just don’t know if it’s a bit little girl-y! I finished this look with the same gold sparkly shoes and my ubiquitous belt, to give it a bit more definition  – when layering, it’s always good to make sure you still have a waist!

Shirt: Primark. Belt: Ubiquitous.

Well, I hope that this exceptionally long outfit post has made up for my fashion silence! Let me know if these hallway-self-timer photos are okay – I know they’re not as pretty as the ones taken by my boyfriend, but I thought it was better to post something than wait til we have a free couple of hours in the light! Which is your favourite look?