Meet the new dress--

--same as the old dress.

Yes, this dress is VERY similar to the grey one I bought in the fall at Femme de Carriere. This one is, however, different in several key ways:

1. the sleeves are slashed, not capped

2. there are two slits at the back, at the bottom of a groovy inverted U-shaped panel; grey dress has no slits or kick pleat

3. it is black

This is a post about finding what works. French women know all about it and that is why they look so great all the time (well, the ones who look great, anyway, and there is a much higher proportion of them than there are in other countries I've been). I am, particularly as I get older, trying to be more French in my approach to style. I fall off the wagon 6 days out of 7....

But here's the thing: I have (finally!) learned that, when you find a look that works for you, you should stick with it. This is NOT to say that you should abandon keeping up with being stylish, but when something classic works, invest. As long as one does not invest in a look that works and that is overly trendy (and will, as a result, date-- we all know one or two folks who have not updated their looks in 20-30 years and that is never a good thing...), it is not a bad philosophy.

The fitted sheath dress happens to work on me. So I have three. They make me feel good, they are easily spiced up (or down!) with accessories and it is a style that endures and recurs.

Warm weather today called for spring-y accessories, thus the cheery silk scarf, nude stockings and shoes.

I had some, er, help with the photos today....

Dress: Hilary, Club Monaco

Lace stockings: Pierre Mantoux, Holt Renfrew

Shoes with removable, repositionable rosettes: 9 West

Bracelet: gift

Silk scarf: gift

This post took FOREVER: trouble with photos, and the usual inability to post them from flickr = here is where the better pix are.