Polka Dots update – the results are in!
April 16, 2010
I hated what I wore so much yesterday I wouldn’t even take a picture of it. I just wanted to get out of a horrible outfit and move on….so no Inspiration Calendar today. I blame the shoes. My new brown Banana Republic shoes are horrible, by the way. Very painful.
So today I’m going to bring you the results of an earlier poll.
About two weeks ago, inspired by the Inspiration Calendar, I wore a polka dot dress with a questionable hem-line length (too long, mind you, not too short!)
It’s a definite gray area for me, because although shorter dresses are much more flattering for my body type, I absolutely love to drown myself in a nice long dress or skirt, and run around on flats, feeling like Elaine Benis from Seinfeld. I don’t know – it’s a guilty pleasure I love to indulge in!
Long skirts and dresses make me feel cozy and comfortable. When I first started this blog, I discovered I was wearing three long skirts per week (I own 39+ long skirts!). Nowadays, through trial and error and lots of friendly coaching from the blogosphere, I limit my long hemlines to once or twice a month.
So when I wore this ankle length polka-dotted dress a couple of weeks ago, I had a poll to see how acceptable my choice was (Read Polka Dot Dilemma).
Here are the results of my ankle-length polka dot dress:
Yes! The dress is lovely – 44%
Not! It didn’t work for Elaine from Seinfeld, and is doesn’t work for you – 26%
Maybe. Not my favorite outfit that you have worn, but it’s passable – 19%
So that, ladies and gentlemen, gives me license to wear ankle length dresses (sparingly!).
So let me roll out my other two ankle length polka dot dresses:
This one I actually purchased the day after I wore the polka dot dress in the poll. I was doing a recon visit to my neighborhood Goodwill, and this dress was on the mannequin. As I pulled it off and held it up to my body, a woman who looked like she knew what she was talking about exclaimed, “That is adorable! You need to get it.”
Unsolicited approval from complete strangers guarantees that an item will land a spot in my closet.
The next polka dot dress does not need any approval from anyone:
Remember Pretty Woman? I just need a hat, some gloves, and a different belt, and I’m ready for my Prince Charming climb my fire escape and sweep me away!!
Price Breakdown on this brown polka dot classic?
Dress: $1.99 (Goodwill)
Necklace: $1.79 (Goodwill)
Belt: $1.59 (Goodwill)
Shoes: $1.00 Bargain Basket Dollar Days Sale.
Total Cost: $6.37
But don’t tell Prince Charming when he comes to rescue me that I’m such a cheap date….that’s our little secret!
Seinfeld has been off the air for almost 15 years. Trying to dress like one of the characters will ensure that you look dated and older than you are. Please, please, please hem these dresses.
Why does anyone feel the need to be so rude? I think you look great, yet would look fabulous with these at knee length!
I like both of those polka dot dresses (especially the brown one) but I’m not a fan of those white shoes… I would wear an open toe sandal with those dresses!
I love the BR shoes – why are they so horrid? Are they just terribly uncomfortable? If so, that’s a shame. I think they’re really cute!
Yes, they’re horribly uncomfortable for me. What size are you? Do you want them? They’re 7/12 – I’ll send them to you for the price of shipping! Otherwise, it’s onto the consignment shop…
Oh that’s too bad. Nope, I’m a 9 or 10 U.S. sizes.
And p.s. I don’t know why people have to be ugly about comments… I like all of the dresses on you, but I am also in the camp that says shorten.
Even when trends come back into fashion, they come back a little different. So polka-dot, yes! But modernize the fit some and you’ll be uber-fabulous in them. I especially love the Pretty Woman dress.
Do you sew at all? I’ll bet hemming up skirts and dresses would be pretty easy.
One of these days long skirts and dresses will be super trendy again, but then the shape will change. C’est la vie!
Thanks, Jenny – I have a big bag of things I need to take to the tailor, and I may surprise myself as to how good I feel when I go from “passable” to “fabulous”!!
I don’t think the comments are ugly at all – just honest and helpful. When I put myself out there like I do, I have to accept all feedback. I hear frustration, not rudeness. Like a parent telling a stubborn teen-ager – “you have so much potential, why do you keep choosing to take the easier way out!!!”
That’s how I take it, and frankly I feel the comments are constructive. Unlike my own mother’s comment…..she told me “My advise to you is, if you put your hands on your hips, you’ll look thinner.” ARggggg!! Now THAT kind of comment gets under my skin!!!
Kudos for you! I think I might be too sensitive for that, but I guess you learn. I just believe that the same things can be said in a much more kind manner – but you are able to take sarcastic comments in stride, so more power to you.
Thanks, Rosie!! That’s a very nice thing to say!! I know this is kind of personal, but my “inner critic” is really the hardest one for me to overcome. So far, none of the comments have been as harsh as I can be on myself. I hear frustration from people who I’ve opened myself up to, who are only trying to help.
The comment from my mother, who told me I should try to look thinner, however, still stings. But mothers will do that, won’t they?
Thanks again for your kind words, though!!!
I like the dress and belt but you need to ditch those shoes. Sorry.
Marie
The Pretty Woman dress is also my fave – the color looks very lovely on you. And I agree on the unsolicited approval from strangers in stores … I was trying on a pair of sandals a couple weeks ago when a man who happened to be walking by said “those look good”, so of course they went home with me!
Hi, Brenda.
I agree that a shorter skirt would flatter you better. Having them shortened would be an added expense (unless you can do it yourself) but it’s worth it.
I’ve been mulling over your polka dot dresses. I like them both BUT I think the tan one becomes you better. The black looks a bit severe on your coloring (hair, skin, eyes). The tan one, however, is great on your coloring and lengthens you. You styled it perfectly with the pearls, the belt, and the shoes! Bravo!
So, my take is: shorten the black polka but keep the length of the tan one. 
I do agree they would be a little more flattering shorter. I admit to loving long dressing too because they feel so great to wear. But shorter might look a little better.
As an aside, that tan/brown is a very flattering color on you. You should wear that color often.
[...] – in fact, we decided that a couple of the dresses I brought in just wouldn’t work (my Pretty Woman Brown Polka-dotted dress just had to remain in it’s current [...]