Every season has its “it” staple — that one piece that surfaces on every magazine model, style blogger and mall mannequin. This summer, it was the white shirtdress. I’m still unclear what sparked the shirtdress renaissance. (Ralph Lauren and Lacoste have been churning them out for years.) I resisted the trend for months — I was sure I’d resemble a deranged schoolgirl or candy striper.
But by the end of the summer, I hitched a ride on the bandwagon. I made a few adjustments, of course — most shirtdresses are sheer and very short, so I ordered a size up and always wear a slip.
Today’s look nixes traditional proportions and adds intricacy — without any fussiness.
As the temperature drops, cropped sweaters are quickly becoming my closet MVPs. The sweater’s abbreviated proportions lend themselves well to extending the shelf-life of any high-wasted dress or skirt you’ve got squirreled away in your closet.
I’ve worn this affordable Topshop version three times in the last two weeks — which means more colors and fabrics will likely end up in my closet by season’s end. And one more bonus? It may stave off the necessity for the dreaded “garbage bag jacket” until 2015. (Fingers crossed.)
