How to Style a Simple Shift Dress

 Last Friday I was suppose to meet my husband in town for lunch and somehow I lost track of time.  I ended up scrambling to find something to wear and finally decided on this simple shift dress because it was so easy to style.  All you have to do with a shift dress is throw it on, add a cute pair of shoes, a complimentary bag, and some jewelry and all your all set to go!

However, I did not have time to jump in the shower, so my hair was a stringy mess.  Instead of reaching for a hat, I decided to try wrapping a scarf around my head.  I tell you, if you ever want to attract attention in north central Wisconsin, the land of camouflage,  Under Armor sweatshirts, and leggings as pants, just put a scarf on your head.  I can't remember the last time I was stared at so much.  Men and women were gawking so much I was starting to feel like a freak show.  I couldn't tell if they loved it, hated it, or were just curious if I was from "around here".  But other than the awkwardness of being looked at all day,  I liked having a scarf around my head, and so did my husband.  I think I will do this more often!  Especially on bad hair days!

I bought this shift dress on clearance at Charming Charlie's for only $20.00.  Because of the color and texture, it is meant to be a fall/winter dress....which is why it was on clearance.  But in my cold climate, I can wear it as a spring dress, and perhaps even on a cool summer day.   In the winter, I'd probably just add leggings or tights, booties, and a cardigan.  I love how versatile this dress is!

The bag I also picked up at Charming Charlies for only $12.00!  Sometimes I'm so sad that they don't have a Charming Charlies in my hometown.  But then I think that's probably a good thing;  or I'd be broke!  I stop at Charming Charlies every time I travel and I always pick up something.

The floral water color chiffon scarf I picked up at a discount store for only $5.00.  I did so much shopping while in Florida, it's hard for me to remember where I purchased what.  I think it was Ross.

My jewelry is super old.  I think I got the pink beaded bracelet from JoAnn's Fabrics and Crafts.  I have no idea where these pretty earrings came from.  I think I've had them since high school!  Jewelry is something I rarely toss.  If it becomes dated, I just move it to another jewelry box that stores items I don't wear as much.  Eventually, it's vintage, and then I like it again!  See, growing old does have some advantages! :)

And I'm happy to announce that I FINALLY got a pair of lace up flats!  Yippee!  I have wanted a pair since they came in style last year, but I could never find any in the shoe stores in my area.  I got mine for only $20.00 at DSW, and they were so comfortable.  I walked in these for hours, and my feet never hurt!  HOWEVER, after one day the soles on the shoes are severely worn.  I was so disappointed and said to my husband "That's what I get for paying less than $50.00 on a pair of shoes".  I'm not sure how much more wear I will get out of them before they fall apart, so I'm back on the hunt again!  This time, I will look for quality, as well as style!

I really enjoyed wearing this super comfy yet stylish outfit.  That's what I'm all about:  comfort with style!  The loose fitting dress, the flats, and the scarf keeping my hair in place....all scream comfort to me.

So what about you?  Have you tried wearing a scarf in your hair?  Would you?  And what is a comfortable yet stylish outfit for you?  I'd love to hear from you!

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE.

Headbands

If you've been paying close attention in my last two fashion posts you would have noticed that I was wearing headbands!  I have discovered that since I got bangs, headbands look really good on me and several people have even told me that I look younger with bangs and headbands:   not that I'm necessarily trying to achieve that, but it's always a nice thing to hear.  It's far better than hearing the question "Are you feeling well?" :)

So far I've shown you a black and white headband in THIS POST and an olive green one in THIS POST.

Here are those two looks again in case you missed it:

  Now both my headbands are simple fabric ones, but I also wanted to show you all some other types of headbands on the market today and the different hairstyles and looks you can create with them.

Express has some pricey, yet fun ones I really like.

I love the knot in this headband and how the model is wearing it directly on her forehead.

This one has a long pretty skinny scarf.

If you prefer something more delicate, try this Pearl Headband from Francescas!  It's like jewelry in your hair.

Headbands are great to wear as a replacement for jewelry during the hot summer months when you don't want any heavy jewelry on your neck or arms.

If the above embellished headband is to delicate for your taste, you could try going bolder this one:

Now that I've shown you several different types of popular headbands, lets talk about ways to style your  hair with a headband.

I love this Tuck and Cover hairstyle.  It looks so easy, I might even give it a try myself!  You can find this and other hair tutorials at this site HERE.

Wear a headband with a messy ponytail!

I just love this cool and casual look! You can see a video on how to achieve this look HERE!

And finally, what about a half up half down look?  Part of her hair was pulled into a ponytail, and the rest was left to hang beautifully down her back.  You can read more about how this look was achieved HERE.

There are so many more headband hairstyles on this Pinterest board for you to explore than I could ever cover in this post,  so if your interested in more ideas, go and check it out!

So when the heat and humidity arrive this summer, will you be trying any of these headband styles?  I'd love to hear from you!

Have a great day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE.