While I was in high school I finally realized that whining about not being able to find “modest clothing” would never make modest clothing appear on clothing racks. I decided to work with what I found. In more recent years I’ve been wearing dresses and blouses or tops. This doesn’t work with every kind of dress. I’ve found that dresses made out of a stretchy knit material work best.
Over the summer I found this designer dress (Elie Tahari) at Goodwill for $3 and I almost put it back on the rack. I loved the color and the material, but the hem was a good 3 inches above the knee. I bought the dress anyway and today I decided to wear it as a top tucked into my leather pencil skirt. My one complaint is that since I bought the dress it has loosened up since I bought it in June and it is definitely a lot looser on top than I wanted it to be.
I thought a dress, tights, undergarments, AND a skirt would make me feel over layered, but—I felt a-ok.
The shoes I’m wearing were a DIY project I started and finished last December. I found some crazy bedazzled gemstone shoes on ModCloth for $220 (shoes are sold out now) and I decided to craft a pair of shoes after those shoes. I searched all over for black heels similar to the ones on ModCloth and I finally found these shoes on a mannequin at Forever 21. The sales associate said he couldn’t sell them to me; my sister held the mannequin and I snatched the shoes of its feet when he turned around. I bought them.
I bought a billion little rhinestones on Etsy, eBay, and Michaels and used craft glue to glue each stone by hand. I probably could have gotten the job done within a couple of days, but it literally took me the entire month of December because I am a lazy DIYer. Total cost (not counting my labor…ha!): $30.
Do you wear your dresses as a blouse?
Dress, thrifted: $3
Skirt, thrifted: $8
Shoes, $25
Rhinestones, $5
Tights, $10
(By the way: Follow my Modest Fashion board on Pinterest)
hahahaha those shoes are freaking awesome! That’s the first thing I noticed about the outfit, girl you are rocking those heels!
I would have snatched the shoes off that mannequin too.
Love. Those. Shoes!
And I had the EXACT same experience at F21 over a necklace that I wanted. Melvin helped me remove it from the display as soon as the sales associate walked away. lol. I don’t understand that store policy at all.
I am so gonna try this girl! I have several dresses that alil to short and they are n my I’m gonna see a new hem on it pile and have been for 2 years now! I’m def gonna have to give this a try!
Forgive me if I posted this more than once!
***Repost*** (proof reading is a must) lesson learned!
I am so gonna try this girl! I have several dresses that are a little to short and they have been sitting in my I’m gonna sew a new hem pile forever! Great idea Chandra! Love the shoes also
Shey, your comment made me laughhhhh out loud.
Dionna and Nikia, WHY? Why must Forever 21 be so difficult? I just DO NOT understand that ridiculous policy. I wonder if I can send a tweet to the Forever 21 powers that be!
Sheena, try it and let me know what you think. I’ve been doing it forever and it’s just easy and I don’t have to mope about dresses being cute but being too short!
Chandra
Great look! Love the shoes!
Can’t find the right shirt? Layer a dress! Can’t afford those heels? Make them yourself! Shoes you want on a mannequin? Take ‘em off. LOVE your DIY spirit.
Plus, you look awesome. I think the blousiness of the shirt offsets the sleek pencil skirt nicely.
I will strip a mannequin down too, ha ha haaa. Nope haven’t tried a dress as a top but need to so I can rework some looks. Cute DIY project.
Meg, after gluing a bajillion rhinestones on those shoes I didn’t think I had any DIY spirit left! No wonder why those ModCloth shoes were $220!
Kerissa, no shame. None. HA!!
Chandra
I’m long-waisted and often have a problem with tops riding up showing a gap when I sit down… It’s just occurred to me, reading this, that dress-as-a-top is the perfect solution to my problem! Thank you
Those Shoes are awesome!!!