Tag Archives: shift dress

One Shift Dress, Two Ways

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Fashion Style Shift Dress

When is a shift dress not just a shift dress? I ponder the all-important question of whether or not I should keep my pants on for some shifty business.

Look 1: H&M dress (similar) | necklace (similar) | pashmina (similar) | vintage Levi’s (similar) | bangles (similar) | vintage clutch (similar) | vintage heels (similar) | Urban Outfitters sunglasses (similar)

Look 2: H&M dress (similar) | H&M necklace (similar) | pashmina (similar) | Me Too heels (similar) |Urban Outfitters sunglasses (similar)

Fashion Style Shift Dress

I love shift dresses for their easy shapeless silhouette, which seems to be made for a not-so-easy shapeless silhouetted gal such as myself. I wore this dress to a summer wedding a couple of years ago, and it was the best decision ever. While everyone else was restricted by their fitted frocks, I was able to let myself go at the buffet line until I passed out from sheer gluttony.

Recently, I was rifling through my closet searching for something summery to wear when I heard the familiar croak of my feathered friend. I had so much fun at that wedding – won’t you please wear me again?

Fashion Style Shift Dress

With a blueprint of a tropical paradise serving as the backdrop, the orange-beaked toucan and two birds of a feather in flight invite me into their lush oasis. Flowers and fruit come alive in tangy color pops as juicy as fresh squeezed orange juice on a hot summer day. Oh yes, I rediscovered this dress just in time for summer. But I have different plans for you this time around, my dear toucan.

I’m taking the “dress” out of the shift dress and ditching shaven legs for a roomy pair of mom jeans. The hem of my tropical shift meets my vintage Levi’s in a concrete jungle combination. I wrap my head around a head wrap with stacks on stacks on stacks of bangles upon my wrists. Meanwhile, the toucan is tucked snuggly against my waistband, his orange beak just barely peeking out to observe the world around him.

A tropical paradise in a pair of mom jeans. Shifty business indeed.

Fashion Style Shift Dress

Preppy Pep

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IMG_7068Who can turn the world on with her smile?

My blog has been my pride and joy the last two plus years, but lately I have had a hard time squeezing it into my schedule. With extra work piling up at my full time job, a recent part time gig, and personal plans I’m working on, you can imagine this working girl is quite beat when she punches out to knock out midnight, only to punch in again the next day at 6am. When the #firstworldproblems gets tough, I ask myself, WWMTMD?

The Mary Tyler Moore Show was a popular sitcom in the 1970s, starring Mary Richards as Mary Tyler Moore. It’s about a young woman in her 30’s who relocates to a big city, finds new friends, becomes an independent working woman, deals with issues surrounding that decade, and everything that comes along with that.

While I’ve only seen the opening credits and heard the catchy theme song, falling short of watching an actual episode, I can still relate to Ms. MTM on a few things. We’re both independent working women. We’re the same age. She works in journalism. I studied communications and am a blogger. She twirls around in a busy intersection and tosses her hat up in the air. I’ve had the desire to do the same for the longest time.

BDG wool beret (similar) / vintage shift dress (similar here, here & here) / vintage blouse (similar) / vintage scarf (similar) / Hue tights (similar) / G.H. Bass & Co. shoes (similar) / Coach purse (similar)

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While the 1970s isn’t one of my favorite fashion decades (but I have channelled that decade before), I feel like this is an outfit that the 1960s MTM would wear – she was a big fan of abstract prints, florals, and colors on the show. This wool shift dress is another beauty I inherited from my aunt when she cleaned out her closet. Custom made for her in Hong Kong back in the day, it now fits me like a glove. Although winter’s been mild in the Bay Area, the temperatures still drop it like it’s hot enough for me to wear a wool dress. For that preppy look, and to stay warmer, I layered a chiffon blouse underneath. Tights are a must – in pop of color of course. Add in some gold hued saddle shoes (yes they were popular in the 1960s!), and this working lady is running late for work again.

With a preppy pep in my step, I’m gonna make it after all.

IMG_7044 mtm

Feast Your Eyes

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I hope you can agree with me that there is much to be thankful for in life. If you have decent friends and family (minus the crazy aunt), then chances are you already have come up in life. But sometimes the going gets tough, and when it does, I often remind myself that things could be worse. And by worse I mean succumbing to gym clothes for Thanksgiving dinner.

Yes, stretchy gym clothes are quite comfortable, I agree. Yet gym clothes have their place in the gym, and there are alternative ways to stay comfy without compromising style. Whether you’re attending a Thanksgiving dinner with family, or enjoying a potluck Friendsgiving, be sure to steal the feast’s spotlight by being a feast for the eyes! Who says you can’t be well dressed while being well fed?

Turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce will be consumed, with food stains sure to follow. Black will be the color of choice. Not only can it withstand the stain of spilled red wine, its slimming effect will be much relief after so much gluttony.

Between a figure forgiving shift dress or a glammed up pair of jogger pants, the choice is up to you. Just remember that gratitude is the best attitude, so wear it on your sleeve.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Aloha Summer, Aloha Autumn

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Autumn has officially begun, but the weather lately has me thinking otherwise. It’s been warm and muggy, and the humidity in the air isn’t doing my hair any justice. Am I in the Bay Area or am I in Hawaii? Actually, let me rescind that statement – even Hawaii doesn’t experience humidity like this.

The first time I went to Hawaii, I participated in all the touristy activities you can think of. When one is in the Aloha State, one attends a luau, eats spam musubi, and dons a sarong. Ah yes, my first authentic Hawaiian sarong! It was a pale tie dyed yellow one with painted flowers that I absolutely loved. However, as soon as I returned home, the poor sarong never saw the light of day again. To it I say “mahalo” for keeping me covered up and preventing sand from getting into my beach bum.

It has been years since I set foot in Hawaii, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get into the aloha state of mind. While there is no appropriate situation to wear a sarong around here, I’ve somehow amassed a collection of vintage Hawaiian dresses to take its place. From maxi dresses to mini dresses, and even a blouse, the only thing missing from my collection is a muumuu.

This 1960s beauty was likely a maxi dress, until some previous owner transformed it into a mini shift dress. The blue and green hues remind me of the clear blue water on the Hawaiian shores. I love the unexpected splashes of red on the dress, and accented them with my red peep-toe pumps. Remember fellas, a flower behind her left ear means she is taken, but behind the right ear means she is single. How about a huge tissue paper flower fascinator as big as her head? It means she’s a fashionista, so be dressed to impress.

If this dress doesn’t get me lei’d, I don’t know what will. Why, a plane ticket to Hawaii of course.

vintage Hawaiian dress (similar dress) / Seychelles peeptoe pumps (similar shoes) / vintage earrings (similar earrings) / DIY tissue paper flower

Lucky in Gold and Green

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This 1960s golden brocade shift dress was my lucky find at the end of the rainbow. The A-line silhouette is most flattering and the long sleeves help balance out the short flared hemline. My favorite detail is the button on the back. It provides an unexpected surprise for when heads turn to watch as I walk away. I’m cute as a button, quite literally.

To prevent me from looking too washed out in light gold from head to toe, I opted for a pop of color in a bright tight. Ruby red, midnight blue, or plum purple? Any jewel-toned hue will do, but my choice is emerald green, perfect for St. Patty’s Day.

Although the dress is plain in style, the brocade fabric is what elevates it. Brocade is a fabric woven on a loom, typically with multicolored silk threads. To identify brocade, check both sides of the fabric: the topside should look like embroidery throughout while the underside has layers of thread. For these reasons, brocade was a luxury fabric worn by nobility since way back in the Middle Ages. No wonder I feel royal in this dress, even though it don’t run in my blood.

To finish the royal look, I must adorn myself with baubles fit for a queen. Jewels on my ears and an emerald stone on my finger – how do you do? How about a gold blingy brooch with a bangle to match? Your royal highness requests it. Only the finest shoes will do for my regal feet; these velvet rhinestoned beauties simply beg me to kick up their heels in song and Riverdance.

Cute as a button in my noble gold dress and lean green legs, don’t you dare pinch me. Unless you want to be pinched back tenfold.


thrifted jacket (similar jacket & jacket) / vintage dress (similar dress & dress) / Xhilaration tights (similar tights) / Poetic License shoes (similar shoes) / vintage Dooney & Bourke purse (similar purse) / vintage brooch (similar brooch) / vintage bangle (similar bangle) / vintage ring (similar ring)

Leaf Me

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My mama and papa said all the leaves are brown and the sky is grey. Well, almost – but not quite.

I chose my leaves in the form of a thrifted shift dress. The leafy vine motif in an autumn inspired color palette of orange and green is so appropriate for the season. It reminds me of the picturesque leaves changing colors on treetops – one of my favorite features of fall.

Since the dress is so short, it requires some careful ladylike maneuvering. My floppy hat serves a dual purpose: not only does it shield the sun from my face but it also preserves my modesty when I sit down. A dress this short deserves some flats or low wedges. I found an excuse to wear my new Jeffrey Campbells – I love the allover perforation and tonal cutout detail on top of the shoes. The nude color is versatile and the low wedge height makes them so comfortable I can practically live in them everyday before it gets too cold. My initial cluster necklace gets a bit lost in the busy print of the dress, but since V’s are so rare, I just had to wear it. The outfit wouldn’t be complete without my thrifted Anne Klein II purse to keep all my worldly possessions together.

Now make like a tree and leave.


thrifted dress / H&M hat (similar) / Jeffrey Campbell shoes (similar) / Anne Klein II bag (similar) / Urban Outfitters initial necklace (similar)

Birds of Paradise

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My dear toucan, it’s been a while. You’ve brought some friends I see.

This dress is certainly a tropical paradise indeed. Against a backdrop of an otherwise blueprint like design of a jungle, the colorful parrots and toucan seem like they will take flight right out of the dress. Not to mention the yummy mystery fruits that look ripe for the pickin’.

To accent the orange details on the dress, I wore a bright tangy scarf of the same hue. The lightweight weave is perfect for protecting my arms from the blazing sun. The beauty of a scarf like this is that it can be draped over the body in endless ways, with each drape creating a subtly different look. I accessorized with a double strand of oversized faux crystal beads to add some dimension to the matching green background of the dress.

My scarf hangs low, it wobbles to and fro, I can tie it in a knot, and I can tie it in a bow. I can even throw it over my shoulder.


H&M dress / H&M necklace (similar) / Me Too shoes (similar) / orange scarf (similar)

Shift Happens

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Growing up, my favorite pal on Saturday night was Nick. Nick introduced me to Samantha Stevens and Jeannie. I loved watching these two women use their superpowers with good intentions, albeit sometimes to spite the men in their lives. Although I did not know it at the time, those shows probably influenced my passion for vintage today.

I admit that the 1960s is not one of my favorite decades of dress, but it has been growing on me as of late. My aunt recently did some spring-cleaning and offered me her vintage shift dresses from this era. I couldn’t turn down such a groovy offer.

The 1960s were characterized by a general shift in culture, as well a growing youth generation. During this time, shift dresses became very popular, and is perhaps the reason why they are named exactly that, the “shift.” Icons such as Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick epitomized this style of dress. An interesting fact is that these frocks actually originate from the 1920s, only this time without the fringe, feathers, and beads.

How to spot a shift dress? They generally have a simple boxy silhouette that might hang straight or slightly A-line from the shoulders with the hemline above the knee. For these reasons, this dress is versatile and can be worn by many body types, especially if you have a boyish figure like myself.

My favorite details of this dress are the elegant princess seams that transition smoothly into hidden pockets at the hips. The petal collar also adds a bit of whimsy and “flower power” to the outfit. The weave of the wool is quite psychedelic; I like to describe it as herringbone on LSD. To avoid feeling like a 12-year-old boy, I wore a pair of hidden platform pumps with a very high heel to balance out the straight and conservative silhouette of the dress, and finished with a few simple gold accessories to keep the true 60s vibe alive.

Be prepared to see me in more swinging 60s ‘cause I am up shift creek without a paddle. Groovy baby!