Because of their comfort and ease, I love wearing summer and spring dresses. And being able to twirl in a sundress is just the cherry on top.  Felicia Arlin shares how you can awaken your feminine side while taking a chance on a garment you might not normally wear by making it your own.  Great tips for you this week, Tomatoes.

The Little White Dress

Spring has sprung and the weather here in LA is hot and dry so it’s time to pack away the sweaters and pull out the sundresses! My very simple cotton off-the-shoulder tunic, H&M is one of my favorites and it’s one of the least expensive and most versatile pieces, I own. I love the open neckline against the full puff sleeves. It’s soft feminine and kinda peasant-girl sexy. I bought a size large, for length so I could wear this tunic top as a dress but I also wear it, front-tucked into jeans and cutoffs. I pulled my hair up in a messy up-do and kept my jewelry to a minimum with small pearl earrings and an ankle bracelet.

Shout out to my Mother, who knitted my au-courant Granny Square blanket

*Style-Tip: garments that expose a woman’s clavicle bones are the most flattering. It’s the one place we don’t gain weight so show them off!

A Dress to Twirl in

This dress, Gisele Tune, is most definitely a twirler. The soft creme colour, the lite as air linen fabric, the chiffon applique’ and embroidery and the oh-so-feminine silhouette makes me feel like I’m floating. As lovely as this dress is, it’s not something I would normally gravitate to because it’s a lot of dress for my frame BUT I had to try it on and I’m so glad, I did. I talk a lot about making a look, your own so to tone down some of the “femme”, I pulled out my chunky lug boots, Cupid, within the same colour palette, to add some contrasting heaviness. My Vegan motorcycle jacket, Zara, is a no-brainer. I used the self belt from the dress and tied it into a choker and attached a large fabric flower in the same colour for a more interesting look. I love the dichotomy between the hardness of the jacket next to the softness of the flower. In the second photo, (without the jacket), I tied the belt right under my chest to create an empire waist which suits my body type better than tying it around my short waist. The empire bodice is a great choice for those of us who are either short, short-waisted or both, like me. It gives the illusion of height and length.

*Style-Tip: when you’re shopping and stumble upon a garment that you normally wouldn’t wear but are attracted to…Try It On! then find a way to make it work. I’m not a girly-girl so this dress was way out of my scope but by adding pieces that were more, “me” I made it my own which is KEY in achieving a look that’s authentic to your personal style.