W2015 9: It's Party Time!

Inspiration Image Source

At first glance this may look like a New Year's Eve look. In reality, I wore it to the 1st Birthday celebration of my fellow alum's remarkable new theater company, The Horse in Motion. The party was excellent, with a photo booth, a live theater performance, music from my buddy Nice Nate, delicious drinks, and a cake, of course. There was also a party hat decorating station which quite possibly made my entire month.

Oh, hai.

As fancy as the outfit looks in tandem with this beautiful cake, it felt a lot more casual in person. That's perfect for Seattle, where in even the most glamorous situations (the ballet, the symphony, etc.) you can be sure to find at least one attendee in clogs and/or a Patagonia fleece.

When it comes to parties, there's nothing like a printed dress to add an air of whimsey & fanfare. I've also found that prints & patterns almost always inspire more compliments -- because people notice them more!

Here are my tips for finding your perfect print:

1) Smaller lady, smaller print. Prints should always be in proportion to your body type. I'm petite, so I err on the side of small, tight prints. Larger ladies won't be overwhelmed by bigger, bolder prints. Remember: A dress should always look even better on the lady than on the hanger, not the other way around!
2) Consider your skin tone. Do you have high contrast features, such as porcelain skin with black hair, or are your features similar in tone throughout? Wherever you fall on the spectrum, make sure your prints reflect it. Low-contrasts might favor a similar-toned floral print, while high-contrasts will stand out in a bold black-and-white graphic.
3) When in doubt, belt it. If you're concerned about the frump factor, find your waist! Unless the dress has detail around the waist or hips (i.e. a peplum), this is almost always an option.

Party on, Garth!

Photos by H. Ruwe