27 Dresses (or maybe 10 dresses, same difference)

So, here's the project I'm working on.  I've mentioned that I have thinned my closet drastically.  And that I don't feel like I have a lot of cohesive pieces.  And that I have a lot of gaps.  So.  I'm going to catalog my entire wardrobe.  In pictures.  Right here on this blog.  Are you so excited for that?

I'm starting with dresses because all of my dresses were currently clean.  I need to do laundry tomorrow before I do the skirts or shirts.  So here goes:

You've seen this one before.  I bought at the end of last summer off a Macy's sale rack.  I think it was $6.  It might have been $4.  My concern with this dress remains the length.  I can't tell if it is really too short for me or not.  Can we also take a moment to notice the difference in skin tone between my arms & my legs?  That's what I get for wearing capris when I run.  You'll be seeing more tan lines later.

Another dress that I think is just too short.  I picked it up at Nordstrom Rack for something like $11 and thought it would be a good piece to wear on the plane going and leaving the Mister.  But even with tights, I feel like I've left the house without my pants.  I'm thinking this one is going to head to the discard pile pretty soon.

This was a new purchase for the summer, but I didn't get as much wear out of it as I thought I would.  Mostly, I'm still getting used to have my arms all out in the open all the time.  I really wanted a blush-colored blazer to wear over this, but I couldn't find one while thrifting and I couldn't bring myself to drop $25 on one from Forever 21.  Also, holy pale armpits, Batman!

This dress.  I love this dress.  It was one of the very first vintage dresses I ever owned.  And it is far, far too big on me.  But I cannot get rid of it because I don't think I could bear to see someone else wearing it.  It's my Ms. Frizzle dress because the print is hieroglyphics!

See?  How awesome is that?  The obvious solution is to go have it taken in at a tailor's, but I'm lazy.  So I haven't done that.  but I probably will at some point in the future.

Another "is it too short?" dress!  You may have noticed that I chopped off those long flowy sleeves, a la April!  This happened because I wanted to wear a blazer over this (because that is my thing, you know.  Put a blazer on it!) and the sleeves were not cooperating.  So I took 'em off.  And I think it makes the dress look a lot more balanced.  And somehow I think that helps combat the shortness?  Comments?

This dress frustratingly photographs SO MUCH BETTER than it actually looks in real life.  The truth of the matter is that it's about 4 years old and is from Forever 21 and it has seen better days.  I also hate the smocking on the bodice because it squishes my armpit chub.  And that's just not a good look on anyone.  But the color is so great.  I love the color!

I wore this to my best friend's rehearsal dinner last September.  I've worn it a few times since, but it's a bit too big now and I'm not terribly in love with it.  I was originally drawn to the black crochet lace on the bodice and the exposed zipper, but I have a hard time getting the lace to look right after the dress has been washed.  And I'm not so into the exposed zipper or the way the dress fits me anymore.  So I think this one will be added to the discard pile as well.

I wore this one to my cousin's wedding in October.  The color is actually much more of a royal purple than a blue.  That plunging V in the neckline is a little intimidating, but I've been envisioning a pale blue button-up under it.  That could be cute?  With a belt?  If I owned a belt?

This is a new purchase!  I found it at Fake Target and bought it even though I had no occasion to wear it for.  Someone is bound to get married eventually.  Or there will be some kind of garden party.  Or a brunch.  I could wear this to a brunch.  Basically, it was dirt cheap and fits me like a glove and it's just pretty!  So I sort of had to buy it.  And can't you just picture it with the blush-colored blazer I mentioned on the maxi dress?

And the last one!  Y'all, I love this dress.  Love love love it!  I feel so classy and lady-like and Holly-Golightly-like in it!  It's probably the most expensive dress pictured, as it was $50 at Marshall's, but the quality of it is fantastic and it fits me so well.  Plus, the shape and styling is all so classic, but interesting, that I'll be able to wear this dress for just about any occasion for years to come.  I wish I worked in an office so I could wear this dress, like, once a week.  I may start wearing it just to go to Target.  That's how much I love it.

Okay, so those are all my dresses!  I definitely don't think I need to purchase any MORE dresses, and I pretty set on getting rid of at least two of them.  I need to just actually wear these dresses with more frequency and get a little playful with the styling on the more dressy-dresses.  Any comments?  Questions?  Concerns?