A Beautiful Mess is a monster blog (not a blog about monsters…that would be cool…but one heckova huge blog that has a staff of eight folks that talk about everything from style to DIY to cooking) and they did a couple posts this month about Frocktober.
I love that word. It’s like my new version of a cuss word.
What is Frocktober? It’s the month we get to celebrate FROCKS! aka dresses! aka that thing that women used to wear on a daily basis. aka those lovely one piece outfits that can be casual, sporty, vintage or…well…dressy. So I took to the streets of the internet and scoured the sites for my favorites. It was harder than I thought. Some of the items were just ridiculously priced (ahem, $300+ for a casual dress that my kid is gonna smear yogurt on? nothankyou.), some were just not my style, some were just not cut for a woman of my size or shape (apparently it’s a trend to show your nether-regions). After a very rigorous search, these fit the bill…affordably priced, age appropriate, and more adorable than a fluffy puppy in a bucket full of marshmallows. Don’t google that…you will literally croak from the cuteness.
ModCloth had the most available choices and the widest range of styles. I hated some of the styles…they were not for me….but others were my absolute favorite. I think I could wear any of those shown above to Thanksgiving dinner or church or on those rare date nights with Jeremy.
I hit up Old Navy, Gap, and Banana to see what they had available. It was slim pickings. Old Navy and Gap were obviously more casual and Banana had more elegant options. Of all the other sites I searched, I couldn’t find more than one dress to show. Don’t people know that we are looking for dressy options for the holidays so that we can make sure our family and friends know we know still remember how to shower, shave our legs and pull on Spanx?
What are your favorites?
Katie, Have you tried Shabby Apple or Boden? Both have pretty awesome dresses (Boden’s are a little pricey, but they have good sales).
oo dresses! it’s been um…i think 2 years since i wore a dress? yikes. i would totally get all of the ones on the top row from mod cloth, though. so cute! i like dresses that still kind of look like 2 pieces. momma needs camouflage!
You should have posted links to the individual dresses, some of these are adorable! I especially like the last ModCloth one. Cute!
I love the cream and yellow dress from ModCloth, but I cannot find it on their website. Did you do this recently?
This week! It comes in two colors. It’s called the Come In Dandy dress in Mustard.
xo – kb
Maybe I’ll do that when I get a free minute.
xo – kb
Can you tell me what the name of the Modcloth dress that is middle, second row? Thanks!
You really should check out http://www.eshakti.com/ and http://www.shopruche.com !!! I love ModCloth and check them out daily because they get new stuff in…every single day – but I totally agree with you on them…they have some very strange dresses! Luckily they have a wide variety though, in price and style.
I second Boden! I love their work dresses and most of them are machine washable – helps out a lot with the cost when you aren’t making trips to the dry cleaners.
I love Victoria’s Secret and Target…always on clearance and with a free ship promo though 🙂
Wow, Modcloth has a ton of cute clothing! Will definitely be looking there for a dress to attend weddings this summer! Trying to find that last dress and haven’t had any luck yet.
Have you checked out Loft dresses? Love their classic styles and amazing sales. Got a $40 shirt for $2.50 once!
I miss dresses! Still nursing my one year old, so it’s been awhile.
I love mod cloth dresses (and purses and shirts…) but my go to place for frocks is always the Gap – sometimes they have great ones in store that never show up online
I did! I didn’t see more than a couple of their non-sale items that looked like they would be flattering on my body type.
xo – kb
Such cuteness. I just hunted down and ordered two of those awesome dress suggestions to try out! PS took me forever to find the mod cloth one I loved – could you link individual dresses next time? 😛 xo
Cant find the navy stripped one with the belt on mod cloth :(, can you post the link?
I love Eshakti.com! You put in your measurements and they allow you to customize (usually dress length, neckline, and sleeves). They also send lots of coupons that make the dresses pretty affordable.
Maurice! Great casual and dress wear.
great ideas, love the information
It is definitely hard to find age appropriate dresses! This year I really started focusing on modesty after I got a comment from an usher friend at church, and I’ve had to literally google “mormon dresses” lol, because I know they will have sleeves and at least be knee length. And then they are expensive!
http://m.kohls.com/kohlsopenapi/productmobile.html?productID=1759927
I have the same issues finding a dress I like. I just bought this one at Kohl’s a couple weeks ago. I’m going to try to take family photos on the beachthis weekend while we’re in San Diego. I pair it with a navy blue skinny belt & a fitted navy cardigan. Coolest thing? The dress has pockets! As a mom to a 2 1/2 year old, I love pockets.
I came on here to say most definitely Boden, but I’ve been beat to it. They have some good sales, and the quality is awesome as is the styling. Nothing I wouldn’t mind my grandmother seeing me in, yet chic and sophisticated. Oh how I adore my Boden dresses!
I went through the same predicament about a month ago. I wanted something dressier than jeans to wear to church, and I find dresses more comfortable than dress pants. But I had a horrible time finding anything affordable. I ended up with two from Old Navy. I’ll end up wearing tights or leggings under them since in OH our winters are cold, so I was able to get one that is shorter than I would typically wear (still mid-thigh). I can’t believe how hard it was to find a dress that covers your hooha! Thanks for the Modcloth source. Off to check them out!
Hey Katie! What type of dress would you recommend for a wedding while I’m still nursing? This will be my first time nursing and I’m a bit nervous that I won’t have “easy access” haha
I always wear a wrap dress to weddings when I am still nursing. They are super flattering, give easy access and if you feel like you need extra coverage for your girls, you can get a cleavage cover for cheap 🙂 I also always take my nursing cover with me when I go to special events and it seems to work out great.
xo – kb
Yeah. I should have. I just got lazy.
xo – kb
Cute! I could never wear it because I don’t have a waist but it’s adorable!
xo – kb
Yes to frocks!! I wear dresses about 9 days out of 10! It has taken me years to amass my collection because it seems I am the only 5foot 9 lady who likes to cover at least to my knees! Seriously, I sit on a stool at work and face people, I need dresses that do not flash the goodies!
e-shatki is the bomb!
LOVE dresses … fastest way to get dressed in the am . . . and always have me some nude shoes that work for the season to go with so I can get out the door quick but really adore boots and tights for winter!! I like the sheaths from mod cloth – adore the white tank sweater topped gold skirt dress (gold is nice on redheads like me) though I guess it needs a jacket for fall. I have a cowl necked sweater dress I love like the inspiration you show but mine has an a line skirt that swings out enough to make my petite yet size 10 bum not feel too big for knits. I adore both of the fat horizontal stripe skirts, but with boys now in college probably must avoid due to age. I think you could wear it til you were 40 for sure, but then .. . not so sure.
Something to make all mothers of young children feel happier – now when I see moms with kids in tow, I think “Oh to be that young and naturally beautiful and have “receptive to kids” mindset”.. .i know you are exhausted and no makeup is only partially a choice born of convenience and keeping the dirt of parenting out of your pores .. but really, you are beautiful . .so beautiful with your little chicks following along. And yes, if you are young enough to birth em, you are young enough to be naturally beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying these lines on my face at work where now I get respect, I’ve earned them (with a little help from my college men and teen in high school). I still feel happy and I’m in the prime of life, but … this is the message I wish I could have sent myself at your stage . . .
The diamond printed sheath is fab. The red belt makes the little foulard printed sheath perfect for church. Don’t you want to put a belt on the denim shirt dress? A saddle leather belt that isn’t too tight, but defines the waist?
J.Jill sometimes has great dresses – this one reminded me of you as a georgia peach . . http://www.jjill.com/jjillonline/product/itempage.aspx?BID=523144368&rPFID=21&item=OJ023L&h=P&sk=P
and on sale which is always good!
My mom did find a sweet simple navy dress for me with a terrific shape – like the bright blue bottom row shape you posted from the Gap but from TARGET! of all places. Great price too – Wonderful!!! Target’s design sense in clothing seems to be coming back.
Thanks for sharing – love to psuedo shop!
I completely understand how you feel. I’m just not comfortable with anything that goes above my knees, so it’s very hard trying to find dresses now-a-days. Look up Mika Rose (mikarose.com). They are a company who tailors towards Mormons, but they have a lot of pretty clothes that are very affordable.
I don’t like pants around my waist so I literally live in Loft Outlet dresses in the summer and Target ponte shift dresses in the winter. Affordable, hot, and they feel like socially acceptable comfy pajamas. Life. Changing.
Downeast Outfitters! Love their style, prices (sales are FAB – $15?!), and *ahem* coverage. Nuthin’ hanging out, but not looking like a nun either.
It’s called the Department Director dress.
xo – kb
Name of the Game Night Dress in Diamonds 🙂
xo – kb