Outfit Details:

Mara Hoffman “Ingrid” gingham wrap dress (I also love this under $30 option)

Betsey Johnson heart sunglasses

SAS Chloe red slingback flats

Sephora “Always Red” cream lip stain

Flynn crossbody bag (old, but I love this version of theirs)

red beret

 

The first time I wore this dress, I immediately paired it with red, low heels and a red lip. But then I worried it looked a little too Dorothy, and switched to pinks. I like it with pinks (and yellows!) but I always come back to red. Two of us showed up in similar dresses for our friend’s surprise birthday, except she fully embraced the red lip and shoes (she called it “Wizard of Oz bounding” – haha!) and I was kind of annoyed that I second guessed myself, because she looked amazing and honestly, why wouldn’t I want to look like a modern day Dorothy? Since buying this dress, I’ve worn it approximately 271865718352 times (give or take), so I think it’s safe to say it will be worn with every color in my closet. I was worried it was too much of a statement to be versatile, but I’ve worn it every which way: with sandals, heels, flats, a denim jacket, a leather jacket and sneakers, with a straw hat or a beret, with hair down, a side braid, or an updo, and most recently with a vintage brooch and my favorite Minnie heels. It also comes in solid colors (red and black), and though it’s quite an investment — I bought this one with an Amazon gift card that covered most of the cost — I’m hoping the red one will go on sale for Memorial Day. I might just splurge. After all, it’s clearly going to be my go-to dress of the summer — along with this dress from last year, which is still available and apparently comes in seven colors, now. Wait, now I’m confused. Maybe I’ll get that one in golden yellow? Or maybe I’ll just close my laptop before I buy another dress. Yeah, that’s what I’m going to do.