Two looks for fall paisley dress, and what’s in your pocket?

By Elle

This past weekend, I pulled out my fall raincoat, complete with lining, because it’s so dang chilly outside. Whenever I put something on for the coming season, I immediately check the pockets in hope of finding, of course, cold, hard cash. What I almost always find, however, are wads of Kleenex, sometimes new, sometimes used. This time, I found, yes, Kleenex, along with something new.

Arkady and I were outside when I donned my coat and began fishing inside the pockets. What the heck, I thought, feeling something partly smooth and partly crinkly. I pulled it out, inspected it and said to him, “How about that? A dried flower head.”

He laughed and said, “You’re adorable. Only you would find a dried flower in your coat pocket. Me? I find disgusting things in my pockets, like dried chipmunks.”

Methinks he exaggerates some and is also engaging in wishful thinking, since we recently discovered a bit of a chipmunk problem at our house. Anyway, that’s a story for another time. We’re here to talk about my fall paisley dress.

The other day I tucked into TJ Maxx to wait out a thunderstorm and found this beautiful Max Studio paisley dress, perfect for fall. Here’s what immediately caught my attention, aside from the $30 price tag:

• hybrid scoop/Queen Anne neckline that looks all princess-y to me
• lovely paisley pattern with rich hues on a black background
• lightweight material, perfect for fall layering
• bell sleeves that also look princess-y to me
• the fact that I could pair it with my beloved silver bow belt

I wore it first with my silver bow belt (here’s a similar one); bow bracelet and ring; and blue baroque-style Dkode shoes (which are impossible to find here; I bought them when I was in Germany).

I’m totally infatuated with this neckline

I then switched my belt to a silver chain style and paired the dress with my grey Fidji shoes, virtually impossible to find here. Sorry about that. I bought this pair when I was in Germany as well, but I’ve been able to score an occasional pair of gently used Fidjis on eBay since then.

Tree hugger through and through

I must say, these are my favorite Fidjis, and quite possibly my favorite shoes, of all time

As you can see, the chain belt disappears into the pattern of the dress unless the light is directly hitting it, so I’ll stick with my silver bow belt going forward.

Mmm, sweet September sun

There is absolutely nothing special about this metal belt, which I’ve owned forever. I think I may donate it

I highly recommend this Smateria bag, which is made in Cambodia from recycled fishing nets. Not only does the bag look great, but it’s also lightweight.  You can order it from KindStyleShop, which carries only vegan products and is located in Columbus, Ohio.

I don’t know about you, but I definitely prefer the dress with the silver bow belt and the Fidji shoes, the one combo I’ve yet to try!

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