The Dress Code
001: last minute groceries, a library haunt, opening a bar tab
Three dream outfits for doing three regular things.
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One thing about me is that I’m going to get dressed. It’s likely you’re the same. From the ones to the nines I will be fitted. I love clothes. I was one of those kids with a dress-up costume collection. In the adult version of that world, I shop my wardrobe and research resale until my eyes go square. So let’s put that to use and get dressed for real life.
Here’s the formula: very specific scenario + inspiration pull = outfit* + where to find it IRL (resale)
*not always realistic don’t @ me.
RUNNING TO THE CORNER SHOP FOR 2 INGREDIENTS THAT YOU FORGOT YOU NEEDED FOR A DINNER RECIPE
Picture this
You’ve been planning to make this dinner recipe for weeks now. You saw it in the back of an old food magazine at the dentist’s office. The ripped out page has been stuck to the fridge for way too long, taunting and questioning your culinary abilities. It’s time. You schedule it in the calendar and invite a couple friends. At their own risk. You made sure to prep a list for your recent grocery run so it would be a stress free chef-up post nine-to-five.
The day has finally arrived. You’re reading the whole recipe once over before making a start and there they are. Two covert ingredients that you completely missed. There’s a shop on the corner. Check maps, it’s open late thank goodness. The oven is pre-heating. You’ve got fifteen minutes max.
Inspiration Pull
Tonight we’re doing a chic co-ord in the kitchen. It’s the easiest thing to throw on after work before the inevitable transition to pyjamas later on. Opting for sleeveless for the warmth of the oven and in a dark colour in case of small stains and splashes. Gwyneth is so kindly demonstrating how it will look as you pull open the shop door in a race against time[r]. I’m saying we embrace the full Prada SS 1998 look1 and slip into the closest heeled mules you’ve got next to the front door.2 To capri or not capri is up to you.
Some of us are in peak cold temperatures so the final step is your biggest, most bundling coat to fight off wind, rain and the like. Do it up! To the TOP! Or wrap it tight and tie a double knot to secure. Here is where I wouldn’t grab a bag on my way out, just keys and phone in hand. If you’re worried you might see a sweet treat or two that won’t comfortably cradle in your arms on the trot home, grab a tote.
IRL
The base set:
eBay
Prada Capris - wool, button detailing
Prada Side Stripe Capris - nice shape at the waist
Prada Side Zip Capris - khaki, flattering shape, side zip
Plisse High Neck Top - gold/khaki-ish, textured
Issey Miyake Pleats Please Top - khaki, textured
NWT Prada Capris - interesting detailing at the knee and hem
vinted
Ribbed Mock Neck Top - black, cutout detail, fitted
M&S Textured Top - interesting material, simple shape
Vintage Dorothy Perkins Top - simple shape, sheer upper detail
Peter Martin Structured Top - simple shape, structured, quality with lining
Mesh Tank Top - pearl button detailing at back, high neck shape
Gap Checked Kick Flare Trouser - fun take on patterned version
The shoes:
eBay
vinted
Jimmy Choo Heeled Sandals size 39 - if you buy these I will be so jealous disguised as congratulations
Miu Miu flip flops size 37 - if heels just aren’t for you
The coat:
eBay
Vintage Calvin Klein Double Breasted Wool Coat - brown faux fur collar, the drama
vinted
High Neck Grey Kent Coat with tie - fun buttons, lightweight
STANDING AT THE PRINTER IN YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY FOR AN HOUR BECAUSE YOU DON’T HAVE ONE IN YOUR APARTMENT
Picture this
As much as you crossed your fingers the forms would be sent over to sign digitally, they were not. Unfortunately some companies have yet to accept modern technology and so for the second time this year, you need to outsource a printer. It didn’t seem like a necessary appliance when you moved into this place but somehow it’s become the only one you actually need. Your neighbours are out of town and your sister is out of ink. The last thing you want to do is text the last date you went on, just so you can use their printer. Especially after the lack of text or call. So it’s desperate times out here.
You rummage through your wallet that’s really on its last leg - mental note: need new wallet. Jammed at the bottom of the section that used to carry paper notes is your library card. Don’t look at the picture it’s from before second puberty hit, you’re pretty sure. File saved to desktop and laptop in bag, you head out to print feeling like the last person on earth without a printer and the first person to step foot in the library this decade.3
Inspiration Pull
The library is for shoulders. And given that it’s probably pretty empty these days, you can afford the extra space. It may also give the impression that your lack of printer is not monetarily forced but more a deliberate choice to embrace locally funded services and support the community. Trusty jeans are a no nonsense go-to. They need zero thought and you really do live in them at this point. And they just fit the best so if it ain’t broke as they say.
I would probably do a classic black blazer for this. We mean business! Forms will be printed and promptly rescanned because they did not supply a postal address with said forms. The irony. However, the shoulders on Mr Washington’s jacket are optimal for solidifying your spot at the industrial grade printer.
Goldie Hawn and Julia Roberts got it so right with the white tees so we’re doing that too. It’s simple, it’s classic, it’s giving the shoulders the spotlight they deserve whilst holding its own. Sunglasses and a men’s watch are optional but come highly recommended for this look. The 80s jacket silhouette just so happens to include a super power where you know exactly how to use the printer. No paper jams or IT mishaps in sight.
IRL
The jacket:
eBay
Escada Blazer - black, wool, shoulders, classic
Vintage Escada Blazer - grey, wool, shoulders? check.
Escada Patterned Blazer - brown with animal print (!), couldn’t not include, single button row
Escada Margaret Ley Blazer - black pinstripe, wool, gooood shoulders, chic and had to include
vinted
St Michael Vintage Blazer - simple, shoulders, oversized
Italian Vintage Blazer - very dark navy, long, pure wool
Vintage Dogtooth Blazer - for the Denzel look this is the one, oversized
Vintage YSL Blazer - grey pinstripe, double breasted, shoulders!!, had to include
The denim:
When it comes to jeans, sizing is a sensitive subject. So instead of sharing random pairs I’m going to suggest you search for specifics. Denim companies that have made denim for years, often for workers and utility purposes, are a good way to go for jeans that soften and last like:
Levi’s
Wrangler
Lee
Nudie Jeans Co.
Evisu
Carharrt
Then decide on your preferred wash, do a little research on sizing per brand and if needed shape to fit using the shower method. If you couldn’t deduce, it is where you wear them into the shower if they’re a little too big.
The tee:
The perfect white tee is a personal preference. Similar to jeans it depends on the fit you like. I often look for a higher neck, baby tee style fit with a cut that cinches in at the waist and flares out after that ever so slightly. I don’t like a too tight sleeve or a too boxy sleeve so an in between is the winner. You may feel very different about your white tees, in which case I encourage you to determine your non-negotiables and use them to search.
I would also recommend buying these new. (Or check the kids section for the larger sizes when thrifting in person.) I like these ones:
Gap Crewneck Oversized Tee - short sleeve, shorter cut, oversized, good neckline
Mango Double Layered Tee - technically a cream not white but more interesting take, love the neck, nice sleeves
Uniqlo Mini T-Shirt - great shape, classic staple
ORDERING A ROUND OF DRINKS FOR YOU [PLUS FRIENDS] AT THE BAR BUT EVERYONE WANTS SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND THE BARTENDER IS MEDIUM CUTE
Picture this
It’s your turn to get the drinks. Why does everyone have a different drinks order? Were we not just doing “tequila sodas all-round wooo” a minute ago? You run through the requests one last time hoping they don’t get lost on the way to the bar. It’s pretty crowded but a space opens up in front of the patina’d wood as if it knows how quick you are to forget when faced with shelves of glass bottles, a DJ mix over the speakers and.. wait is the bartender kind of cute?
He seems to be taking and making everyone’s orders at once but you still lean over the bar a little in an attempt get his attention before your long list of customised cocktails is gone for good. He’s seen you. How could he not in this dress let’s be honest. You’re listing off drink after drink wishing he would write them down but he seems to be registering each one with confidence. Some loud guy interrupts you to order his whisky neat. You and bartender shoot him synchronised glares. You’re in unspoken cahoots. He adds it to the tab, compliments the dress. A slow turn and walk back to the table. The girls swear he did a double take. Whatever, maybe you’ll ask for his number in a couple drinks time. Liquid courage.
Inspiration Pull
Sex appeal is back baby. Consider a mystery, an implication, a hint.4 I am so for dressing UP for girl’s night drinks. If not now, when? Pull the showstopper piece out of your wardrobe that you’ve been saving for something special. This is it. The time is now and everything you do is worthy of a great outfit.
Bear with me on the inspiration pull for this because it might seem disparate but I’m going to try and marry them through the thought process for you. THE Michael Kors era Celine dress is how I always want to be dressed at the bar with friends. It feels super sexy-mysterious-cool to me in its simplicity with a laidback summery-ness that only amplifies that. And of course it has that striking green airbrush of colour front and centre. I love how it drops. It does the necessary work required from a show stopping dress.
In what may initially seem like opposition to the Celine, is the pre-McQueen Bumster of the backless dress pictured here on Mirielle Darc in Le Grand Blond and Donyale Luna in Skidoo. Both long backless numbers are cheeky, pun sooo intended. What unites each of these dresses is they’re all about body. And I don’t mean in the literal sense of having one that looks a certain way. As the dress wearer you get to decide what people do and do not see; what you do and do not want to show. The dress is power and control and femininity hanging in your wardrobe. These references epitomise that feeling for me and if I’m going to be ordering drinks at a crowded bar, that’s exactly how I want to feel.
IRL
The dress:
(It’s meant to be a special item in your wardrobe so these are at higher price points than restocking a basic tank top or buying new socks)
eBay
Vintage Victoria’s Secret Silk Tulip Slip - backless, halter neck, the colours!!
Christopher Esber Long Dress - interesting cutouts, low back, an everything falls in the right place kind of dress
Vintage La Perla Long Dress - backless, very long and dramatic, super simple silhouette
Vintage Karen Millen Hourglass Dress - backless, halter neck, fitted, simple but sexy for sure
Halston Heritage One Shoulder Mini - has the late-60s, early-70s flowy-ness, shorter style, simple silhouette, can be tailored to your preference but also very sultry sexy in typical Halston fashion - also see this Alexandre Vauthier look for less subtle but also glam reference.
Escada Cocktail Dress - gorgeous shade of blue, small gold detailing, flattering drop and length, could be tailored a little more fitted if needed, small flaws but generally a classic dress
vinted
Silky Roberto Cavalli Dress - stunning shade of blue, asymmetric neckline, think it would wear nicely (has some flaws/satisfactory condition)
Emilio Pucci Dress - shorter style, backless, long sleeve, fitted, fun pattern
Rick Owens Drape Mini Dress - expensive but worthy investment, shorter style, fitted, incredibly flattering draping and an overall can’t go wrong type of dress
Extra suggestions:
It’s worth mentioning for this look that if you want to buy new, I think a brand that creates this essence with a dress really well is The Line By K (founded by Karla Deras). Their dresses are long standing wishlist items of mine. This one on sale right now perfectly represents this dress code niche and might be my dream dress. It’s extra special when women design dresses for women - see also Stella McCartney for Chloe. At a much higher price point, but I think Christopher Esber captures it too in their dresses, hence why I included a resale option above.
I also want to note that if you need to wear a bra you still can! Maybe go for something more delicate or lacy in a complimentary or deliberately contrasting colour and have fun with it as if it’s a key component of the outfit beyond being necessary underwear.
Any extra accessories are up to you and I would probably opt for pared back hair and makeup for this. The dress can do a level of the talking but really it’s about the person wearing it and that’s where the energy of this look truly comes from. So maybe do some inner work or schedule a therapy session right before this I don't know just a suggestion.
But if you happen to find the Michael Kors era Celine dress, you know what to do.
Thanks for reading.
The Dress Code is a new series with more in the works but let me know if you enjoyed this new style of post.
See you soon.
IF YOU ARE ACTUALLY WEARING PRADA IN THE KITCHEN YOU BETTER ALSO HAVE AN APRON ON IM SO SERIOUS RIGHT NOW.
Go put some heeled mules next to the front door babe x
Let the record show I am a huge advocate of regularly attending your local library which you would know if you read some of the kind of cool archive. (Love u if you have)
thank you for the shoutout <33333
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