Well, here we are again for a little fast-shopping test, the kind I love, quick, efficient, without spending forever in the shop going through every single rack. I went to Mango looking for three pretty black dresses, because honestly, the black dress is a wardrobe safe bet, the one we always come back to. A quick introduction along the way, I’m Caro, 35, and I’ll warn you right now, I don’t know much about the grand terms of fashion, the cuts, the jargon… so don’t count on me to explain it all expertly, I’ll do it in my own words.
The first dress, the itchy disappointment
We start with the one that, right in the middle of the rack, literally waved at me.
Gorgeous on the hanger, a dealbreaker on the body
This is a wrap dress, V-neck, back closure, slightly sheer long sleeves, with a shiny, slightly textured fabric, almost rough to the touch, that catches the light beautifully. And what I’d loved at first glance were the openings at the hips, on each side, that draw in the waist. Except. Once it was on me, it was exactly what I feared, oh how it itches… it’s awful, it makes me itch everywhere, except from the belt down to the knee.
A lining would have changed everything. Without it, the most beautiful fabric in the world becomes a dress you take off after ten minutes.
It’s such a shame, because aesthetically, there’s no denying it, it’s stunning. But a dress you can’t bear against the skin is no longer a dress, it’s an ordeal. So that one goes back to the shop as fast as it landed in the bag.
The second dress, my velvet favourite
A complete change of mood with the second one, and there, I’ll tell you straight away, it’s probably my favourite.
The silky comfort of velvet
This is a velvet dress, long sleeves, rounded neckline, short and more fitted to the figure. And the first word that comes to me is comfort, this really is soft, almost silky to the touch… yes, a silky dress, now I’ve heard it all, but that’s exactly the feeling. It puts a smile on my face the moment I slip it on, and that never lies.
Shoulder pads that structure without overdoing it
It has two little shoulder pads, not at all too much, just enough to draw squared shoulders and give that slightly structured, classy, chic look, with a touch of assumed sexy (and that’s a good thing, there’s nothing wrong with being sexy). With a little pearl necklace dug out from the bottom of a box, pearls and velvet go surprisingly well together, and a high bun clears the nape of the neck. The one honest downside, it rides up a little, the right pair of tights will fix that.
The third dress, the leopard that reveals
We finish with a short, fitted dress, slightly off the shoulder, in a leopard-print velvet with a fine sheen.
Sexy chic, never tipping into the vulgar
It’s a cut that puts the legs forward, exactly the kind I love to wear. And once it’s on me, I can confirm, it’s extremely comfortable, but above all it carries a certain poise, a presence. We’re in sexy chic territory, classy and elegant, that moment when a garment quietly reminds you of the gentle power of femininity. That one, I approve without hesitation.
Accessorising, the little game after the fitting
There was still a hair accessory to try, a bow I’d completely forgotten about since the start. In principle I quite like it, it recalls little-girl hairstyles a bit, and it can be adorable. Then again, mind the pairings, a red bow rather calls for red heels, otherwise you flirt with a style slip. You know, a bit like that idea of matching characters, where nothing is out of place… I rather like that idea of coherence, from the jewellery to the shoes.
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Lire la suitePS. So, which one would you have kept? My heart is still torn between the velvet and the leopard, and I do think that’s a very good sign.