Essayage d'une robe Mango et talons par Caroline

Mango Fitting, a Beige Dress and a Game of Heels

Mode Caroline 4 min
Essayage d'une robe Mango et talons par Caroline
The key takeaway: a little Mango fitting, after a slightly disappointing trip to the shop in terms of choice. A beige wrap-style dress, with an antique inspiration, that draws in the waist and stays sober and elegant, and a long floral skirt with its black top, more all-purpose, in an almost Spanish spirit. The real game is testing that dress with a whole array of shoes, purple heels, stiletto sandals, laced pumps, sneakers and ballet flats, to see how each one tells a different story.

A little break in my day, I was deep in video editing, my head ready to explode, so what better than a fitting to catch my breath. I picked up a few pieces at Mango, I’ll admit, I didn’t find much in the shop this time, but what I brought back I like. A beige dress I adore, a floral skirt, a little top, and above all a whole game of shoes to pair, because it’s often the pair that decides the final style. Settle in, and remember to hydrate, it’s hot.

The beige wrap dress, my antique favourite

We start with the centrepiece, a beige wrap dress, whose cut won me over straight away.

An air of ancient Greece

What I liked is that drape that evokes the fabrics of ancient Greece, like a material gathered with pins, at once soft and structured. It draws in the waist while staying loose on top, the wrap brings charm, and its short length shows the legs. It’s soft, pleasant, even if I’ll grant you, it holds a bit of warmth. Sober and elegant at once, it’s exactly the kind of dress I love.

The chameleon dress. A sober, well-cut dress lends itself to every game of shoes. Heels to dress it up, flats to make it casual. Before setting a piece aside, try it with three very different pairs, you’ll be surprised by all it knows how to tell.

The game of heels, three styles, three women

The part I prefer is dressing this dress in a thousand ways.

Purple velvet, stiletto and laces

I started with pointed-toe purple pumps, which hint at the arch of the foot, sensual and terribly chic, almost businesswoman. Then stiletto sandals from Navy Boots, a Swiss brand, that I’ve owned for nearly ten years and that still hold up admirably. Finally ankle-laced pumps, which this time I’m less convinced by with this dress, the match doesn’t quite happen. Three pairs, three characters, and that’s the whole point.

Sneakers and ballet flats, the casual option

To break the code, I tried the Vivaia flats, in recycled materials. The ballet flats, I admit, didn’t convince me with this dress, but the satin lace-up sneakers, like dance slippers, are a real joy on the foot, as if the whole foot were wrapped in softness. An excellent backup solution to slip in the bag when the heels start to feel heavy.

The floral skirt and its top, the Spanish spirit

We finish with a long floral skirt, paired with a little black top, in a completely different register.

More all-purpose, more everyday

The black and the red roses evoke a Spanish spirit, a longing for flamenco, and the whole thing is far more all-purpose than the dress, to wear for just about any occasion. One honest downside, the two blacks don’t quite match, one matte and powerful, the other more satiny, and a red top might work better. With the Navy Boots sandals, earrings and why not a red bracelet to echo, the look completes itself nicely.

One fitting, a thousand possibilities

Deep down, this little Mango haul reminded me of one thing, a piece isn’t worth only for itself, but for everything you know how to do with it. A sober dress, a few well-chosen pairs, and you’ve got ten outfits in one. My Vivaia flats kept the code WILDY12, I’ll slip it to you for those tempted by comfort.

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PS. Tell me in the comments your favourite pair with the beige dress, the purple pumps or the stiletto sandals… and admit it, you too keep heels for ten years “because they still hold up”.