I Wear: Day & Night Dress

I’ve been enchanted by the idea of clothes that could be worn in different ways. The concept of a Day & Night dress was something that I first heard of, during my Barbie Doll days. Girls, remember when individual Barbie dresses were available in stores, occasionally with a pair of matching shoes or an accessory, always in plastic? One of those was a pink (of course, it’s Barbie!) business suit with a chiffon scarf. The jacket taken off, revealed a glittery tank top underneath while the skirt reversed to become a more glamorous party version. And finally, the stole became a fancy sash. Voila! Day & Night dress!

Given the crazy commute times in a city like Mumbai, I often try to pack in multiple engagements into one day. There is also the need to cover up a bit when one travels by local trains. This last I think, has been the single selling point for stoles, scarves & shrugs in urban India. I have a number of snug-fitting cotton shrugs that magically fit a pair of sleeves onto a strappier neckline (see one in I Wear: Flourishing Feathers). But recently, while turning out my cupboard, I came across this sheer blue chiffon poncho top that I’d bought at a Westside sale a long time ago. It’s too thin to wear in the winter and generally not as comfortable in hot weather. But for this last week of sometimes rain-sometimes sunshine, it was perfect!

I teamed it up with an abstract print AND dress. The dress has spaghetti straps and is cut almost halfway down the back. It also fits snugly on the bust. On a more petite girl, it might have passed for a simple summer dress. But because of it’s snug fit, especially upstairs, it has a rather more ‘open’ look which feels appropriate only for evening wear. I especially love the print of the dress, that looks like paintbrush splashes of various colours.The hem looks like a watercolour wash of green & cream.

For all its sheerness, the blue of the poncho-top stands out brilliantly on its own. I highlighted the sky blue with my moon maiden medallion from Magick, which is my favorite accessory over large patches of solid colour. It’s my own personal reference to my hippy-girl days on campus, no matter how polished or stylish the current look may be. (See also in I Wear: Accessorizing Colour Blocks)

I teamed this outfit up with red JMC spider-sandals and my favorite red Baggit tote. (see also in I Wear: Flourishing Feathers).

And finally, my overlarge butterfly danglers from Threads n’ Home, which hang down nearly to my ears and make it look like butterflies flutter on the wingtips of my haircut. 😀

Here’s the whole look!

I Wear (with only approximate prices):

• Blue chiffon poncho top: Westside, ~Rs.500
  
• Strappy cotton abstract print dress: AND, ~Rs.1000
  
• Red spider-sandals: JMC, ~Rs.1200
• Red tote: Baggit
  
• Faux silver moon-maiden medallion on chain: Magick, Bandra
• Overlarge butterfly danglers: Threads n’ Home, Bandra