The Art of Overdressing

It felt as though everyone was looking at me…

… and glancing down at my tiered lace dress, I had to admit to feeling a little overdressed wearing such a spectacular gown in the upmarket Richmond flower nursery. The ankle length dress with delicate lace overlay and feminine ruffles caused numerous heads to turn, and compliments from passers by – each one I’m sure made up their own story in their mind about why I was wearing such a lavish outfit for a day at a garden nursery. ‘What’s that girl’s story?’

And that’s what I love about overdressing. In a society that has become all too casual, there is something whimsical about dressing up, whether there’s an occasion or not. And while I don’t recommend always wearing your finest gown to visit a garden centre, there is certainly a noticeable spring in your step when you feel great in your outfit.

When attending events, I always take more notice of the ‘smart’ in ‘smart-casual’ dress codes, and with elegant designs now so affordable, there’s no excuse not to get dressed up. This is under £100 from Topshop and will be my go to style for upcoming Spring and Summer events. Christenings, Luncheons, a day at the races and even work events will be the perfect excuse for me to dress up.

I chose to make the dress more suitable for the day time with – these sandals work just as well with white jeans or a light tan suede skirt, I predict you’ll be seeing them a lot on my instagram over the next few weeks! The sleek nude colour makes them compatible with 99% of my wardrobe, so at under £40 I couldn’t resist snapping them up.

The was the perfect finishing touch to this outfit, once again Topshop lured me in with the on trend ring detail and perfect blush shade and an irresistible price (£24 – I couldn’t believe my eyes!!) – there’s even a matching pouch inside, which just happens to make an excellent camera bag!

 

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When it comes to successfully being overdressed, I would suggest;

  1. Exaggerating your personal style. If you’re feminine and romantic with your usual looks like I am, exaggerate this with layers of lace and frill. An extension of the style you’re most comfortable with.
  2. A small handbag – a simple way of implying you have glamorous plans, you’re totally low maintenance despite your incredible #ootd, or you’re fabulous enough to have a driver nearby who has the rest of your belongings stashed in the backseat of your car.
  3. Blacked out sunglasses, cloudy skies be damned!

What I Wore

Dress by

Shoes by

Bag by

Sunglasses by

Bracelet by

Bangle by

Ring by

Watch by (personalised at Topshop Oxford Circus)

How do you feel about being overdressed?

This post is in collaboration with Topshop

Photography by Jay McLaughlin using the Olympus PEN F – at Petersham Nurseries