Here are the basics I stick to:

First I try to consider my body type. After two kids I’m simply not full on top so strapless dresses and I would fight all night. However, I’ve worked for my Michelle Obama arms so I would like to show them off.  I’m petite, I have some curves and I want to find a dress that will compliment them.

Secondly I want to find something trendy but comfortable. The trends are one shoulder strap dresses, embellished dresses and color. I’m a classic style type person so I like solid colors and I will not depend on too many accessories.

Finally I have a budget. Around this time of year there are lots of sales so I wait to see if I get a flyer for discounts at my favorite stores.

My favorite stores to look for holiday dresses are BCBGMaxAzria, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, White House Black Market, French Connection and Cache. After searching through all the options I fell in love with these two. I love the upper left one from BCBG because it’s very different and not many women would go for pink for a holiday dress. I would pull my hair up, wear some diamond studs and a sparkly bracelet. The dress to the right is from French Connection. It’s a very classic dress and it also has my name all over it.

I’ve got a few examples of fun dresses. But I’m also going to talk about fabric. Two of the dresses I want to profile are made of fibers that are very unique. I hope this helps you understand what you’re paying for in a brand name. The first dress is a casual Jo Jersey gray dress by French Connection. I would wear this dress to do my errands, my shopping, and even play with my kids. All this with a pair of flats of course. The fabric it’s made of is strong. It’s 100% tencel, a fiber made of natural wood pulp cellulose. Tencel feels like silk and drapes beautifully. It wrinkles less than cotton and it’s breathable. Oh, it also shrinks less than cotton. Tencel is a little expensive but can be woven into other fibers so I expect to see it used by more designers into their clothing line.             

The second dress is the Sequined Keyhole Dress by BCBG. I love how this dress drapes. It’s sexy and cool. The sequins are not the only cool factor to this dress. It’s 100% modal.  You may have seen modal at Target since Merona has been using it in their mens underwear. Calvin Klein also uses it in his undergarment line. It’s rare to find 100% modal in a garment. This fiber is also a wood base fiber but from beech wood trees. Modal has become known as the“artificial silk”. But it wrinkles less than cotton and shrinks less as cotton as well. Don’t mistake that nickname. The fabric is good quality.

Banana Republic has a beautiful Georgette Dress for this season. Because its Spring, go with the yellow color if your skin tone can pull it off. It’s so classy and would flatter every figure. I also found a wonderful Vera Wang Chiffon Dress at Kohls for a great price. It comes in black or gray, I would pair with a colored pair of shoes and accessories.