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i was all set to rave about the cutest skirt i saw at anthropologie on my coffee/retail therapy run this morning.  but online, it’s looking a bit like a lampshade, so now i’m thinking perhaps not.

instead, let’s talk strapless dresses.  i’ve never been a huge fan – being relatively well endowed in the (ahem) bosom area, i always seem to spend all of my time frantically yanking on the top of the dress, fearing (however irrationally) the inevitable.  and i tend to think of strapless frocks as either swim-coverup-casual, a la juicy couture, or exceedingly formal (my wedding gown).  it just seems to be too much skin exposure for an average day.  but lately, i’ve been seeing strapless looks done in such a perfectly modest, tailored and stylish way that i’m beginning to reconsider.

it all began with a post from superstar french style icon garance doré extolling the manner in which lovely italian women put together the strapless dress and the flat sandal.  and truly, the look is lovely, don’t you agree?  sophisticated, simple, and undeniably stylish, without being overly dressy.  oh, and did i mention it’s also incredibly easy to duplicate?   any black strapless will do – i’m actually a fan of this version at target.  add something like these chic braided sandals from modern vintage (check out that detachable strap…and on sale, no less!), a black belt you almost certainly already own, and some of that perfectly tousled hair, and presto: chic and so very simple.

shortly after spying this look, i was browsing anthropologie’s latest catalog, and saw the most clever styling of a strapless dress ever!  i love the jersey v-neck tee beneath – the neckline gives such interest, and it looks like an entirely different dress!  i never think of layering things underneath a strapless, but i just love this look.  definitely office-appropriate, and again, so simple!  i’m guessing you already have the tee in your closet, and the dress is just a click away.  i’d love to see this with a patterned tee and a solid dress, perhaps layered with a cropped denim jacket…the possibilities are, if not endless, definitely varied.

so, what do you think? are you ready to reconsider going strapless?