Dear Blend- Advice For The Masses


Dear Abby Blend,

I will be attending three weddings in the months of August/September. One in Portland, one in Austin, and one in San Luis Obispo by the beach. I would like to purchase one dress for all three of these events. Oh, and one of the weddings is "Mad Men" themed. Since I like to dress Mad Men-themed anyway, I don't mind wearing that one for the other weddings. Can you predict the hot colors for late summer/early fall? As you know, I am shortish and stoutish, and I like showing my shoulders. My price range is $50-150. Also, what kind of makeup should I wear?

Love & Kisses,
Polly

Dear Readers,

Ooh, this is a good one!  First of all I should say that I started sweating a little bit when I read this question.  Polly is a good friend of mine, which means that I know her style and what would look good on her (I hope!).  On the other hand, this means the stakes are much higher.  What if I pick something she hates?  Will she think I don't know her at all?  Will she think I'm crazy?  I am going to have to bring my A game for this one.  Having said that, let's get down to brass tacks.

THE DRESS
I think that the Mad Men theme shouldn't be TOO costumey so I chose things that were vintage with a modern twist.  Also, I would also stay away from prints, they seem too casual and loud for a wedding.  Unless it is the classic polka dot, which is at home in any situation.



1.  ModCloth Aegean Sea Dress $79.99
I heart this dress.  It is an amazing color, has a summery off-the-shoulder vibe and I can definitely see Betty Draper rocking this on the show. 

2.  Topshop Eyelet Dress $70
Yum, I am obsessed with eyelet lately (I think it falls into the polka dot category).  This one has that 50's feel but with a modern zipper edge.  And seafoam green?  Dee-lightful!  Reminds me of something Peggy Olsen might wear to a weekend party with her co-workers.

3.  Anthropologie Hovering Dots Dress $148
This is vintagey and I can just see Polly wearing it.  It's strapless, has polka dots, a front ruffle, and layers of lacy eyelet.
I would also recommend going to some vintage stores and trying to find something authentic. I think the colors you should be gravitating towards this season are teals and blues, peaches, corals, watermelon, and possibly green or yellow.

THE MAKEUP
I feel like my point would be illustrated best by posting a few photos:






As you can see, it's all about the perfect skin, brighter lip, black liner and defined brows. 
You have to read this interview with the head makeup artist for Mad Men, it's great.  I also heartily recommend the Revlon matte lipsticks and Ardell fake lashes and MAC blacktrack eyeliner.  Couldn't have said it better myself! 

I hope this information was useful, and on a side note- how do I get myself invited to this Mad Men wedding? It sounds delightful! 

3 comments:

polly conway said...

CRYSTAL! This is wonderful! I love the first and last dresses so much-I might buy both and then try them for size. The color of that first one might be too much to resist, though. So, so pretty! Thanks so much for answering my style questions; you are my guru as always. xo!!

Crystal said...

I'm so glad you liked Polly! I had the most fun combing the internets to find cute stuff! XOXO

Crystal said...
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