Ruffles Not Diets

This is an ordinary workday outfit that I really like.  I finished this dress over a year ago (the fabric was an amazing score during a $1.99 yard sale at Fashion Fabrics Club) and ever since have been trying to figure out how to belt it in a way that neither looks nor feels awkward.  Without a belt it is shapeless and feels somewhat nightgown-ish.  Eventually I realized my problem was the arbitrary decision I had made to have the belt form an empire waist.  The belt I am wearing here is the only one I have that does not have silver fastenings, which looked incredibly weird with this dress, but this belt is so stiff  and shaped to slightly dip at the buckle, and it was really awkward right under my bust.  Don't ask me why it took a year to come up with the radical solution of just putting the belt at my waist.  I think it just goes to show you can get these limiting ideas about how something is "supposed" to be worn that can limit creativity or just leave you with a really awkward outfit.


Since I had a reasonably conservative outfit I wore slightly funky makeup, Cleopatra eyes in gold and olive.

PS: I accidentally scared a neighbor child who passed by my briefly open door right when a creepy spoken German part of a Sopor Aeternus song came on; meaning I am one step closer to my goal of being the old lady whose yard neighborhood kids are too afraid to retrieve balls from.  I still need to work on my cackle though, that's about standards.