Double Duty Dress

When a dress works in a casual setting, a smart setting and a few more in between you've got a pretty good deal. This Zara dress is the perfect style to turn into a host of different looks effortlessly and effectively and it's less than $50.  But, you can just as easily take a  plain dress you may already own and turn it into a stylish chameleon with a few tricks and inexpensive accessories.

Light and breezy, loose fitting and comfortable. What's not to love!

A navy and white silk scarf tied haphazardly around the bag strap amps up the style factor.

Tan accessories add a sophisticated style to an otherwise sporty dress.

This dress has a sporty vibe, almost a Lacoste style theme to it. The fabric is 100% polyester and best of all it doesn't crease, so it's a great dress for travelling in or with!  It's cool and airy, doesn't show perspiration if you happen to live in the desert as I do, and the color scheme opens up the style barometer to a myriad of possibilities.

What doesn't go with navy and white, well let's see... black maybe! This is the only time black happens to be the third wheel at the party! Navy is a surprisingly good summer color. It's a softer hue than black and looks amazing with almost any pastel color or neutral shade, when black may look harsh and out of season during the summer months.

In the photos above, the tan accessories and heels elevate the dress to a sophisticated look.  An old Mondi navy and white silk scarf tied around the bag strap turns an in-expensive tote bag into one that looks like a couple of hundred dollars or more.

In a nutshell, the dressing up of this look was down to a few small details, mainly the pairing of a sophisticated color scheme. This dress would look good with any contrasting color like red, orange, yellow or hot pink, but the tan makes a classic and traditional statement. 

The jewelry was kept to a minimum. Simple gold hoop earrings, and a watch with a tan leather strap sharing the arm party with a dainty chain bracelet offering just a hint of bling. 

Every day casual!

Effortless style!

A pony tail, back pack, and sneakers shout easy comfort all day.

Taking this look down town was easy. Plain white sneakers, always on trend and particularly on point right now to wear with dresses. My favorite summer sneaks - Superga as shown here. Flat sandals would also take this look down easy street! A back pack with the right color scheme. I chose  navy, white and beige. It offers a youthful vibe and pairs perfectly with the sneaks.

An up-do or pony tail with a puff or two of Oribe Dry Textural  Spray to give texture and stretch your unwashed hair an extra day. A sporty watch to keep in line with the overall laid back look, in this case a porcelain bracelet white watch. Throw in some fun mirrored sunglasses, a tassel beaded bracelet or two or three and you've turned a simple dress into a worthy street style look.  
 
The easiest way to transition a dress from up town to down town is with a simple straight forward cut and a plain (not patterned) fabric. This dress is a winner for the double duty challenge. The boxy loose fitting shift style with high- low hemline and the navy choice of color offers an abundance of wardrobe possibilities.

I've added links below in the thumbnail pictures to some of the same or similar accessories used in both of these looks.  The exact same Zara dress is linked right HERE as there is no thumbnail picture available.

Have a wonderful week and thank you for reading!
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Karen xox