Laws of Couture: Silver Belles

Michael Kors

Every season should have a silver lining. Winter is finally here and the coolest season of all calls for soft shapes and silver accents. Silver is my go-to holiday hue and for this New Years I will be rocking some serious sparkle. My original ensemble consisted of a Michael Kors dress that had a silver studded top and a black feather skirt. Unfortunately, when I tried the dress on in my size the fit was awkward and did not resemble the fit on the model in any of the ads or pictures I had seen. While the dress fit perfectly on my upper body, it was too baggy and bunchy at the waist, causing the dress to look more sloppy, than sleek. While the dress didn't come in a smaller size, I am certain that if it did the bottom portion of the dress would fit better, but the top would be too tight on my bust and arms. My first thought was to buy the dress anyway and bring it to my tailor to alter. As I thought better of the situation, however, I realized that alterations would be too involved and therefore too expensive because the sweater portion of the dress would have to be unstitched and detached from the feather shirt in order to take it in and raise the hemline to where I wanted it to be. Of course, I was disappointed that my dream dress did not work out, but then I began to brainstorm and thought, "what if I recreate the look with separate pieces- like a black feather mini and a fitted silver sweater?" After scouring the internet I came across a similar black feather skirt from Sabine at Piperlime and a sliver embellished v-neck sweater at Ann Taylor. To make the situtation even better, both items were 30% off and I purchased them for about $130 less than the dress. To finish off my look I bought a silver clutch and black embellished caged sandals from Michael Kors. When I pulled it altogether, my outfit looked better than I could have ever imagined. Moral of the story: don't be afraid to be adventurous and create your own spin on designer looks. If something doesn't work for you in terms of sizing or budget, a little imagination and creativity go a long way. I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised at the looks you can achieve with some patience to shop around.

Now's your time to shine...check out my must-have silver pieces for the winter season below. These frosty finishes are the icing on the cake.