Easter Parade

“Never saw you look quite so pretty before
Never saw you dressed quite so lovely what’s more
I could hardly wait to keep our date this lovely Easter morning
And my heart beat fast as I came through the door
For…
In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it
You’ll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade

I’ll be all in clover and when they look you over

I’ll be the proudest fellow in the Easter parade…”

– Irving Berlin

This is the first in a series here on All Things Chic on what to wear on those dreaded holidays:  Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick’s Day.  I see all the holiday costumes and think, “Surely, there are better ways to dress for these holidays.”  So, a post is born.

While those rabbit and egg sweaters might look cute on a little girl, it never. ever. looks good on a grown woman.  [And you’re a grown woman — strong and knowledgeable and capable… you know that, right?] These clothes, frankly, infantilize women.  How about the fact that it’ll add 20 lbs to your look?  [HA – I knew that would do it!]

I already did a post on St. Patrick’s Day wear on my personal blog, but I decided the topic was more fitting here and leave my blog to brain dumps.  So, take a peek.   Go ahead.  I’ll wait.  How did you do?

If you “do” Easter, I’ve come up with 3 categories for this year’s Easter Parade:

1. Classy & Dressy

2. No Bunny Zone

3. Budget Brava

Let’s start from the very beginning, a very good place to start…

1. Classy & Dressy – you might attend a church that is formal, or you might have a fancy dinner to go to.

Silk strapless

Silk halter top

The strapless dress on the left might be referred to as “Nude,” the IT color this season, but, I don’t really know anybody that has skin color like that, but whatever.  I like the word “Blush,” as in, just a blush of color.  The teal silk halter dress has a beautiful silhouette.

Up here north of the Mason-Dixon line, we pretend that Easter is going to be warm and sunny, just like we think every Christmas will have the exact right dusting of white on December 24th.  So, we all wear these bare, light dresses and then throw on some random coat or sweater as we run out the door.  Here are some of my picks for deliberate options.  Although the blush number would be a great dress to wear to a wedding paired with strappy silver sandals and a clutch, how about going from Wedding Chic(k) to Edgy Chic(k)?

Edgy Chic(k)

It’s paired with this gorgeous leather jacket, or how about this?  Extra Large Leather Hobo bag MICHAEL by Michael Kors’ Studded ID Chain –  $598.  Type Z Winnifred fabric upper peep-toe.

I also love, love these shoes:

"Nude" - if your skin is this color, get to a doctor - quick!

Elizabeth & James Love sandals in, you got it: Nude.  [Yes, I know they’re $365 and no, I would never pay that either.]  I don’t think I can wear this kind of sandal given my proportions, but if I find a pair that actually matches my skin, I might try to pull it off.

Oh, OK, you don’t want to spend 6 or $800 for a jacket or purse?  How about this look? The teal is a great contrast to the palette.

Pippa Slinky Cardigan with a large clutch Fabrice by Hobo Int’l for $105.   Add a pair of pumps “Janella” by Me Too for $89.  Here are some more sweater options that will go well with the teal dress:

These might work with the teal dress.

At left is Bobeau Fleece available in 9 colors, a basic shrug from JCPenney or this sparkly sweater from Target.

2. No Bunny Zone – since I’ve forbidden you to wear bunnies and eggs, I will let you wear florals!  Ha.  Just kidding.  Sort of.  There are so many pretty “watercolor” florals out there, I didn’t know which to show you.  I tried to pick a variety that would fit different body types and coloring.  All from Nordstrom.com:

Brighter tones on the left, softer tones on the right.

The yellow beauty would be great for "pears," while the one on the right might hide a thick middle.

Top window:  Maggie London Ikat dress in orange/gray $128 at left and coral/teal pleat trim stretch dress for $148.

Bottom window:  Maggie London yellow pleat trim stretch dress for $128 with matching silk & cotton crop for $48.  Donna Ricco split neck stretch satin for $118

3.  Budget Brava – I know some of the clothes on this site can be a little SPENDY, as Jo-Lynne likes to say, but guess what?  There are some CUTE dresses out there for under $75!

All from JCPenney

Great, budget options!

At left: The dress on the left might be a little bare, so I used the Paint program to show it with a black tank.  I really like the Pucci-esque aqua dress – I can imagine Marcia Brady wearing it.   Oh the right, the little floral number, worn with leggings or footless tights and ballet flats would be great for the petite woman.   The geometric Liz dress reminds me of a classic Diane von Furstenburg.  The brown abstract pattern with it’s cinching high on the waist would be great for those of us who are on the heavy side.

Plus – Speaking of which, if you are the plus size, use structure in the clothes to define your curves; don’t hide inside a sack:

I, Grace, along with Stacey and Clinton believe strongly that you can look good no matter what size or age you are.  How cute are these?

Both from JCPenney, under $70

….and these?

Calvin Klein dresses, $138 at Nordstrom

The shirtdress as shown is a great look for the office. [It looks really short but I’ve found they often wear differently in real life.] Wear it with flats to run errands, or add bright accessories for Easter like the ones below:

Clockwise from top: Military Shopper by Tignanello, coral wedge Indigo by Clarks $100,  aqua Volcom Jack hammered bag $52, Lia wedge by Sofft in Latte $55 and red hobo by Marc by Marc Jacobs $398.

A good fit goes a long way, even if you feel self-conscious about your arms or knees, or whatever is your concern.

And finally, bring a smile to everyone around you and ADD A RINGTONE!  How cute and funny would that be??

Your body is a container in which you as a person resides.

Your life is a blessing – feel good about who you are, right now, as a human being.

Don’t let one aspect of you – your body shape – define who you are.