Frock Fridays: Black and White Floral

I bought this striped dress a year and a half ago from Target and I loved it. I really did. It was ponte knit, so it was super comfortable, but it was structured, so I could wear it to meetings and still feel professional, and it fit really well.  I loved that dress even though, no matter how many times my mother took it to her sewing machine, the side seams by the pockets kept opening.  I loved that dress, accidental flashes of hip and all, until the seam under the zipper that ran down the center of my back opened in the middle of the afternoon and I realized that I may have won a bunch of battles but I'd definitely lost the war.

So, on my way home from work that day, I stopped at Marshall's - and walked out with this fabulous black-and-white floral frock for $30.  I've got a few more curves than the model in the collage below, and the dress makes me feel like a pin-up girl while still being demure enough, thanks to the neckline and the length of the hem, to be appropriate for work.  Actually, it's probably best for work events, not just another Friday, but I have an external lunch today and then drinks later in the afternoon before coming home for date night with Jon.  (He's cooking!)  Those sounds like a few valid excuses to trot out a new dress, right?  I hope so, because I'm wearing it now.  Just a swipe of lipgloss and I'll be out the door to work!

dress / earrings / bracelet / cardigan / lipgloss / bag / shoes