Oak NYC dress | GREY VERSION at OAK, black is sold out. If you missed this last year GET IT NOW YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. I’m wearing a medium.
Robert Clergerie Pepo sandals | old, white version
Everlane Petra tote | purchased with credit from Everlane
Kristen Elspeth short layered chain necklace | 15% off with code GC15 at ARO*
Kristen Elspeth long bar necklace | mine is silver, sold out at ARO, gold-plated available at Shopbop and silver at Kristen’s site
I wear this dress all the time when it’s hot; I wore it twice last week. And I always get quite a few compliments on it when I wear it. It’s just one of those dresses that is so easy to throw on, but still somewhat “chic” – in my opinion anyway. It doesn’t look like I’m wearing a long oversized t-shirt like the ladies wear to bed in Orange Is the New Black (did you binge watch it this weekend like I did? honestly, I’m just watching now because I feel like I have to – I’m not very invested in the characters anymore), although the differences are subtle…
Anyway, I’ve been thinking I’d like another similar long dress (remember my thoughts last year on whether or not to buy the grey version also? I didn’t, and sort of wish I had) that’s drapey and easy to just throw on and go. But this is where I must stop myself. When I wear this dress, I think I want to wear it every day. But I really don’t; I just love it while I’m wearing it. Can’t that be enough? I must remember that I love other things too. Like the long Splendid dress I wore last week, or my harem pants, and my Shaina Mote dress.
See? I still struggle. I get caught up in the idea that if I love something, shouldn’t I have more of it? All of it? In every color? Then I must talk myself through it and remind myself that I love what I have, and that is enough. I can appreciate what I have while I’m wearing it and using it, without having to have a second one, or even a similar one. It’s hard though, because my mind goes back to that place of anxiety and the feeling of not having (being) enough unless I collect all the things…
So, I’m NOT going to get the long grey t-shirt dress by The Great I have in my hearts at Shopbop that’s been tempting me for quite some time. But I will recommend it to one of you if you’re looking for an easy long t-shirt dress. Or the Oak dress I’m wearing in grey, of course, although it’s only available in an xs and small. And the organic cotton tank dress by REWS I featured last week would be ideal for summer…
*A note on the jewelry – I thought it was WAY past time for an update, so I have partnered with ARO, a sort-of-local (Austin) boutique that carries Texas-based and other US-made independent jewelry designers I love. In exchange for advertising, I’ve received store credit to choose some new pieces to add to my jewelry wardrobe! Win-win! Use code GC15 for 15% off your order.
[show_shopthepost_widget id=”801405″]
Howdy! Thanks for posting the Aro promo code, been eying up the Gabriel Artigas tusk ring. However, when I enter in GC15, it states it’s unknown…any help?
i will check on that!! – it should work now, she was having some problems with the site…
I lusted after this Oak dress for ages, but when it finally went on sale so I could purchase it, it turns out it was a disaster on me. 🙁 It looks so good on you, though!
I’m still having an internal struggle with my desire for ‘multiples’ as well. My latest is with my James Perse raglan sweatshirt. I have tried other more reasonably priced versions of the fleece, which I returned. Because I wear my original every other day, I can almost convince myself that it my *responsibility* to have it on hand in more than one color! Am I worried the one I have will wear out and be irreplaceable?
I sure wish that OAK dress had looked as good on me as it does on you. And I love your choice of the Kristen Elspeth necklace. It looks minimally fantastic.
see…if you actually wear something every other day, then it may be worth it to have another one. i only WANT to wear something every other day, but don’t really, because i have other things i want to wear – i just forget when i’m wearing the thing i want to wear every day all the time. ugh.
BUT at the same time, you are probably not going to wear out your sweatshirt. my JP stuff seems to have an infinite lifespan, unless i just get tired of it LOL
I hear ya on the multiples, which is a huge problem of mine. If I find something that’s perfect and I wear it all the time – don’t I need it in EVERY color? Well, no because it makes for a bland closet ( for me anyway ) or so I’ve noticed now that I’ve been cleaning out my closet.
Monica.
MonicaP´s last blog post ..Creating a fashionable outfit when your pants are too tight
I’m wondering how the material on this dress compares with the Everlane ryan tank dress, which I just bought – any thoughts? I like the Everlane dress, although I think there is slightly too much material on the bottom for me – and my husband is not a fan of the drop waist at all (not surprised). I’m contemplating returning the Everlane dress and replacing with this guy – too bad the price points are not at all the same!
Looks like the length is good for you which is a great gauge for me since I’m also on the shorter side. That can often be challenging with maxis!
this dress is a million times better than the everlane dress – it’s 100% cotton (i wash and dry it – on very low heat) and it’s held up very well, where the everlane dress is rayon. they’re very different styles, obviously, but i would absolutely recommend the oak dress over the everlane dress any day. sure, there’s a big price difference, but this will will last longer, not shrink, and even though the shape is relatively unconventional, it will be wearable longer i think..
**i should say, the black version is 100% cotton, the gray version is not, because it’s heathered…so i can’t speak to the feel of that one, sorry!!
I don’t know whether to be relieved when that happens or not 😉 I hate that I’ve “wasted” my time wanting something that ultimately looked terrible on me. There was a dress at Anthropologie like that recently; I loved and then it went on sale and I finally tried it on and it was awful.
Oh yes, I am all too familiar with this self-made problem. 😉 Since I now know I tend to obsess and be all “I MUST HAVE THIS DRESS/BAG/SHOES/ETC.” I frequently buy as soon as there is any sort of discount (on extremely rare occasions I make an exception for full retail price) just so I can get it out of my system and see immediately if it’s hideous. And if it actually happens to be amazing, then I justify and try to budget for it. It’s a terrible habit. I am also working on shopping less and getting into a less consumerist mindset, but that is a slow process for me.
I have the OAK dress you’re wearing Grechen–based on your enthusiasm for it. And I too, agree. Easy to throw on, can be belted, dressed up, dressed down… I bought the grey one too when I bought the black but I returned it immediately. Agree with you that the material between black and grey was different. The grey felt more nightgown-y/stretch jersey-ish, while the black maintains more of a structure. Happy to have kept the black.
Darn – just bought the gray!! Is it me or are gray long dresses with a little structure hard to find?! I hope it works for me – I have a great black number already so I wouldn’t be able to justify it in that color anyway…
The only thing I give myself a pass on with multiples is black leggings. I wear them so much at home and out and about that it makes sense for me to have a million. But I’ve also really struggled with not having multiples of things. There’s a top I have that I love, and I keep having to tell myself not to go buy it in all the colors. It’s not easy! I really like your t-shirt dress, and I wondered how you felt about the split-side t-shirt maxi trend? It’s a maxi t-shirt dress that’s about mid-calf length, but split up both sides. I’ve seen it on a bunch of bloggers, but wasn’t sure if it was a straight size trend as well. I think you would look really good in it!!
Cathy Benavides´s last blog post ..Getting My Face Wedding Ready – #TiltonTilDeath
I have this same Oak dress b/c of your recommendation last year, Grechen, and I love it! You can definitely dress it up with some accessories or keep it simple with a pair of flip-flops. I’m no longer a buyer of “multiples”. I think your article last year discussing this hit home with me and I no longer feel the need to have to have every color of something anymore. Now I can truly relish and enjoy what I do have and wear it to death.
yay you!!
so glad to see all these Oak dress owners coming out 🙂
i’ve had side slit skirts and normally don’t like them on me. mostly because they don’t conceal my spanx 😉
and if i’m wearing a long skirt, i don’t want to show my legs. i’m weird like that…
that the great dress i posted has side slits though, but i like how they styled it knotted. somehow that’s cooler LOL
oh! well, give it a chance.. you may love it!
gray dresses if they’re heathered will be harder, yes. i guess i like combination of materials on my top half, just not on my whole body!!
It certainly is a process, Renza. And I feel like a newborn baby in that process. It’s taking me time to get through everything in my wardrobe, but I’ve set a date to keep me on-teach: the Wednesday before the 4th of July because my kids are coming to visit and I want them to see that I’m working on this issue. I know…I’ve got to do it for myself…and I am…but certain people’s opinions count more to me.
We’re going to make mistakes, so let’s be forgiving when we do, return the item, and be thankful that we learned a lesson! (At least, that’s the way I’m looking at it.) good luck!
I wish that I had purchased it last year, but I waited to long, and now I’m afraid I’ve got a serious case of FOMO. I do have a couple of others in my sites that shall remain nameless lest they also sell-out. Funny that OAK didn’t bring it back when it’s so popular.
Anyway, you STILL look fantastic, comfy, chic and so like you in this dress, Grechen!
I have one word in response to multiples: STRIPES! 🙂
I love multiples. If I find what works, then I strongly consider either getting a back-up (if it’s a perfect one off item) or in different colors.
I don’t see multiples as a problem & that’s coming from me who’s always parring down, decluttering, minimizing, etc.
I should say that I’m super picky about multiples though & won’t just run out and grab any & all colors or any & all other versions of the original item…it has to be something that makes sense to me to have more than one & I’m still super picky about what colors I will buy.
I should say that I have no less than 5 of the exact same dress in 5 different colors/patterns. I’ve owned those same dresses going on 10-12 years now & with the classic shift cut/style – they don’t look the least bit dated or outdated. I do wear them quite often too, so it’s not like they just hang in my closet for decoration.
So yeah, for me, multiples is my default.