Work Week Glam- The Perfect Shift Dress

The shift dress is a piece that is, unfortunately, overlooked by many. The boxy build wards off women who are afraid to lose their shape, but if styled properly shift dresses can be very flattering. Today I’ll show you how to style a shift dress so it looks flattering and, dare I say, even a bit glamorous!

Hello Lovelies!

The piece that I’m showcasing today is one of those things that immediately caught my eye so I knew it was a must have. While casually checking out the sale section at Loft I caught a glimpse of this shift dress and it was everything! A unique pattern, a little glitter, and soft ruffle details had this dress calling my name. Now, I know most of you will pass up a shift dress with a quickness (I typically do too!) but this one is special.

Dress: LOFT | Shoes: Similar, Similar

Alright, let’s talk about this dress! The print is very eye catching, that’s what drew me to it to begin with. The color scheme is still soft enough for me to wear this dress almost year round, so that means I’ll get good use out of it. I like the short sleeve and the hem with the ruffles because they add another point of interest to the dress and make it multi dimensional.

In the photo above I’m wearing the dress as is but my favorite trick to really bring a shift dress up a notch is to add a belt at the waist. I was with my mom when I picked it up and of course she made me try it on. She didn’t really like how it looked on at first because of the shape. As soon as I put on a belt it totally changed her perspective! Adding a belt to a shift dress breathes new life into it.

As you can see, the belt adds new little attitude to the dress. I went for a slim waist belt but honestly, you could go with a thicker belt and it wouldn’t overpower the dress. So, this dress was on sale for $80 and Loft was having an additional 40% off their sale items (don’t sleep on these Loft sales!) which means I paid less than $50 for this piece. It’s still a tad pricey but I know Loft offers great quality so I feel comfortable with splurging in that store from time to time.

To keep the shift dress looking young and fresh I’m wearing these nude chunky heeled sandals that I got from ShoeDazzle. My office environment is more laid back but if you need to tone it down for a more conservative office you can go with a shorter heel or even a flat sandal.

I went sans necklace because of the busy pattern and keyhole detail in the front of the dress. A necklace may get lost among the pattern or just be a little too much. Simple stud earrings are just enough to complement the dress and a pop of pink lipstick to finish off the look!