The Savvy Sartorialist: Dressing up Denim

As much as I love getting dressed up, the last couple of weeks have been...hard. And by hard, what I really mean to say is - I've been lazy. For those of you fasting during the month of Ramadan, maybe you'll understand my gripe. I'm certainly not complaining. I actually feel like I've grown spiritually (and physically too - if we're being honest. Fasting brings out my ravenous side). Which leads me to ask - who wants to feel constricted and uncomfortable on an empty stomach? While my go-to items these couple of weeks may have revolved around comfort, this does not mean I have to forego style. Even a simple dress can be stylishly transformed with the addition of accessories. Case in point - summer hats and scarves:

A scarf with a simple pop of color adds life to any ordinary outfit. I like how the denim dress enhances the subtle blue stripes of the scarf while the shocking pink doesn't make it too "matchy-matchy". Paired with some funky shoes and a hat, you have an outfit that is uniquely yours.

Just like with jeans, denim dresses may require a few trips to the fitting room until you find what you're looking for. I had three things in mind when I was doing the Triple D (Denim Dress Digging):

1) Quality material that IS denim and not a cotton/linen blend with a denim look

2) Long-sleeves that can be folded (it can transitioned into a fall or winter piece)

3) POCKETS! I looooove dresses with pockets

This one was a steal at the Gap for only $23.99 (originally $59.95) and met everything on my mental check list.

But I have to admit, my favorite thing about this outfit are the shoes. I can pin-point the exact time, place, and day I found these babies (Black Friday 2010, Anthropologie, at about 10 AM). Like the rest of this outfit, I found them on sale for $40 (originally $150). The wedged heel allows these shoes to be worn for hours on end without discomfort. I also love how the blue hues of the shoe (say that 5x fast) tie into the denim dress and the scarf as well. My only issue is that since these are cloth shoes, be careful not to wear them out in the rain. Soggy feet = no bueno.