It’s difficult. And I’m sure you’ve all been through it at some point. Yes, choosing a dress for a special occasion can be tough, but that’s nothing compared to finding the right shoes to wear with it. I was delighted when I found this beautiful dress on sale in BHS of all places and it was everything I wanted – empire line, waterfall skirt, demure and stylish, muted colours. So I snapped it up for a very special occasion – my husband’s final exhibition for his Masters in Fine Art. However, I never did get round to wearing THATdress. Because (here’s where things get difficult) the dress is a striking combination of ink and sand – well that’s what it says on the label anyway – and I have found this is a tough combination when choosing accessories to wear with it. After many hours hunting around the high street I’d failed miserably to find any shoes nor any jacket/shrug/cardi combo to go with the dress. And as it was such a special occasion, I did the sensible thing and gave up – and chose a different dress.
However, that dress didn’t get returned to the store (it was such a bargain, I’d be a fool to take it back) but instead I tucked it away in the back of my wardrobe, unworn, and slipped ‘the search for the perfect accessories’ into the filing cabinet in my mind, marked under ‘keep an eye out’. And I’m glad those files were still there when I happened upon this pair of Dorothy Perkins shoes in a charity shop months later. Miraculously, these heels were exactly the right ‘ink’ colour, and the perfect amount of strappiness to coordinate with the dress, but not so similar that it was too matchy-matchy. I liked that the gold glitter heels and toe didn’t go with the address and added a cheeky flash of Cassiefairyness to an otherwise very sensible outfit. So, I’m pleased to report that I now have an outfit sorted in advance for my hubby’s MA graduation ceremony instead. It might be 6 months later, but I am going to wear THAT dress!