Friday, August 17, 2012

A DVF Dress By Any Other Name

I thought the maxi frock-skirt trend might have to pass me by, until I found this DVF one which was comfy and not too mutton-dressed-as-lamb. I've gotten loads of wear out of it and I'm happy with the colour and the cut, but there is something about the pattern that is not quite me.

Heading out in my DVF frock

This week I wore it to a "Hawaii 5-O" 50th birthday party.
"Like your dress" said a friend.
"Thanks" I replied "But there is something about the pattern that is not quite me."
"I hate to tell you" said my friend "But the flowers on it look really phallic."
Oh dear.

Yesterday I was looking through 50 shades of grey... with our colour genius friend, Kathy Farley of ArtDecor.  (No, not that Shades of Grey, the actual colour.) The white walls in the living room don't do much for our painting so we were looking for a blue-ish-grey.

Our living room with the paint chips: which grey would you pick?

"This one has too much brown, this one has green in it and this one has a bit of red in it" colour genius Kathy said, and so on. They all looked just grey to me. This one was just right.

We're also painting our chartreuse-green front door a bright lemon yellow.

What does this all mean?

(And today I'm over at Expat Focus with author and blogger Toni Hargis talking about what it's like to be a Mum abroad. Turns out you get to the crazy wine lady and it's all good!)

49 comments:

  1. It's so amazing on you....flowers and all ;)

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  2. lol. But it would never occur to me before you mentioned it and I had to look hard so I don;t think it is an issue. I was considering this dress (finally I went with the other, smaller blue print) and it looks lovely on you. Maybe you just don't really like flower prints? You are usually in solids...
    Oh, and I wanted to tell you, after you mentioned 360 Sweater in one of your comments, copycat that I am, I went ahead and ordered a curved hem v-neck cardi in cassis (dark purplish pink). Now I am waiting impatiently for the weather to turn colder just so I can wear it... Thanks for the tip!

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    1. Yay! Love 360's! Just saw some lilac cardies in Elyse Walker in LA that were fantastic,

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  3. It means embracing life and colour and zest and all good things! and you look fabulous in that dress....

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  4. You look lovely n that dress.

    I saw a colour by Farrow & Ball called Mouse's Back in a F&B store once. The trim was an off white, and that combo looked fantastic, in my opinion.

    I would also suggest getting a small sample jar and trying on the yellow for the door first on small area. I found that chips are deceiving as the colour always becomes ten times brighter when painted all over. Learned that the hard way. :D

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    1. Yes, the yellow in the larger chip looks incredibly bright!

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  5. You look fab whatever you wear! I love the painting...I think a pale blue-ish grey on the walls would tone nicely with it:)
    Have a lovely weekend:)
    ~Anne

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  6. I fear I may be the only person I know not to have read Fifty Shades, somehow a 22 yr old and some guy telling her what to do make me feel as tho I would probably want to slap them both ... on the other hand, let me tell you that shades of grey on a wall just smack of fabulous style xxx

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    1. I have not read it either. My friend said not to read in public - not because it's soft porn - but because its so badly written.

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  7. On the subject of wall color, I have BM Metropolitan (AF-690)in one of the rooms and I love it. I would say avoid anything too clean. Green undertones in gray make it warmer and easier to decorate with. Otherwise it just tends to look very blue. But I am sure your decorator picked just the right gray for you, can't wait to see the results!

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  8. The dress is lovely and you,as always, look fantastic!!! About the walls.. I think I would pick blue-ish grey!
    Have a great weekend,sweetie!! XOXOXO

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  9. The dress is beautiful. That yellow for the front door reminded me what I read not too long ago about bright color front doors. In China bright front door is supposed to attract good luck or something positive like this...:)
    maya

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  10. You look lovely in the dress - as you do in everything. Love the grey. And love how painting can so easily give a room such a fresh feel. Can't wait to see the new yellow door!

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    1. I won't be able to sing that song "The Green Door" anymore as I come in...I'm sure the neighbours will thank me for it.

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  11. HI there - for what it's worth I think the dress is a keeper - you look sensational in it. I have tried to find a maxi dress and failed to look half as lovely. I did buy one, but it has ended up on e.bay today ! Xx

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  12. 1) Does this friend know the meaning of the word? (I don't see it)
    I don't know your style, floral vs solid, but your choice is tailored and in proportion to your tinyness. Looks really nice and comfortable!

    2) Wall color must look good (warm up) with the wood trim - then compliment the painting. Is this choice a big enough change from the white? Wana make the whole project "worth it". :-)

    3) All I know about yellow is that it needs to be shaken at least twice as long as any other color. (my painter friends advice) Something about the red added....

    Makes me want to open cans and get the brushes out. Maybe when it cools off. Soon.

    Cheers!

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    1. Hi Linda, Thanks for stopping by. In fact they used a word that was much more graphic so I was in no doubt....

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  13. I love it - cannot see what your friend sees...dirty mind I reckon!! lol.
    I think with patterned maxi's, there's alot of fabric and not much flesh and it can seem quite OTT for that reason. But yours has very little in the way of different colours so you can get away with it. It's a beautiful fit on you - very flattering. Enjoy wearing it I say!
    Have a wonderful weekend, Avril xx

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  14. I don't agree at all with your friend---- sounds like a personal issue for her!!!! The dress looks seriously fab on you.

    And I love grey walls. They feel so sophisticated! Can't wait to see the result...

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  15. I don't get your friend's comment, I think you look beautiful in that dress. Like the idea of a cheery yellow door to come home to.

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  16. Those flowers on your dress are certainly not phallic in any way. I think your friend is a bit phallus-obsessed. Please send me her name.


    Oh for goodness sake, which bloke cares which gray you choose?

    Pick something between Battleship and decomposing Beef and you'll be OK.

    Lemon is better than Chartreuse. Actually Chatreuse is a bloody drink, so why not just paint it with Lager?

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  17. I love the DVF on you! I'm a bit iffy with patterns too. I am trying to choose paint colours for our bedroom and basement....there's so many variations with creams and whites. Good luck with the grey!

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  18. your dress looks fantastic on you!!! :D

    <3, Mimi
    http://whatmimiwrites.blogspot.com/
    Win 3 kinds of truffles from The Madelaine Chocolate Company! :)

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  19. Seattle grey...does that come with a full spectrum light bulb?

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  20. Ha! Being from Seattle.. love that comment above! ..wouldn't that be nice if it did! Looks like a great color Jody and I like your wrap around DVF dress. Now that your friend has mentioned her thoughts regarding the pattern, you will think about that every time you wear it :) I think she must be reading 50 shades (in private).. and yes, it's poorly written. I read the first one (actually never finished it) because I had to see what the buzz was all about. For those that like the series, they say it's "..a love story" .. whatever.

    Good luck with the painting!

    leslie

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  21. Jody -Love your dress! Great color on you. Ignore your friend. I swear I think people who make comments like that are jealous of your good taste. The yellow door's going to look great! Post pics.

    Have a good weekend!
    xo
    Kim

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  22. Grey is the colour of my true love's heir? I suppose to. And on walls? I suppose not with that, there. Whether 50 shades of grey, or just one.

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  23. Jodi- You look great in the dress- just as you would look great in a brown, paper bag, too!

    Looking forward to seeing that beautiful grey on your walls.

    Loretta

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  24. Jody, I know what you mean about dvf prints. I love her fit so much but the patterns are always a little 'not me' although I don't think I own any phallic ones, I'll have to check. Have missed your funny posts--work got the best of me these past few weeks. Can't wait to see how your gray walls turn out. I'm hitting 4 yrs with gray walls now and am dying to go back to white...haha.

    xo Mary Jo

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  25. You have to like flowered prints. I love them and while they can be a bit old lady like, I still love them, LOL!! So I guess I dress like an old lady at times, don't really care!!
    I think your color ideas are great. I really hate white walls, too bland for me. Love Di ♥

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  26. That dress is gorgeous! I doubt I'd look that good in it!

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  27. Hawaii 5-0 Party - How clever! I love that dress and it looks great on you. I hope you like the new colors in your house. Seattle gray sounds calming. I've always been partial to green doors but yellow sounds like so much fun.

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  28. Oh that dress looks awesome on you! I agree though you look great no matter what you wear!!

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  29. I love the shape of the dress but agree the pattern is a bit off-putting although I didn't see phallusses(spelling?)
    I'd have it copied in various colours and patterns.
    These days I find long skirts much kinder than shorter ones, and the eternal trousers.
    I had decided to ignore the book 50 SOG but now my DIL has bought it for me. Is she trying to tell me something?

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  30. I'm having a decorating thing at the moment...the need for change??

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  31. Is Seattle grey a reference to their weather? I wouldn't have even realised but for the fact that the book I've just finished reading is set there and it seems to rain a great deal.

    We're about to start on a new bathroom. It's a year since the new kitchen so can just about muster the enthusiasm to get the brochures out again!

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  32. I used to worry about grey Walls until a architectural historian friend pointed out that grey was THE in colour in the 17th century!
    Love the idea of a yellow door and personally the dress looks fab!
    As for what it all means isn't the answer 42?

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  33. I painted my bedroom two shades of grey (before the book) and I love it grreat warm colours and look great with pops of colour against the wall. I like the dress.

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  34. The dress is fab, the grey is fab and the yellow makes me think 'sunny side up'! You can tell I'm in the US at the moment!

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  35. I didn't notice the flowers until you pointed it out...
    Painting always has a way of bringing new life to a wall/house.
    Love the yellow. Our kitchen is yellow.

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  36. I think you dress looks lovely. But I am always a fan of maxi dresses. I wish I were taller so the look would be easier for me to pull off.

    I think a bright yellow front door would be stunning on a home. I love colorful doors.

    I'm having a giveaway on my blog. If you have time please stop by and enter. Sunny Days and Starry Nights

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  37. Hmm....I can't see anything phallic-ky about the floral prints. I actually love the dress on you. Bloody amazing figure you've got there!

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  38. LOL about the "phallic" looking flowers! I don't think they look that bad!! I do love the cut on you, the neckline is gorgeous.

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  39. I think you look stunning in the dress. I just read your other post, too. So tragic about the friend.

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  40. honestly the DVF dress looks pretty well on ur body,floral prints doesnt kill the beauty of the lady wearing it

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  41. I think the dress looks amazing on you (fabulous figure) and I had to look really hard to find the little "phallicy" things so the print is probably not "phallicy" at all.

    Love the idea of a blue grey on the walls. I had a 5 litre tin of "grey" paint mixed up a year ago for a spare bedroom. One brush stroke and I chickened out. I may try again this year. You first!

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  42. I've been so behind reading your blog (and every other), so I catching up.

    I think the dress looks smashing on you! And the color looks great. I agree with her patterns though. I have several shorter ones (they hang and fit so well), one same style as yours but just above the knee but the patterns are just this side of annoying.

    And don't bother with those books. Very poorly written but interesting none the Kessler. You definitely aren't missing out!

    I had the same trouble picking out a "white" because of the same issues as your greys...who knew there were so many shades of white. Hope you had a great weekend!

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  43. The dress is pretty and I think it looks great on...I don't see anything phallic about it.

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