shabby*chic

today, i am delighted to share this fabulous frock from shabby apple. this company has some of the cutest numbers out there. dresses and skirts and shirts, oh my! from classic pieces to party pieces and everything in between. clothing for everyday errands all the way to full taffeta skirts that make you feel like a hollywood starlet. i am a fan. and when they dropped this pretty thing on my doorstep, i was tickled pink. or, i guess, tickled blue? is that a thing?

i thought it would be fun to style this perfectly peplumed dress in two ways: one look for a frou frou fête and one look for a playful date night. the rich sapphire color did the heavy lifting so all it needed was a few pops of color and glitz to make it a killer ensemble.

a look for a night out at the theatre

what i loved best about this dress (and all of shabby apple's pieces) is that they are special but practical. they are designed for life. whether that is running around after the kids or attending meetings or going to church or lunch with the ladies or going to a wedding or attending a fancy ball. they create clothing for whatever your life holds. this vibrant dress (it is called the nutcracker dress, by the way. super festive.) is made from a sturdy and rich taffeta that gives it a great shape and nice body. it tucks and pops in all the right places. it also hugs the body because of the slight stretch to the fabric (genius, by the way) but is super forgiving too. you can wear it all night and it maintains its shape BUT it has just enough give so you can move on the dance floor OR not feel uncomfortable after a decadent meal. you know what i mean, ladies... and speaking of meals, here's another look!

a look for attending a swanky cocktail party

blue nutcracker dress c/o shabby apple | scarf from barneys new york | earrings, vintage chanel | flats from j.crew | lipstick, nars "scarlet empress"

but enough about me. the best part of this post is that i get to share the love! the generous and amazing team at shabby apple wants to give away a $50 gift card to one lucky duck. you can apply it to whatever tickles your fancy. oooooh, shopping! such fun. this giveaway will run from january 12 through january 15 on the blog and on instagram (head over there to check it out and play by those rules). blog rules: head to the shabby apple site and then come back here and let me know which item(s) you like best. a winner will be randomly chosen and contacted on january 16. have fun! and good luck.