Maxi Dress Friday

Last year, I came up with this idea to create my own version of "Casual Friday." At work, we teachers aren't allowed to wear jeans unless given special permission, which usually happens on specific days during the year: the first home football game, the day after Back-to-School Night, rally days, etc. We refer to these as "jeans days," and when they happen, there is much rejoicing. Jeans Day = Casual Friday.

But what about all those other Fridays? How to make a non-jeans Friday into a Casual Friday? I decided to begin the "Maxi Dress Friday" tradition:

Maxi dresses (or maxi skirts) are great for a "Casual Friday" primarily because they're so comfortable. Usually the concept of a "Casual Friday" is set in opposition to the more professional outfits worn during the rest of the week, but maxi dresses (and skirts) are not unprofessional, per se. They're just exceedingly comfortable, like wearing a nightgown, which is why I decided it was a good "casual" choice.

This particular dress is sleeveless with a low V-neck, so to keep it appropriately modest for the workplace, I added a white camisole and a yellow cardigan. Like the black jacket in this outfit, this yellow cardi is a thin cotton with 3/4 sleeves, which makes it a good choice for the warm August weather. I decided that buttoning the cardi would create a weird double-V in the outfit, so I left it open and trimmed the line of the outfit with a wide black belt.

I decided that the yellow cardigan lightened the outfit enough that black accessories wouldn't seem overly dark. The necklace is one of my favorites, purchased from a street vendor in Malawi, and the bracelet is a recent buy from a street vendor in Berkeley. The shoes are comfortable, but nice enough (because of the faux jewels on the front strap) to wear to work.

What do you think of my "Casual Friday" tradition?

Get the look for yourself:
Dress - Old Navy; similar here.
Cardigan - Target; similar here and here.
Belt - Target; similar here and here.
Shoes - Payless, available here.
Necklace - street vendor; similar here and here.
Bracelet - street vendor; similar here.