Pretty in Peplum (Ish)

Well, we might just be spending this week one day behind in our posts, as it is now Wednesday evening and I'm just getting time to blog about Tuesday's outfit. But that's okay - at least we're keeping up the posts somehow! I refuse to let myself get too busy to keep posting. I love you all too much to disappoint you like that!

Tuesday's outfit centered around one fabulous, gorgeous dress - well, fabulous and gorgeous in my opinion anyway:

So many reasons to love this Target dress. First, the color is a rich, beautiful teal blue. Second, it's got sleeves, which means I can wear it at school without a cardigan or jacket. Third, it's a great cut and fit, especially because of the faux-peplum:

First, what is "peplum"? Peplum is a short flared, gathered, or pleated strip of fabric attached at the waist of a woman's jacket, dress, or blouse (courtesy of the dictionary). Examples? I aim to please:

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Peplum, because of its placement, draws the eye to the waist and creates a wider look at the hips, which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your body shape. For hourglass figures (which is what I have), it is great, because extending the hips out from the body makes the waist look narrower by comparison, and makes the "hourglass" even more defined. If you have a "pear" shape, however - larger hips and a smaller waist and bust - the peplum will only exaggerate the hips and exacerbate the natural imbalance. So... is peplum right for you? Maybe, maybe not, depending on where you want to draw others' eyes.

For me, peplum is a trend that works; however, I don't have any actual peplum pieces. This dress is the closest I have, and it's clearly a faux-peplum, only extending out at the sides there. (Throughout the day, I referred to them frequently as "landing flaps," as if I were a plane.)

At any rate, I think the vibrant color and peplum accent makes the dress interesting enough to serve as the centerpiece of its own outfit, with relatively understated accessories. The necklace (with matching earrings) breaks up what might otherwise be an overwhelming dose of teal, and a black hinge bracelet finishes the jewelry.

The ankle boots were chosen over pumps because I felt they added a little bit of an "edge" to an otherwise ultra-feminine outfit. I think it's great to go ultra-feminine sometimes, but I also like having a mix of "hard" and "soft" looks in one outfit too, which is what I opted for here. My hair was decided similarly in that most of the look is very "put-together," so I decided to have a more "messy" look with a casual ponytail in the hair.

On a side note, I opted to include more of my head and face here than I normally do, partially to show the matching earrings with the necklace and partially to show my hairdo. What do you guys think - more face, or keep cropping? I need reader opinions to decide!

All right, that's Tuesday's clothes for you. Hope your week is going well!


Get the look for yourself:
Dress - Target, available ON SALE here.
Ankle boots - Target; similar here.
Necklace and matching earrings - Target; similar here.
Bracelet - Express, available here.