Layering, Dressing For Your Body Type, and OOTD

This outfit of the day shows what I wore for some quick family pictures taken the other day.  My husband's sister, Sabrina, is leaving for college TODAY and we are sure going to miss her.  Such an exciting time for her, though, I really hope she has a blast as she embarks on this new adventure.

Oddly enough, this was what I was planning on wearing before I knew we were doing pictures - I had decided I better do a more polished look for an OOTD post, since this has been my primary go-to style and I haven't shown it to my readers yet.  When I found out about the pictures, I freaked out and tried on tons of things in my closet, but ended up wearing my original plan, anyway.  This was even the first time I wore this ensemble!  Sometimes, what you picture in your head actually does work.  

So the big deal about this outfit is that the adorable "top" that I'm wearing is actually a dress!  That's something I've been wanting to try, to get more mileage out of my wardrobe, and this was the first time I've tried it.  In the following picture I bent over to try and show what the top of the dress is like - it isn't tucked in and bloused, it's basically just a long, hanging ruffle of sorts.  

Skirt: RW & co. Shirt: dress worn as top from American Eagle Shrug: don't remember, and I took the tag out Belt: The Limited Wrap Bracelet: headband worn as bracelet from Walmart Necklace:Jmundodesigns @ Etsy

 I really love that dress (worn as a top) from American Eagle.  I'll have to show a picture of it by itself so that you can see it.  I think it's a good example of shopping for your body type.  Normally I'm not hugely into shopping for your body type, I don't know why that is, and it's probably bad.  My body type is either pear or rectangle.  My hips are the largest part of me, so I'm supposed to select pieces that emphasize my upper body to balance myself out.  This dress has a soft, hanging "ruffle" that falls to just above my natural waist line.  Meanwhile, the rest of the dress is a jersey fabric that is form fitting in the waist with more of an A-line skirt.  It makes my chest look more normal sized (read here: makes it look as if I actually have one) and my waist look tiny.  In other words, it gives me that ideal "hour glass figure."  I feel divine in this dress, and I bought it in two colors.  I guess I should shop for my body type more often, eh?  

Family pictures coming soon.  

P.S.  Want to start shopping for your body type, or looking for dresses to layer?  The very cute blog, Kendi Everday, is having a terrific giveaway of a $200 gift card to Karen Kane!  All you have to do is comment on her blog post.  Go get on that, folks.