The Perfect Denim Dress

I don't like clothes that are tight. Anything considered "body-con" is a hard pass. Wiggle dress? No way. Pencil skirt? Nu-uh. Anything that might be construed as "club wear." Yikes. No.

So, imagine my surprise, when I found this form-fitting denim dress and fell head-over-heels in love. Especially because, on paper, it shouldn't be flattering. It has large pockets across the mid-section, and pockets across the chest. Normally, I'd say AH! BULK! But something about the seams on this dress make it work oh-so well.

Also, I love denim not-pants. Denim tops, denim skirts, denim duster jackets - I love them all. I've been trying to find the perfect denim dress, and it's proven to be quite tricky. Most dresses fall into two categories:

This dress falls into neither category (hurrah!), and it made its public debut last week.

Here's how it all shook out:

THE EVENT: General audition

THE BROKEN RULE: Body-con is a NO GO.

THE OUTFIT: Brand new Prairie Underground denim dress + navy blue booties

THE EXPERIENCE: For this audition, I needed to present two monologues. In the first, I wanted to feel like I'd dressed up for a date. In the second, I wanted to channel that feeling of being entirely overdressed in an awkward situation. This denim dress worked for both, while also not making me, as myself, feel overdone for the audition.

For the longest time, I had signature accessories. (This is a fancy way of saying I wore the same jewelry everyday.) I wore two rings: a vintage deco-style my mom had found for me at an antique store, and a green oval that my grandparents purchased for me for my 19th birthday. I also wore a simple bracelet that had a dried flower in the pendant. I bought this bracelet in a small town in France. It was handmade by a very friendly older gentleman. I loved these pieces, and took very good care not to lose them.

Then, we got engaged in Hawaii. I distinctly remember putting my jewelry in a "safe place" while we were there, but for months and months it seemed the unthinkable had happened: I had lost them.

Right before my audition, I was digging through our coat closet, lost my balance and fell against a jacket. Behind it was my travel backpack! I hadn't seen it in months! (Christian had very nicely hung it up for me.) Inside were the rings and the bracelet!! AHHHH!! I wore them to my audition and felt like I'd gotten my superpowers back!

THE CONCLUSION: I do love this denim dress, but I still have some hangups wearing something so form-fitting. I feel great while I'm in it, but when I saw myself in pictures, I felt, well... less great.

I'm still working through that, but I do know this: that dress (and my found jewelry!) really helped my mindset walking into the audition room. I felt confident and grounded and calm - three adjectives that are hard to come by at most auditions! The dress helped me access my characters, but it also felt like me.

Are there shapes that you avoid, or shapes that you love? Have you had a similar experience with a style you never thought you'd like? I'd love to hear about it!

I'll be back on Sunday with another post! Come say hello on Instagram until then!