A huge summer staple of mine is a vintage Mexican embroidered dress. It's hard to deny the beautiful floral embroidered work of vibrant colors over a stark white (among other colors). However, it can be a bit tricky pulling one of these dresses off. The wrong fit can give off a frumpy vibe, and sometimes wearing this style can make you feel like a little old lady (unless that's what you're going for).
But it is possible to wear well, and to give you an idea of what I mean, here are some tips to help you pull off a Mexican dress look.
Tip #1: Shorten the hem. I know a lot of people recommend to never buy vintage that you plan to alter because chances are you'll never get around to it. This may be true for some, but if you really love the dress (and if it is one of kind), it may be worth it to take the extra step. Most tailors charge less than $20 to shorten the hem of a cotton dress, and it usually takes no time at all, maybe a day or two (depending on the tailor). Making the extra effort might make a good dress into a favorite dress.
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Tip #2: Belt it. A "frumpy" dress often means that it is a loose fit, shapeless dress. If you can pull off the potato sack look, go for it. But for most ladies, accentuating the waist can feel a bit more flattering to the figure and that is why adding a belt to your Mexican frock works well. Try a a vintage brown leather belt. The more worn in, the better.
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Tip #3: Wear it with a statement necklace. Most times I try to wear the "statement pieces" one at a time. I figure, how many statements can you make? But sometimes working two attention grabbers at the same time works. Mexican embroidered dresses are usually pretty eye catching, and sometimes adding a cool chunky necklace can continue the vibrancy. Think, if you're going to go for it, you might as well go all the way.
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Tip #4: Go with a more bohemian hippie vibe. If you gravitate towards the "boho, I woke up this way" look, then these dresses are a piece of cake for you. Just throw one on, don't brush your hair and take some sort of leather bag and sunglasses and you're good to go.
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Tip #5: Keep it at home. Sometimes, you may love a garment but it's just a little too attention-grabbing for you to feel entirely comfortable in. If that's the case, use it as a fabulous "around the house" dress. It's comfortable, easy to wear and perfect to wear when your just at home hanging out (which is personally one of my favorite activities).
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Check out all the vintage Mexican embroidered dresses I have in stock (and more)
HERE
(two of the three white dresses at the top of this post will be listed soon, stay tuned)
