Red shirt dress, Land’s End (no longer available in red) – more full-skirted shirt dresses
Belt, Gap (no longer available) – similar
Boots, BCBGeneration Doris (no longer available) – similar
Watch, Skagen
Bracelets, various
Necklace, thrifted – similar
Earrings, repurposed vintage – similar
Ahhh, the beloved shirt dress returns. I had to pile on the underlayers to make this dress tolerable today – and even then, I was a bit cold – but I’m stubbornly dressing for the weather I want instead of the weather I’ve got.
Since we’ve been talking style rules this week, I’ll tell you that I’ve read about a dozen times that matching your shoes to your belt, or shoes to handbag, or HEAVEN FORBID all three is totally “out,” taboo, bad, wrong, and utterly laughable. At least, according to the celebrity style gurus. But I just don’t care. I like the unity of grouped accessories, and wear them with pride.
In fact, I’m just about out of business cards and toying with the idea of adding “Mayor, Matchy-Matchytown” to my title.
Oh also? I’m trying to grow my hair out so that it’s long enough to pull back, which will make biking season hella easier. And I’ve noticed that in this bizarre limbo phase, my bad hair days photograph beautifully and my good hair days photograph horrendously. If you saw me in person today, you’d think I had on a fright wig. (OK, not really, but you catch my drift.)
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{ 49 comments… read them below or add one }
I will totally come live in Matchy-matchytown if you’re the mayor.
Great outfit! I am completely on your team. Whenever I have a belt that matches perfectly with other accessories, I am first trying with another color (for the reasons you mentioned), but invariably end up with the match. I just cannot NOT take the matching belt if I have it available. I really have tried.
I love this look, matchy-matchy and all. : ) You look stunning. And that shirt dress is so cute!
I just love that dress so much! In fact, a gorgeous blogger (hmmm… who could it have been?) posted a question today on facebook about what her readers’ favorite dress styles were… and I said a full-skirted shirt-dress! This one is magical on you… in your signature color. And the matching belt and boots is lovely. I feel off when my leathers don’t match, so I’m with ya, lady!
BTW the dress comes in lilac?? Bestill my beating heart!
Matchytown forever!
– a proud resident
Wahoo!
If matching your belt to your shoes is wrong, then I don’t want to be right.
Great dress…very flattering and a beautiful color….down here I could see it with some great wedges!!
Love red and this outfit is fabulous! I would have automatically put black with the dress, but I adore the brown. Thanks for the outfit idea!
I’m alllllllll about matching accessories & suchlike. I’m entirely too old-fashioned for this “go with” thing. Harumph.
your red dress is so pretty and i love it paired with those boots!
<3 steffy
Steffys Pros and Cons
I love your hair this length- it is perky and cute!! and love the color combo of this dress and boots.. I have a dress like this but short sleeve so now I am going to have to pull it out and copy your outfit!! (the beauty of blogging and getting great ideas!!)
you look gorgeous as usual!! ooxoxoJ
Match or don’t match…wear it something fierce! Love that dress on you
This is beautiful. On my list of things to find for next spring since I’m only going to get bigger this summer haha! I’ve always loved shirt dresses and have never found one that looks good on me, then again I’ve never found a full skirted one. I gasped when I saw your fabulousness for today!
If you’re mayor of Matchy-matchytown, then I’m on council.
You look awesome, Sal! Fabulous dress and colour on you.
I NEVER would have guessed that the red shirt dress I loved so much in the taboo post was from Lands’ End!
Love the irony of your good hair/bad hair days.
Oh wow I totally didn’t know it was considered that bad to match belt/shoes/bag! I **LOVE** it and I do it all the time. I even feel a little weird if I don’t. Ok, they may be slightly off and I maybe even prefer them to be, but definitely still very much in the same color category. Those red accessories you saw on me earlier (Thanks, by the way!
)? I painted my toe nails red to go with them. And I feel no shame admitting it and I will definitely do it again 
That said, I think your dress, belts and boots are fabulous, each on the own and in (matching) combination!! Those kinds of belts are my favorite
I love this look. You look stunning. I matched my belt to my shoes today too. There is something so classy about matching your accessories. I’d rather be classy than ‘cool’ any day.
Love!!!
We are outfit twins today! (or, what little is left of today) I also default to matchy accessories – though, that is assuming that I get to accessories at all. I am such a lazy accessorizer.
Delurking to say that I love this dress! I have it in navy… and I definitely wore it today!
Thanks for the ideas!
I totally just gasped and made *gimme* hands at that belt. It is gorgeous!
I think your hair always looks marvelous.. but I know what you mean. Somedays I think my hair looks great, but photographs horrible – and vice versa.
Today was a matching belt-to-shoes day for me! I don’t care if it’s “matchy-matchy”, it makes me feel put together.
Also my partner HATES when I say matchy-matchy, but it’s one of my top phrases. “Does this look too matchy-matchy?”
I love that shirt dress in red. Regarding style rules, I do not like to match, but I always break that rule when pairing neutrals. A tan belt and tan shoes just work well together
I’m totally for matchy-matchy! It’s always drives me crazy when my shoes don’t match my belt.
This is fabulous!
Your nail polish is such a pretty color!
I had to laugh at “matchy-matchy town.” Awesome! Also: I totally hear you that what looks good in photos and in real life is often not the same. In sum: word.
I’m on Team Matchy-Matchy of Matchytown all the way, at least when it comes to leather accessories.
This is awesome! This particular shade of red really works on you, though I love how you chose contrasting nail polish. Fresh and unexpected.
As for matching: I so hate this NEW rules! I’m sorry but colour coordinated accessories were in style since the days of our grandmothers and before.
Yoir dress is beautiful. Gorgeous colour. Suits you very much. I covet that dress!
My my, is there anything more perfect than you in that red shirt dress??
It is just fabulous! Why can’t I find dresses like that where I live??
You look beautiful here, matchy matchy or not
That shirtdress is completely awesome. Now I’m on a quest! And apparently I’m not alone in that my good hair days photograph terribly!! I thought I was an anomaly.
Oh, this is one of my favourites one you. Love the fit, love the colour, love the matchy. Definitely going into my springpad inspiration folder.
I love that outfit!
This is a TRIPLE match, the third item being your hair. Match makers rule!
Sally I love your outfits. But is there a way to wear shirt dresses sans belt?
I am seriously short waisted and curvy to boot:(
Well, this particular style is meant to nip at the waist and flare out, so it came with a self-belt which I generally swap out for a different belt. You could wear it unbelted, but it might look a bit unfinished.
There are other shirtdress styles that have more fitted, pencil-like skirts and those tend to have princess seams that define the waist on their own. Do those appeal? Or is it this particular silhouette?
Good point. Will experiment with various silhouettes….tks
I love matchy-matching too. Am crazy for scenes in old movies where the woman opens her coat and the color of the lining matches her hat, gloves, shoes, and pocketbook. Can you imagine?
I think I’d keel over from matchy delight!
Love that shirt-dress! And I’m all about matching accessories. I’ll break every color rule in the book except for that one.
You look fabulous in bright red! I don’t think matching can ever be “out”…
I have this dress in burgundy and I love it! Comfy and cute all in one. Lands End is great for basics like this–everything is so high quality. Love that belt you added, looks great!
I love that belt. I don’t think that merely having belt and shoes both of brown or black leather really counts as “matchy-matchy,” does it? It’s not like, say, lavender shoes/belt/bag. Not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with that.
Your hair is adorable at this length, it seems so youthful on you. I absolutely do not think that one must hair one’s hair at a certain length depending on their age, but different hair lengths suit different people. You are so sweet with your short curly bob, & so young!
I tend to match my accessories and things, without much care. I won’t ONLY do it that way but… why not? It looks good to me… and well hey, it MATCHES. So why go with things that DON’T go so well together. That’s my thinking.
The fun thing about my hair is if I feel like I’m having a bad hair day, I just need to comb it out and then split it somewhere different. I have a natural down-the-center split but tend to split it on the side. If the side split isn’t working, the natural one tends to make my hair mellow out and behave, even if it is a little Brady-Bunch.
I love the red with the brown leather. You look wonderful and straight into the inspiration folder these shots go.