Thumbs Up to the Cold Shoulder

One of my absolute favorite dress styles (and a soon-to-be Monika Roy staple) is the one-shoulder dress.

If you’re not quite in the mood for the strapless look and you’re ready to move beyond cap sleeves, a one-shoulder design is the answer. The one-shoulder look is confident and sexy. It’s also a great option for cooler weather since it’s slightly less revealing than a strapless dress and still makes a bold statement.

When wearing a one shoulder dress it’s best to reduce jewelry to earrings (chandeliers work great with this look), a bracelet or nothing at all. Necklaces obstruct the fundamental form of the look. Wearing your hair pulled-back looks great with a one-shoulder and emphasizes your neck and shoulders.

Don't Put the Dresses Away

Summer always seems to end so much sooner than you expect ... especially in Chicago. It doesn’t help when you’re bombarded with ads for back-to-school and Fall clothing when it’s still 80 plus degrees outside. Perusing boutiques and department stores makes you feel like it’s already November with jeans, sweaters and winter boots dominating the displays. Even if you're not excited about the cooler weather, it’s fun to pull out warmer clothes for the upcoming winter season. But it doesn’t mean it’s time to pack away your dresses.

Dresses can (and should) be worn year round. And even though not all dresses can make the seasonal transition, many can. There are so many fantastic options (leggings, tights and boots) to pair with dresses that can extend them well into Fall and winter. Even without the addition of warmer accessories, many cocktail dresses make a nearly seamless transition from warm to cool.

One of the benefits of living in a city with four seasons is the fun you can have mixing up your wardrobe. Just don’t feel like you have to hide behind big, bulky clothes throughout the winter (even in Chicago). You can still be stylish and sleek in a dress … at least beneath your winter coat.

Strapless Statutes

One of my favorite trends in fashion right now is the return of the classic strapless dress. Strapless dresses are no longer reserved only for formal events, but are now appropriate for a cocktail with friends or even a semi-casual lunch. What’s most fun about the new stance on strapless designs is the freedom you have to dress them up or down, depending on your plans.

When choosing a strapless outfit, there are some helpful guidelines that can make you more comfortable. For starters, if you decide to wear a strapless dress during the daytime, it’s a good idea to select a shoe that’s a bit more muted than you might choose for the evening. You can absolutely still wear cute heels, but it’s best to avoid anything too strappy or wild. You can wear heels that are low or high, depending on your preference, but nothing with a platform or anything that wraps around the ankle, e.g. too strappy. You should reserve your more pronounced shoes for the evening. (In full disclosure, I wear a 3-4 inch heel for most occasions). Shoes are primarily what transform the strapless dress from day to evening, with some persuasion from belts and jewelry as well.

When it comes to jewelry, the daytime-strapless look is best pulled off with simple (and few) pieces. Chandelier earrings are a great addition to the evening-strapless look and a necklace always tops off a more formal look. Finally, it’s advisable to avoid designs that are too clingy/tight for the daytime-strapless look as well. Those designs can definitely be saved for the evening.

So while summer is still here dress it up for a night, or for a day, and go strapless.

The Anti-Trend

Keeping pace with women's fashion is challenging. Some years it is wide-legged pants, tight to the knee and flared at the ankle. Other years it is straight leg, painted-on jeans. There are the colorful tops and (increasingly vintage) sunglasses, earrings and bracelets - all constantly evolving to the point you begin to feel that your wardrobe and accessories require an annual overhaul. While it's fun to experiment with new looks to see what feels best, you know that most of this year's coveted pieces will not see the light of next year.

There is one major exception to this rule: the classic dress. This is the wardrobe staple in which basic rules always apply, regardless of the year or season. The most beautiful dresses are timeless ... elements of your wardrobe that you can wear year after year. You have the option of adding a new belt or necklace, but the structure of a great dress never goes out of style. You can select a classic dress based on its clean lines, which flatter your figure and inspire you to look beautiful. A dress can be the easiest part of your wardrobe; an item you can turn to at the last minute - dressed up or down depending on the occasion.

While pondering the latest trends, remember that a dress is the only item in your wardrobe that can be considered an investment. As you stand in your favorite store, deciding which of the latest fashions to adopt, follow your instincts to the dress that caught your eye. Chances are, there will be opportunities to wear it five years from now and it will still make you feel great.

For the love of the dress

For as long as I can remember I have been obsessed with dresses. When I was young my mom sewed all of my clothes and outfitted me in the beautiful dresses she made. Growing up, while others were more comfortable in pants, I gravitated towards dresses at almost every occasion. In college, I was forced to shop for pants on the rare occasions I couldn't wear a dress. While some of my friends were stressed when they had to dress up, I was stressed when I attended events that required dressing down.

There is something about wearing the right dress that can lift your mood and change the tone of your day. As I look back to certain milestones in my life I often think of them in terms of a dress I wore. Each dress triggers a memory and tells its own story. The first dance I attended: a bright red, knee length dress. My first date: a flowery dress that flowed to the floor. The prom: a black, embroidered dress with matching elbow length gloves. I have saved a number of my all time favorite dresses and given away many others. There are a few I have continued to wear year after year ... like good friends, I have always been able to rely on them. Timeless and classic, they have never let me down.

First Photo Shoot

We're excited to post samples from the first Monika Roy photo shoot!  See the sample pictures in top right corner of the blog.

Monika Roy

Monika Roy is the result of years of fascination with flattering dresses and beautiful fabrics inspired by an Indian and American upbringing. I have a life-long passion for classic, clean designs and am thrilled to share my love of fashion and vibrant fabrics.