When you’re shopping on a budget (and who isn’t these days?) you want to get the most for your money, no matter what you’re buying. Dresses can seem like an extravagance, especially for busy moms — pants are so much more practical, right, especially when you’re trying to move between mom things and work things. But a dress can be equally practical — and fun and pretty — if you choose the right one.

This week, my friend Rita came home from Target with this incredibly cute dress.

Merona Collection keyhole dress in Kickapoo Green, $42.99
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One of my current obsessions is the television show Mad Men - have you seen it? Oh, it’s fantastic. Forget the story line (although it’s wonderful), the set design and costumes alone should have you tuning in on a weekly basis.

You see, the show takes place in New York City in the early 1960s. The glorious fashion era of the 1950-60s. Pencil skirts, swing skirts, perfect hairstyles, pearls, gloves…acting and looking “every inch the lady” was taught virtually from the cradle. Watching the show, I would find myself slack-jawed over Joan Holloway’s ensembles every week.

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This week, I dove into some internet research on plus-size styles, and I must say, I’m a little alarmed at most of the plus-sized “tips” out there.  Several of the articles I read seemed to lump all plus-size women into one generic category, which seems a little odd to me.

Luckily, I stumbled across a piece in Good Housekeeping about how to flatter different plus-size shapes according to a few different body types; rectangle, hourglass and pear. Here’s what I found out.

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If I had to choose one piece of attire that has completely infiltrated my brain this season, it would most definitely be the sweater dress. I adore the versatility of sweater dresses; in fact, let me count the reasons for you.

1. You can dress them up - add opaque tights, patent Mary Jane pumps and pearls.

2. You can dress them down - add a bohemian scarf and ballet flats.

3. You can wear as a tunic - the shorter shifts look amazing with skinny jeans or wide-leg trousers.

4. Show some leg without really showing leg - you can feel more comfortable wearing shorter sweater dresses knowing that seasonal tights can cover bare legs.

5. A belt changes the silhouette completely - by adding one of this season’s highly coveted wide belts, you can totally change the shape of the dress while accenting your waist.

6. The perfect complement to boots - those highly-coveted riding boots in your closet would look fabulous with a sweater dress, I promise.

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I recently read an article in In Style magazine about The Fab 5 pieces every woman should have in their closet. I can’t disagree - they listed five classic, go-to items, but I think some could be open to interpretation.

Let’s interpret, shall we?

The five items listed were:

1. Little Black Dress
2. Cardigan
3. White Button-Front Shirt
4. Jeans
5. Black Suit

Do you have all five of these items in your closet? It’s true, with the right accessories, these articles of clothing can get you through almost everything, but I’d like to add some food for thought. Before we start, it’s important to point out that these are the types of items that you should expect to spend more of your fashion budget on due to their longevity in your closet.

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The following post is from the archives of Friday Style.

I went to a swank cocktail party over the weekend; the invitation specified that the attire was “after five.” When my friend Molly called to invite me, she said, “I don’t know about your house, but at my house, after five usually means pajamas.”

“After five” is not a style concept that most of us do very often, and when we are compelled to get our party duds on and go out, we often panic. In the last week, I have gone to a funeral, a ladies’ luncheon, and a cocktail party, none of which are part of my typical weekday events calendar. How do you know what to wear? Easy.
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I have boys, two of them. I love them with my whole soul, and I truly believe that I am a good boy mama, for a lot of reasons (I like sports and I don’t mind dirt and pretend tea parties cause me to go into a coma). But there are times when I am a little wistful about not having had a daughter.

Because girls have the CUTEST clothes.

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Business first: I’m thrilled by how many of you have joined WIM’s Work It, Kids! group. Groups like Work It, Kids! are a great way to connect with other working moms, and to get answers to all your pressing questions (sleep! homework! whining!). It is ALSO the key to entering the Work It, Kids! photo contest.

To enter your Wee Fashionista in the contest, join the Work It, Kids! group and then add photos to the photo pool. Winners will be chosen by random drawing on December 29th, so enter early and often!

All of the Fine Print can be found here.

To the mail bag! Whitney is looking for a holiday party dress.

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I’m all about basics, for everyone, but especially during pregnancy, because you’re trying to balance looking good and making sure everything fits, all without spending your entire year’s clothing budget on pieces that will only be useful for maybe six months, tops.

Did I say balance? I meant juggle.

The secret is to choose a small collection of staples, pieces that are the maternity version of what you would wear if you were NOT pregnant. For some things–tees and yoga pants, for example–look to retailers like Target; if your tees don’t survive the pregnancy, it doesn’t really matter. (But even for lounge wear, please PLEASE buy proper maternity pieces–don’t just make due with your husband’s sweats and tees. PLEASE. I’m begging you.)

If your office is very conservative, it might be worthwhile to invest in one suit and just wear the hell out of it. Look for something with pants AND a skirt; mix and match the pieces like you would a non-maternity suit. And don’t worry about wearing the same thing over and over–after all, you’re pregnant! How many maternity suits can you be expected to buy?

Think also about getting at least one dress, particularly for summer. A shirt dress is a great option because it can go easily from work to weekend. Wear pumps or dressy flats for the office, and cute skimmers for the weekend. Wear it with your suit jacket or a little cardigan ( you don’t need a maternity cardigan, by the way–wear a regular cardigan but DO NOT button). Choose something in a neutral color–navy or black or even white–which will allow you to change your look with accessories.

So what SPECIFIC pieces am I loving right now for the mamas-to-be? Funny you should ask . . .

Japanese Weekend Lux Jersey Polo, Bella Blu Maternity, $54.00

Mod Print Top, Bella Blu Maternity, $42.00

Black Fold Over Pants, Bella Blu Maternity, $88.00

Gap Maternity Roll Panel Modern Flare Pants, now $48.00

Knee Length Ponte Skirt, A Pea in the Pod, $125.00 (jacket and pants also available)

Liz Lange for Target Shirt Dress, $27.99

If you are supposed to go to a cocktail event after work, what are some appropriate outfits to wear? I’m having a bit of challenge regarding this for Thursday night, as I’m heading straight from work to a BlogHer event. I think summer is easy because you can just put on a dress, but in my mind, that’s about it.

Sara is right: a dress is the perfect solution for a day that will begin at the office and end with drinks and dinner. The secret to spiffing your workaday look up for the cocktail hour is accessories. Add a cool necklace or a pair of fancy chandelier earrings, something more elaborate or jingly than you would wear to work; swap your daytime shoes for a pair with embellishment or an open toe, and take your lipstick and cell phone out of your work tote and toss them in a wee little evening bag. And you’re good to go!

Nordstrom crystal chandelier earrings, currently $64.90

Not a dress girl? This works with pants and a blouse or a skirt and tee as well. I like a basic black tee with big gumball pearls for cocktails, or capri pants with strappy sandals. An embellished tank is also a good option; wear a jacket or sweater over it for the office, and then shed the jacket for after hours. A little well-placed bling can set the tone for an evening on the town, and make you look like you’re out for the evening, not on the way to a meeting.

Going out after work doesn’t mean carrying an entirely different outfit with you; change out some small details at the end of the workday, powder your nose, put on a sexier lip color, and you’re good to go. You can also take five minutes to put your hair up (or let it down, or put in a sparkly clip). In five minutes, you can be party ready, even if you are coming straight from the office.

If you will be at BlogHer this week, please come say hello! And for a list of fun things to do while you’re in Chicago, check out Sara’s post at the Chicago Moms Blog.