Shabby Apple Cider Dress

A few months ago, I entered a giveaway from free!grechen and won a dress from Shabby Apple, a company that offers pretty dresses with a vintage twist. Lately, I've really been attracted to the color orange, a color a don't usually wear, and decided to try the Cider dress from The Berkshires collection. I love how the princess seams contour my body, and the purple zipper in the back is a fun contrast.

The sizing was a little confusing to figure out because the dress was labeled as "Fits Generously", so I ordered down a size. Thankfully, the dress fit.

Shabby Apple describes itself as "A return to what dresses were always meant to be — a one-piece outfit. No need to add anything...no tank tops, no cardigans, nothing (except accessories, of course!" The company, also, contributes a percentage of its profits to support women in Africa and Asia. I'm really happy with my Cider dress and am already thinking about what other dresses I would like to get from Shabby Apple.

Links a la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup

Costume Drama: A Break From All Things Outfit

Edited by: Holier than Now

It's the Halloween season, when some of us choose to experience the thrill (or horror) of looking nothing like ourselves for a night. For those of you who blog or socially post your outfits, perhaps it's a chance to take a break from the judgmental eye of the spotlight (consider Love Brown Sugar and One More's pieces on the subject) - one night where you turn in "looking good" for looking scary, time period-accurate, or just ... a little sexier than usual. Inspired? Find last minute costume inspiration from Tickle Me Chic and more.

And for those of us who don't celebrate the witching hour, there's still a chance to step away from the closet and remind ourselves that great lingerie, shoes, bags, and jewels can make even a white tee and jeans look scary good.

Links à la Mode: October 28th

A La Modest:7 Common Reactions to Style

Best of Bklyn: In Favor of Knickknacks - How to Personalize Your House Into A Home

Boheme Noir: The definitive IN/OUT list for Fall 2010 bags

Closet Confections: Fashion Bloggers Take On Product Placement:A Video Response

Cute and Little One: Product placement and blogger responsibility: a blogger's role in influencing product advertising.

Daisy Dayz: Inspiring locally-designed headwear

Fashion Cents: 3 Tips to Consider for Open-Toe Boots/Shoes for Fall

Fête à Fête: YSL's new Rouge Pur Couture lipsticks

Holier than Now: 11 Great Jewelry Sites You Might Not Know About

Hunting and Gathering: Why Classic Jewelry Never Goes out of Style

Independent Fashion Bloggers: Want to be a professional blogger?

Interrobangs Anonymous: On going grey in your twenties

Love Brown Sugar: Why Don't You Love Me? A curvy girl's ode to outfit posting on fashion communities

Miss Viki: AND_i captivating jewelry show coverage, with video

OK, Bowtie: Underneath: why everyone needs pretty underwear

One More: Does a bloggers dress size affect readership and is the blogging community becoming divided over it?

Ruby-Eyed Okapi: A Modest Approach to Halloween Costumes

Style Every Day: How to change that horrible mess of jewelry on your dresser to supreme organization

The Lingerie Addict: How to Buy Vintage Lingerie for the Perfect Pin-up Figure

Tickle Me Chic: Fashion-inspired Halloween Costumes

Vogue Mornings: Ten Tips for Achieving Work/Life Balance

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Things i LOVE Thursday

Keeping really busy

Listening to Pink's "Raise Your Glass"

Making fudge

Reading Hunter S. Thompson's cover letter

Sleeping in

(finally!)

Hearting graffiti nails

(must find some of this nail polish!)

Drinking chocolate milkshakes

even though it is cold outside

Eating homemade stew

Wanting a Slappers watch

(just like a slap bracelet!)

Watching Sherlock: A Study in Pink

En Vogue

Vogue

I am loving Vogue's November issue, which features many fabulous photos of the beautiful Anne Hathaway. Sophistication and class ooze off the page and make me long for the chance to dress up in couture and spend my days dripping in diamonds...

Links a la Mode: The IFB Weekly Roundup

The Blogging Diaries- Introspects, insights, and inspirations

Edited by: Marie Denee of The Curvy Fashionista

As bloggers, we often find ourselves looking to other blogs for inspiration. Sometimes we look to our closets, magazines, or in the mirror. This week's roundup fashions some of the most introspective and insightful posts from bloggers who reach across the blogosphere as they look for ways to build upon, contribute to, and pull inspiration for and from the fashion world.

365 Fashion Rehab: Lessons from a (Reformed) Shopaholic: A beautiful handbag repaired (for free!). One more reason to buy quality over quantity.

Boheme Noir: The first ladies of Vogue - a closer look at the most important editors in chief.

Daisy Dayz: Friend Friday: How to learn from your mistakes and let your blog grow

Devilishly Pleasurable: Reflecting on the evolution of my blog and tips for better blogging!

Fish Monkey: The notion of flattering dressing is oppressive and unnecessary. Rather than conforming, why not chose a different shape?

Hazel Eye Personality: Who has what it takes to be the next big and game changing designer? It takes a lot of time, passion and sanity to make it in the fashion world.

Independent Fashion Bloggers: Work Smarter, Not Harder–3 Ways to Massively (and Permanently) Increase Your Traffic.

Miss Viki: "Love Me" and what is wrong with our beauty ideals, if anything?

No Guilt Fashion: I put on my game face and tried out my biggest fashion trend fear

Passionista Place: qvc, hsn...oh my! find out why home shopping networks have become a bit of an addiction for a modern passionista like me.

Seamstress Stories: Reflections on the role that mirrors play for our body image and self-perception.

Showcase Edge: Indie Fashion Goes Back to the future. A look at designers who hand-make clothing inspired by times of the past

Sidewalk Chalk: I'm a poser, baby: 7 steps for posing naturally in outfit photos

Stylish White Female: Transitioning from vegetarian to vegan: Some things are hard to give up. Fur is not.

Taxonomy of my Wardrobe: Shopping the Wardrobe. My version of this month's Harper's Bazaar Buy Now wear Forever list selected from my own wardrobe.

The Coveted: Three Way With a Long Chiffon Skirt

The Curvy Fashionista: Nordstrom reaches out to plus size fashion bloggers to collaborate on its newest plus size endeavor- Sejour

The Demoiselles: She is not a fashion blogger. She's just a woman, sitting in her bathtub.

The Simply Luxurious Life: In a world that seems to be changing quicker than the seasons, what does it mean to be a lady?

The Wondergirl: retail-me-not: waxing poetic on two interesting happenings of late in the world of specialty retailing.

Vogue Mornings:How not to lose motivation when blogging, a few quick solutions to the problem many bloggers face.

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Things i LOVE Thursday

Watching the leaves change colors

Reading Eat, Pray, Love

by Elizabeth Gilbert

Trying to learn to belly dance

Eating delicious chocolate-almond-coconut gelato

Discovering my decorating personality

(mine is cozy casual with a hint of vintage eclectic)

Watching "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On"

Liking the Ray Ban Aviator Polarized Sunglasses

Wanting this Eric Daman Dot Print Dress from Charlotte Russe

Hearting the Off to See the Wizard Boot from ModCloth

Drinking lots of apple cider

Writing an article about Cleopatra for the Costume Chronicles

I Dream of Velvet

Nothing says luxury like velvet, so a velvet dress is the perfect way to bring some luxe into the everyday. I have my eye on the Velvet Peterpan Collar Dress from TopShop and am hoping it will go on sale in time for the holidays. Perhaps I risk looking like a twelve-year-old in this dress (in fact, I'm pretty sure I owned this dress when I was twelve), but I think lace tights and high heeled shoes would make the look more age appropriate.

Are you loving fall's velvet trend?

Don't forget to enter the Hair Fix Giveaway!