Whatcha Wearin' | Linky Party

The new school year is never the same without a new outfit!  Yes...teachers love to have a sparkly, fresh, brand new outfit too!  So when I saw that Marie over at The Hands on Teacher in First was hosting a linky party...I jumped at the chance and my first day of school finally rolled around yesterday!

I may not be able to buy new school supplies and a new backpack, but I can certainly roll with the big kids instead.

In fact, my bestie and I have gone shopping for our first day of school outfit together the weekend before school starts every year for the last 4 years or so.  It is something we look forward to aaaaaaaall summer long!

This year I decided I really wanted a nice dress instead of separates.  Here is what I scored and wore the first day of school yesterday (two different views).

I looooooooove this dress!

Close up of the lace, belt, and necklace detail

Do you love it as much as I do?!  I can't tell you how many compliments I got from people at work...even both of my administrators stopped to tell me how much they loved it.  Score!

My shopping list included going to The Limited, Dillard's, and Nordstrom Rack.  I didn't want to go to Forever 21, since their dresses are usually too short to wear to work.  Our first stop was JCPenney's...one of our absolutely favorite places to go for work clothing.  I did find a nice dress there, but it wasn't speaking to me for my first day.  I plan to go back and get it soon though.

After trying on dresses at The Limited (I hit up the clearance section), I only found one possibility...and again, it still didn't speak to me.  Then, I hit up the clearance section in the Calvin Klein department at Dillards.  Listen up...these dresses go on clearance for $40 and regularly cost upwards of $100!  You should check it out.  To pay that much for a dress that I know will last for a long time, that is constructed very well, and will fit well?...Hellooooooo!!

We finally made our way to Nordstorm Rack where I found a whole shopping cart full of dresses.  I was starting to freak that I had not found THE ONE and was hopeful that MY DRESS was in this pile I made.  Beileve it or not?  This dress was the last one I tried on!!!!  It was love at first try-on!  Oh and even better?  It was an $118 dress that I was able to walk out with for $40.

It is a Max Studio designer dress that is insanely soft and incredibly comfortable.  The style is a skater dress that comes to just above my knees.  While it looks orange in the picture, it is coral.  The 2nd picture is truer to the color in real life.  I paired it with a turquoise skinny belt that I got at Target and a gold necklace (has some awesome spikes hanging down at the end) from Icing.

Your turn!  What did you wear on your first day of school this year?  Link up and join the party!