Workwear IRL: White Collars

I just pulled a dress I’d packed and worn to my conference two weeks ago out of the dryer and… it’s done. Kaput. Finito. Fini. I’ve reached for it regularly ever since the first time I wore it - for another conference, funnily enough, in February 2020 - and, when I scrolled back to find the butterfly photo below to post here, I saw a few other shots that captured it from the last few years:

Yes, it’s eShakti, and yes, it’s still on their website, but only in a gray that won’t look great with my coloring. I poked around to find another dress with a fun collar to replace this green one, but couldn’t find anything that I liked or that would work for me. Tuckernuck has this one, which I would love to see on someone else but which isn’t a good cut for my shape.

And then I remembered an au pair we had when I was young who had fake collars and cuffs that she put under her sweaters - genius! I did a little searching online and, while you can get different types of dickeys on Amazon, I preferred the options I saw on Etsy. (Hopefully they don’t all come from the same source but it’s getting harder and harder to tell these days.) The Blooming Lace and Putney Home Design shops both have a wide range of styles, including ones that secure under the arms like the four pictured here and ones that just sit under your sweater or dress and only extend an inch or so below your collarbone. All the ones I saw noted measurements, so be sure to check your neck circumference, especially if you’re bigger like me.

Honestly, being reminded that these exist make me more inclined to buy some of the plain but well-cut dresses I’ve been looking at like this one from JCrew Factory and this one from Ann Taylor. I could wear a necklace, but I’m liking the dickies!