OOTD: How to Style Fit and Flare Dresses + Messy Fishtail Braid

Tulip dresses or "Fit and Flare" dresses have a really feminine cut and they're perfect for springtime weddings or bridal showers.  Perfect, that is, if you pair them with the appropriate accessories to keep you from looking like a cupcake.

The risk with these dresses is that they're so sweet, you could end up looking like a toddler wearing her Sunday best.  No thanks!  They have a naturally flattering cut because they nip your waist and then flare out a bit on the bottom - meaning this style dress works on many body types.  They're basically A-line's that hide problem areas!  I know a lot of women are very hesitant about this style dress because they feel it will make them look wider on the bottom - to those women I say, try - just try one on and see. You will thank me later ;)

The dress I'm wearing in this post is by Alexia Admor and it was love at first sight!  Because my tulip dress has a high neck, I opted to pull my hair up into a messy  fishtail braid.  I accentuated the waist with a gold belt to bring out the bright colors of the dress and paired it with unexpected espadrilles (these guys have seen a lot of use lately).  I think the most common shoe pairing for this style dress is a rounded pump, which I believe makes the look seem too juvenile, so I went a different route.

I wore this for a bridal shower last weekend and I couldn't help including some of the shots of the lovely day.

Loving a messy fishtail braid - great for keeping your hair tame in Miami weather.
Wearing a vintage turquoise and gold bracelet, as seen in this post. 

I'm wearing the Alexia Admor Fit and Flare dress in orange and pink.  (in white here) OR, depending on what site you look at, it is also called the Pleated Lace Tank Dress. Same thing.

The dress is pricey so you can opt for less expensive options like this one or this one. 

Beautiful cake.

Loved these!

Got this idea off of Pinterest - Little Essie Nailpolish shower favors, wrapped around mini nail files. SO CUTE!

The delicious menu from Chart House Miami - Eggs Benedict, Mini Crab Cakes, Coconut Shrimp (so good) and Tenderloin Benedict. YUM!

I added some cool filters in Photoshop to these two shots and I love how they came out. 

The Bride-to-be's statement necklace hand selected by yours truly :)

What I'm wearing:
Dress: Alexia Admor
Belt: Vintage (similar here and here)
Espadrilles: Steve Madden (soldout) (similar here and here)
Bracelets, Turquoise Heart Bracelet, and Stella & Dot Spirit Bracelet
Clutch: Asos Oversized Envelope clutch (soldout) Try the Danielle Nicole Mia clutch or Lauren Merkin Molly Clutch here.

Shop Fit & Flare dresses here: