Am I the only one who travels to a country and looks for the “Made in ‘said country’,” tag on the clothing? That was important when I first moved to the rural town where I teach in Korea. I needed a dress to go to church. After entering a nearby clothing shop, I found a dress. Can you guess what was written on the tag? Yes, “Made in Korea.” And that’s why I bought it. I also liked the color and print. The shop owner where I bought the dress from is a very kind older woman. I’ve returned to her shop a few times since my first trip. This dress only cost me 10,000 won. Well, that’s after I bargained or haggled. The original price was a few won more. It’s helpful to carry small bills when you want to haggle.

The Color and Print

I really love the color contrast on this dress: navy and white. Though there are only two colors, the print adds so much character. They resemble many things: paint strokes, pieces of a puzzle, zebra strips, giraffe skin print. The navy color is the lucky canvas. Though in the lower, middle areas and sleeves, white and navy intertwine, the white print maintains its unique patterns. It even begins to slightly resemble cheetah print.

The Bag

I paired the dress with a Mustard Yellow Steve Madden Cross Body Bag that I had previously bought from TJ Maxx in Downtown Brooklyn. The cross body straps are removable. This is great because you can wear this bag as a cross body or a hand bag. I checked online and it seems this product is not currently being sold at TJ Maxx. A dress like this can be paired with almost any bright colored bag. It helps both the colors on the dress and the bag to stand out.

Many clothes in Korea come in what’s called Open Size. Sometimes the open size is big enough to suit many body sizes. Other times open size clothing suit much smaller body sizes. This dress is one of the bigger open sizes. It fits very loosely.

The Belt

I also paired this dress with a green belt. It’s the matching belt for a green dress with a different “Made in ‘said country’” sign. Can you guess where? A green belt? Hmm? That can be from anywhere in the world. It’s made in Turkey. I bought it in Ankara May of this year when I traveled there for the first time.

The Shoes

I paired this dress with a 14th & Union Audry Black Heel Pump. It’s patent leather and 3″ high. I previously bought these from Nordstrom Rack in Downtown Brooklyn.

I’m a big fan of dresses because you slip them on and viola, you’re finished. Well, kind of – there’s still the bag, shoes, and accessories. Nevertheless, it’s an easy choice for me, especially for occasions like going to church. What are some of your favorite go-to styles to wear to church or semi-formal occasions?