Take another look.

I've never been much of a fan of Jason Wu. My dislike wasn't rooted in anything of substance; very little of it was a direct result of anything he has said or done. After Michelle Obama wore his one-shoulder dress for the president's inauguration, everyone was asking for a dress with one shoulder and referring to Jason Wu as if he had created the concept of such a thing himself. I got sick and tired of being at work and listening to women go on and on about how they were going to wear an Obama dress and... yeah, I'm just a big brat sometimes. I'd say my disinterest in Wu can be attributed far more to what some people refer to as "retail hell" than to anything he himself has done.

All the same, I have looked at a fair amount of his work and nothing has excited me. I mean, I can salivate over the Dolce & Gabbana pages in our look books at work for hours, but I'll spend as much time as it takes me to blink on Wu's.

That is, of course, until I saw this little gem. LOVE.

Jason Wu "Pam" Tulle Overlay Silk Organza Strapless Dress

Hi, that's gorgeous. First of all, it's not black and ivory, it's navy and ivory. So unexpected. Navy has been popping up in various lines for awhile now, but often I feel as though black is the fall back color. And the corseting, the ruffle... gorgeous. The layers upon layers of tulle and organza are so indulgent, yet restrained; the perfect combination. It leaves you wanting more!

The same refined luxury appeal adds to the tulle lying over the corset. It's a little bit mysterious and a lot fabulous. The Swiss dot detail gives it a sweet vibe, but can anyone argue with the innate sexiness of the bodice on this dress? A woman wearing this is telling the world there is more to her than meets the eye.

I would love to see this dress styled on someone with a pixie haircut with slightly longer layers in the front. Very Michelle Williams:


No necklace, please. With this dress, I'd opt for a pair of delicate earrings-- ideally set with blue topaz stones in a shade of deep navy. A few slim, rose gold bangles on one arm and a very nice manicure is all that would be needed otherwise; the dress says so much, keep it simple every where else!

While the heels pictured with the dress are lovely, a nude heel is my preference. That could be my 5'2" height talking, but why would anyone miss out on the opportunity to make their legs look a mile long? I say go for it and get glam (and great gams!) with a great pair of Stuart Weitzman pumps.

Jason Wu, thank you for proving me wrong. It was a pleasure fantasizing about wearing your fabulous dress!