I recently saw a Venn diagram on my Tumblr dashboard that had something like “Women’s Fashion” and “Children’s Fashion” in the outer circles with “Rompers” in the middle. (I’m paraphrasing…if you have the exact image I’m talking about, feel free to let me know!)

That’s why rompers are tricky. They’re basically an adult onesie, so it’s no surprise that a lot of women are hesitant to wear them. They can give you weird proportions, seem a little juvenile (you have to take off your entire outfit to use the bathroom, for example) and depending on the style, can really—ahem—highlight some areas of the body that don’t need highlighting.

This may all sound very discouraging, but I promise: there are definite upsides to wearing rompers. For one, you can find extremely flattering styles. Two, they’re an instant outfit, much like a great dress is, but they’re better than dresses for casual activities. Three, for those with an aversion to shorts, rompers are a good intro to shorts wearing. They’re often more forgiving than a pair of tight Daisy Dukes.

Here’s a few tips on how to get the most out of your rompers.

• Look for prints. Rompers with prints often look more chic and grown-up than the solid-colored versions. A plain white romper may look too much like a oneside, for example, while a heather gray romper can look a little 70’s gym class. Obviously this is not always the case, but tread carefully! If you like solid-colored rompers better, I’d suggest going with a bright color or jewel tone: dark red, navy, pink, green, etc.
• There’s a big difference between the silhouettes of strapless or strapless/spaghetti strap rompers and rompers with sleeves. In general, a more petite woman will find sleeveless or strapless rompers more flattering than a romper with sleeves. In fact, most women probably won’t like the silhouette of sleeves on their rompers. Try on several different styles to figure out which way you prefer. If you like the coverage of sleeves but decide that a strapless romper suits your body better, I’d suggest wearing a light cardigan over the romper for a more flattering effect.
• Accessorize your romper! Scarves, belts, cute sandals, fun jewelry—all these things help to take a romper from silly to chic.
• Be mindful of fit. The tighter the romper, the less sophisticated it will look. A slightly oversize romper is a safe bet. Basically, you want to avoid wandering into this kind of romper territory. 

Here are a few of my picks for grown-up, chic rompers:

1. Vestique Romper, $40
2. Kimchi Blue Henley Romper, $59
3. Forever 21 Vintaged Tribal Romper, $21
4. Urban Outfitters Bennet Romper, $69
5. Forever 21 Geo Print Romper, $18
6. Billabong Romper, $25

Do you like wearing rompers? Are you going to try wearing them this summer? Do you have any questions on how to wear rompers?

I’m preparing a big romper piece for Bon Marche and decided to wear this one tonight out to dinner with Brandon! We are celebrating his first day off in quite some time, the launch of Bon Marche and the fact that we are actually eating together before 9 pm! Lots to celebrate over here!

Clearly I like leaning the same way.

Back to the romper: I found it this weekend with my sister. It was like the romper jackpot this weekend as we were shopping. I’m a big romper devotee now after many months of looking at them with one eyebrow up. Really? Are you sure they don’t look like baby clothes? Eh, even if they do—I’m okay with that.

Strapless Romper from T.J. Maxx, $10; Leather Handbag from ROSS, $25; Necklace, Gift; Nine West Faux Snakeskin Peep-Toes, $25

What are your thoughts on rompers?

mavieenrose asked:

I really love rompers, but I am kind of afraid to wear them, so I haven’t actually purchased any. Do you have any good romper ideas in terms of rompers that aren’t as expensive as the ones featured in the jcrew catalogue right now, and ways to wear them?

The trick to getting over your fear of rompers is to think of them (and style them) as if you were wearing a minidress! Wear flats, wedges, sandals, cardigans, blazers, add a little belt, a cute tote bag, some fun jewelry—it’s so easy! (And you can wear rompers a heck of a lot shorter than you can dresses because there’s not as big an exposure risk-yay!)

As far as expense goes, you can find rompers at all sorts of places for less than you might expect! Check American Eagle, H&M, Forever 21 and Target for inexpensive styles.

To keep with the affordable vibes going on, every piece in this look is under $50!

• Forever 21 Romper, $23
• Cache Earrings, $24
• Tokyo Jane Enamel Bracelet, $41
• Old Navy Wedges, $30
• Bourjois Lipstick #09, $19
• Street Level Handbag, $50