The ONLY dress you’ll ever need? Um. Tall order, right? But, trust me on this. It’s completely true.

I’ve heard of convertible dresses before, and was even able to convince my little sister to consider one for us (her bridesmaids) for her wedding. We ordered the dresses (from a different company), and tried them on for her to review and analyze so she could decide if they would work for us for her wedding. Let’s just say there were boobs flopping and flying all over the place. The dress wasn’t supportive on its own, you couldn’t wear a regular bra with it, and, needless to say, it showed faaaarrr too much of the personal bitness (if you’re picking up what I’m putting down). The dresses got returned, and we ultimately went with a more conventional option for her wedding.

That was my last experience with convertible dresses so when Henkaa contacted me about doing a post about their convertible dresses I was curious but also very skeptical because of my previous experience.

I looked over their site, picked out a dress (the Iris 3/4 sleeve, midi, convertible dress in teal), it arrived in record time, and before I knew it I was tearing the package open to see how (and if) this dress was different than the last one. You shoulda heard me as I was checking it out. I was telling Aaron:

– “3/4 sleeves, that’s flattering…”

– “Wait a second, what kind of material is this? It doesn’t look like it’d wrinkle…” (and it doesn’t btw)

– “This color is gorgeous…”

and then:

– “Uh. This is kinda genius.” Quickly followed by:

– “Damn, I wish I had thought of this…”

It may sound like I’m laying it on thick but I’m truly just telling you like it was/is. I was pretty much fan-girling out over this thing. I was thinking about how it could be worn to work, conferences, meetings, interviews, class reunions, on a date night, while pregnant, while not pregnant, as a bridesmaid dress, as a holiday party dress, as a summer dress, and while traveling. I was also considering the accessorizing possibilities: with statement necklaces/earrings/bracelets, with a blazer, without a blazer, with a belt, without a belt, etc. I was also thinking about how the color was sophisticated and semi-shiny so it could be dressed up or down. In a lot of ways it’s a super-versatile blank slate ready to be turned into whatever you want, or need, it to be. It’s kind of like the chameleon/magician of the dress world.

Then I tried it on. On their website there are a slew of tutorials, and I went through each one and tried each of the 13 different styles for this dress. Pictured in the little looped gif above are these styles:

– Diane (loved this as a work/conference/interview option)

– Katrina (a great, classy date night option)

– Dotty (a sexy date night option)

– Jennifer (this was my favorite because it’s classy, and looks like what you would wear if you were meeting the president)

– Tia (bridesmaid dress option)

– Skirt (I made this one up)

One of the things I loved most about this dress, and this may seem silly to some, but I love that you can wear a regular bra with it. I do not like having to buy different under garments that can only be worn with certain pieces of clothing. Being frugally-minded, and always looking for ways to maximize what I buy, pieces have to have multiple uses. Everything must be versatile. Before I buy something I also have to know that it is high-quality and that it will last a very long time. This dress meets my strict criteria, and is  definitely a lot of bang for the buck.

I found these posts helpful:

– Consider the cost per wear of an item prior to purchase.

– See a 1 week Clothing Challenge (in this post the writer wears a Henkaa convertible dress in a different way for 7 days. (After reading this post it makes me want to get the Sakura Charcoal Grey Midi. I love how easily it looks like it goes from a flowy skirt to a pencil skirt. Totally my style.)

– Why Bridesmaids Choose Henkaa (no alterations, flattering for all body types, travels well, affordable, can wear after the wedding).

Have you tried a convertible dress or clothing item before? If so, what are your thoughts on them? If not, would you try one?

Get a free gift with purchase by using code: ANDTHENWESAVED (***UPDATE 3/23/15: THERE IS A GLITCH HAPPENING SO PLEASE ADD BOTH THE DRESS AND PURSE HANGER [THIS IS THE FREE GIFT] TO YOUR CART. THEN, ENTER THE COUPON CODE TO GET THE PURSE HANGER FOR FREE!:)

P.S. Check out How to Wear One Look a Zillion Different Ways

This is a sponsored post but, as always, my opinions are completely my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that help to make this site possible! xo Anna