Have you ever tried to explain a dress to a guy, and he just didn’t really understand? Some dresses are just hard to explain. The Yumi Crepe Dropped-Waist Dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs is one of these.

I first saw the Yumi dress about three months ago, and it immediately caught my attention. Finally, I couldn’t resist it anymore, and so I bought it. The first thing that I noticed was that the model wore the dress with a plaid shirt. I think the shirt looks great on the model, but for me, I prefer wearing the dress without a shirt or layer underneath. I like wearing the Yumi dress with a long-waisted cashmere sweater.

The dress is pleated, which gives it a distinctive look. The pleats remind me in some way of the school uniform dresses I wore when I was young. The overall effect of the dress is a bit girly, but sophisticated.

A friend asked me about where I’d wear this dress and where I wouldn’t. I answered that, in my opinion, the dress is perfectly suited for work in a business casual environment (like where I work now) or maybe a Happy Hour after work. I don’t think I’d wear this dress to a weekend event, but I can see other people doing so.

Appropriate shoes are an interesting question too. Today, as I write this post, I’m wearing almond-shaped-toe black flats with kitten heels. The model in these pictures is wearing booties with straps, which I think is another good match. I wouldn’t wear this dress with sandals or tall boots, but again, those options might look good on you.

The neckline is V-cut which makes it perfect for a short chain and pendant, if you’re not wearing a shirt. There are many V-neck black dress designs, but the Yumi Crepe Dropped-Waist Dress by Marc by Marc Jacobs is one you should check out!