Ever since I did that post on cute Vivienne Tam dresses a few months ago, I've been wanting a pair of Mary Jane's! They just look SO perfect with all the pretty short dresses floating around lately. Maybe this makes me a bit late on catching up with the Mary Jane wagon since Miu Miu already had that phase last season on their runway, but better late then never right? 
So the pair that I've been seriously considering and almost bought is this pair from Marc by Marc Jacobs, probably in Black/Black, but Black/White does seem more interesting.....But Anyway, the point is, that I like the perfectly rounded toe and the platform and how the overall chunkiness works. The only problem I've encountered with this is that the chunkiness of the heels just a little bit off..... so despite the tempting discounts there are online for these pair (down by $100 I think), I have decided to wait until I can try it in person first. 
And if those don't work out, I may go and try these from Aldo (left) and Linea Paolo (right). They have a different feel since they're not as chunky and I'm not sure about the peep toe in winter, but I DO like the platform and the heels. Plus I do so love the huge button on the Aldo pair, its the perfect detail to make it funky!
More Mary Jane's with buttons from Max Studio (left) and Dolce Vita (right) although these don't have the platform (platform Mary Janes are SO hard to find!). Though again I think the heels of the Dolce Vita is a bit off, too square with the rest of the design. 
Funkier Mary Janes from Tapeet (left) and Marc by Marc Jacobs (right). I'm not sure I like the wide ankle strap but I really like the overall shape of the Tapeet pair.
Girlier and sleeker Mary Janes from Barneys Co-op (left) and Aldo (right). They look nice, but personally I think they're too sleek to go with the dresses this season. Wow there really aren't that many places with Mary Janes around this season! Anymore suggestions on places to look? I feel like I've been onto all the sites these last few days looking for the perfect pair of Mary Janes and the only one that comes close is the Marc by Marc Jacobs platform ones.
Image Source: Style.com, Barneys, Aldo, Shop Bop and Nordstrom
A plain dress from Top Shop. While dresses like that aren't exactly party material, they are good for day-to-night days. Plus -
For night, add a sequined scarf to make the basic dress more fun.
If you have a dressy event and you want to wear a sequined scarf, make sure your dress is pretty plain, like this purple Shelly Steffee slip dress or this electric blue Julie Haus Cha Cha dress.
Even though I haven't tried it yet, I suspect a sequined scarf would also look cool with strapless dresses. The green A-line dress if by Susana Monaco and the black one if by Laila Azhar.
Or a V-neck dress.
This woven beaded scarf is also from Oasis. It's not as sparkly as the all-sequined one, but I can't find the exact photo on Oasis' website.
If sequined scarves are too 'bling' or 'shiny' for you, then maybe go for a metallic scarf and wrap it all around your neck like in this image from Urban Outfitters.