And #TuesdayTwirl
Dear friends. Today's post is a celebration of the dress. Some amazing women share their favourites.
First up is human dynamo, blogger, digital nomad and a go-getter extraordinaire, Teresa Maria. She describes herself as the ultimate adventure-addict. She is an SEO writer with a passion for sustainable fashion.
Teresa, who blogs at Outlandish, says she chose 2 dresses that are quite similar in style, but since her consistent dream since childhood is still valid, she prefers to dress like a princess any time she gets an opportunity to do so.
She says: "The blue dress is from some years back from a small Lithuanian brand that I have been a fan of since I started researching and writing about sustainable fashion.
"Son de Flor is a family brand run by sisters who discovered the magic of linen as fabric at a young age. And now as the owner of 2 linen dresses I can vouch for the fact that linen is so comfortable (especially on hot days), breathable, durable, dries fast and is easy to maintain.
"What I love most about this pinafore dress is its beautiful baby blue colour and its versatility: works perfectly for the office, date night or a wedding depending on how you accessorise it. And it just makes you feel like royalty!"
Teresa says: "My Bardot linen dress includes a corset and it came with an underskirt for extra volume when needed. It's a masterpiece in craftsmanship and really does makes the wearer feel like a princess. I love a flowy fabric and linen is certainly that.
"Also, this dress can be styled up or down however I like. The corset, though, means that I need to keep in shape or otherwise it won't fit me, which has already been an issueš
!
I think we have all been there!
Follow Teresa Maria
Blog https://outlandishblog.com
Colour Fanatic
Let me introduce you to Essex-based Irene, who I "met" online when she started sharing fun daily videos on IG showcasing her love of colour. Irene, who lives in Essex, recently celebrated a milestone birthday - 60 - in her trademark joyful way.
Maxi dresses are usually Irene's summer go-to, but when she spotted this gorgeous midi from South of the River, she couldn’t resist. Irene says: "I took this special dress on my recent trip to Zante, Greece. Light cotton, a unique V-neckline, and those fun tassels make it an absolute winner."
Irene's favourite colours include lime. She has some lovely pieces in this colour including this dress.
Irene says: "I’ve had this stunning lime green maxi dress for a while now. It’s fully lined, which can make it a bit too warm for a hot, sunny day — so it’s perfect for those in-between weather days.
"Lime green is one of my favourite colours this year, and I believe it falls under the Spring colour palette. Speaking of which, I’ll be having a full colour analysis very soon, and I can’t wait!"
Follow Irene on Instagram
Petite Style
Next up is Gina, who's been a school friend of mine since (ahem) the 70s. This is one of her favourite summer dresses from Bombshell. She loves the colours and the figure- enhancing shape. Bombshell, run by Katya Wildman, recently stopped trading but Katya has now launched her own business, Katya Wildman.
Plymouth-based Gina had colour analysis done over 20 years ago by the House of Colour in Devon. Since then she has loved wearing her Summer colours.
A subsequent style analysis revealed Gina is a classic gamine. At 5 foot 2 in height (157cm) she prefers dresses and skirt to the knee, and closer fitting clothes.
She avoids large patterns and fabrics that crease. Gina says it’s hard to find classic clothes with today’s styles, which all seem to be very long and wide, and don't suit her style or shape. Amen to that: I am also petite, at 5'3 (160cm) and always looking for knee length and more fitted clothes.
Here's Gina in a more casual look, a Boden dress styled with and without a moto jacket.
Perfect Travel Dresses
Blogger Debbie from Deb's World UK has chosen her favourite pair of dresses for taking on holiday.
The first dress is one that Deb tracked down after she saw a friend wearing it in one of her holiday photos. "She told me it was a couple of years old so didn’t hold out much hope of finding it for myself. I really liked the colours in it and I did a reverse photo search on Google to find out where it had come from. I then very luckily found one for sale on ebay in my size.
"What you can’t see in the photo is that the scoop neck at the back is crocheted so it looks really nice from behind. I also already had a pink bolero cardigan which was the exact colour from the waistband so when the weather isn’t as warm as it was this week in Italy, it makes a coordinated outfit.
"I don’t often wear maxi dresses but this one is just the right length on 5’1 me! I think because it is a straight style it doesn’t swamp me in fabric."
Deb's second choice is a dress in a light, silky material which doesn't crease at all in a suitcase. Says Deb: "It just feels so nice to wear. Although it has a thin belt made from the same fabric, I tend to put this raffia belt on it. It’s the kind of style that I feel comfortable in, when you are petite it is sometimes hard to find a dress which is the right length."
A Summer Dress Styled for Winter
Colour consultant Hazel Harris is 5'4 and colour analysed as a Winter. She loves to wear bright cool colours with a lot of contrast.
She has been style analysed as a Classic who occasionally leans towards dramatic and romantic.
Hazel says she has a Keyhole shape: broad, straight shoulders coming down to a defined waist, and rounded bottom and hips.
Hazel says she loves the colour of the dress and its versatility. She has belted it to show off her waist and give some definition to this area.
Her second choice is the Iona dress from Kettlewell (current season) along with their Waterfall cardigan in Lobelia, a vibrant purple. She told me: "I love that this dress can be dressed up or down. You throw it on, add a belt and it's ready to go.
"I love the length and the fact that it skims over my rounded hips whilst still giving good definition to my top half."
Kettlewell is a UK business committed to using sustainable fabrics and small European clothes producers.
My Favourite Dresses
Regular readers will know that until recently, I hardly ever wore dresses. I like short, fitted styles, preferably without print, and without any frills, puff sleeves, lace or ruffles. I find it hard to find dresses matching this.
Last year I discovered a love for gamine 60s retro style and I particularly like this dress, from Madcap England. As it's sleeveless, I thought it would make a great summer dress but it's quite a thick scuba fabric which is no good for the current heatwave. I prefer it as a winter dress with boots and a silky roll neck.
I've got a few retro dresses now, either from brands which sell new clothes in retro styles, or genuine vintage from charity shops and Etsy. See more here in my post 7 Style Learnings.
For fun I also found this picture of me, aged about 6 or 7, in a dress I remember to this day. It has the simple lines I still love. I think it came from Ladybird. Women of my vintage may remember this brand!
What styles of dress suit you best? Do you lean towards a definite "look" or do you experiment? Do tell in the comments.
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TIME TO SHINE IN #TUESDAYTWIRL
Last week's most clicked posts were:
- Penny from Conversations with an Older Woman on dressing for the very variable British weather;
- Kellyann from This Blonde's Shopping Bag on elevated casual style;
- Pamela from Style Yourself Confident on the power of a polished look.
Well you stayed true to style, lol. Lovely to meet some new, to me, women! And a variety of dresses!
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