Finding the Perfect “Day Dress”
Another week, another musing.
I have spent years searching the innanet and sometimes the world- to find quality wardrobe pieces that move in harmony with my life. Realities of life look different person to person, and for me- sometimes my life are cases of extremes. For instance- since leaving an organization I started and led for nearly a decade- I fancy a quieter life in Houston, Texas- where i’ve had to adjust rather quickly to hot, humid weather 10-11 months out of the year. Quite the contrast from my life in San Francisco where most summer days are quite overcast, sometimes foggy and rarely a day above 70 degrees. But with a quieter life, my needs haven’t been as substantial as before.
As an Executive Director, you straddle the fence between being in corporate spaces, running a public service organization. And life would sometimes take me on a tour of Brazil to amplify LGBT safety or with politicians or at galas, supporting my peers and their charitable causes.
Sometimes, last minute, you’re asked to have tea with a Queen or attend a White House briefing (the subscribers on Tik Tok are shocked at the stories i’m sharing there LOL). And more than likely, my days at the office consisted of working with my community- many of them in the throes of life seeking support and access to stability. All of this informs how I think of my wardrobe- both the fantastical aspirations I have in fashion, and practicality- sometimes to my benefit, and sometimes to my demise (oy vey, the credit card sings).
Nevertheless, with my fashion nerd sensibilities- I want, at my core, elevated pieces, premium fabrics, and fun, sometimes dramatic silhouettes that carry me day to day. While my life has special occasion moments, i rarely shop for special occasions because it suckers me into the more fantastical side of things.
My rationale: If i buy pieces for a special occasion, i feel robbed of my money. I feel limited in how I can wear my garments. These days, I prefer to consider how much versatility I can get from my wardrobe. Can I be creative enough to style one dress for multiple occasions? That’s my ultimate goal. Like wedding dresses, I find special occasion dresses cost a great deal, and they take away valuable real estate. Plus, you’re staring at a beautiful dress wanting and waiting for the right moment to wear it, and it frankly drives me crazy. More on this another time.
Back to the assignment at hand: I have found the perfect “day dress” for me. Proud moment. It’s funny because it’s almost too good to be true, but I’ve found it.
My life most days requires me to work from home, but if you know me well enough, you know i like to swan around the apartment and I still need to feel “like me”, even if i’m on doing admin tasks or zoom meetings with my accountant or a client. But then there’s that versatility I mentioned earlier: how do I get the best versatility from one garment?! Thankfully, I’ve piloted that aim as well.
The dress in question is a linen dress, made from 100% linen- allowing for breath ability in the the most hottest and humid of climates. What I love is that when I wore the dress back in San Francisco on a chilled, overcast summer day- it didn’t read as resort wear. I didn’t look like I was coming back from a tropical vacation, but rather, paired with my favourite Adidas sambas, a handmade crochet jacket and sunglasses- there was enough edge and vibrancy to my look, but it also made the outfits feel more paired back and less opulent (whilst still being opulent, of course).
More versatility: I travelled to visit my clients for my consulting firm, and visited San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston and Newport, Rhode Island and back to Houston with my dress in tow. Adding a glam belt and accessories, and a minimalist statement mule heel- I was able to wear the dress to a garden party and be a belle of the ball. And again, my favourite combo- adidas sambas and sunnies- with a cashmere sweater tied around the shoulders for old money opulence- and I was off to the airport in style.
And then back home, I wear it to work from home, run errands, doctor and dentist appointments and the list goes on. On a typical day, I wear the dress with faux-Birkenstock sandals that I throw on and sunglasses. No belt or shape wear or even a real bra (i’ve become obsessed with bralettes in the summer heat). I instantly have glam and I don’t even try.
I think the reason why the dress is a simple and effective statement in my capsule wardrobe is that it ticks my boxes. Cut and stitched into a cocoon shape, the bodice is more fitted, and the dress tapers at the waist and blousons down towards the ankles, with a more closed hem and a ruched seam from the top to bottom of the dress, running along the back. Ruching in the back, flatters the back and helps the dress maintain its silhouette- belted or unbelted.
The dressmaker, based in Eastern Europe, makes the dress from quality linen in a variety of colors and silhouettes. I’ve since placed one more order of the same dress in a beautiful oatmeal cream color and in a red-rust color.
In a world that convinces us we need more variety than I think we do, the dress has been spotted on me on social media a ton, and I’ve received inquiring messages from you about it. Please know- if you’ve seen it on social media that often- my friends have seen it 20 million more times in person.
I love that i’ve evolved more in my relationship with this, as I build out my capsule wardrobe and continue to find the right rhythm for me around consumption. Pre-covid, I spent hundreds of dollars a quarter, buying fast fashion dresses regularly- and constantly feeling as if I didn’t have anything to wear. But sustainability and beautifully sourced fabrics and designs often felt like a rich woman’s hobby- and as a plus size, working class woman (with extremely expensive tastes), it wasn’t access I had had. During the pandemic, I worked with designers who’s work I admired, to curate a new wardrobe for me, and from then on, as I explored and learned more and more about fabrics and how they performed with my body and lifestyle, I started to truly see the benefits of a capsule wardrobe, and cost per wear.
This dress, costs about what you’d pay from a Zara or ASOS or H&M Studio collection piece. But it’s handmade, with actual linen (not a blend!). There is a wait for a couple of weeks due to it being made to order, but it’s truly worth it in my opinion.
While I will wear this dress throughout the autumn months (It will be hot and humid well into December for me as a Houstonian), I got to try styling it in San Francisco in the colder temperatures. While I know we typically associate linen with the summer months- I actually feel like linen can be a more year round fabric as opposed to just being seasonal. The beauty of linen is that it instantly adds texture to any outfit. I feel like the styling possibilities are endless with the dress.
In the colder months, I could pair it with a knit sweater or turtleneck underneath (leggings underneath if i’m in a colder climate). I can add a leather jacket or wool coat, and have contrasting texture. While it may not read as high femme glam (perhaps a bit of organic glam), i think it has the versatility i’m looking for year round.
