Flowy white dresses are as emblematic of summer as watermelon slices and colorful popsicles (despite what the team at io9 wants us to do and casting aside why we came to associate white apparel with summer). There is something oddly congruous about seeing a figure in white against a backdrop of lush greenery with sunlight streaming through.
As a sorta-continuation of my post on “travel-ready dresses,” I want to share another look with pieces from Ann Taylor’s summer collection while its “cyber summer” event is still live (use code MAKEWAVES for 50% off everything and free shipping on all orders; sale ends at midnight PST).
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the Floral Applique Halter Dress has a blousier cut so you should consider sizing down (1-2 sizes) for a closer fit. White dresses, when made carelessly, are unmemorable as they can be one-note. What makes this dress interesting is the floral appliqué which adds another dimension to the dress without sending it overboard with kitschiness. Online reviews for this dress are overwhelmingly positive (the negative reviews mostly just take issue with the loose fit) so I know I am not entirely off-base in making this recommendation .
The only potential issue I want to bring up is the halter neckline, which is not my favorite but works well for this dress. I normally avoid styles with deep-cut armscye as I am self conscious about my underarm (and the axillary skin and fat there), but in this case the armholes fit well enough on me that they didn’t magnify any of the issues that I would normally struggle with. If halter necklines are a hard no for you, there is a sleeveless top (standard shell) version of the dress available.
I also want to highlight the Textured Fringe Sweater Jacket and Farrah Leather Flat Sandals featured in this post. This little sweater jacket is perfect for casual work environments as the silhouette is modest and predictable, but the details are not, which pleasantly surprised me as fringes can easily be done poorly. Here, the execution was excellent. The knit has tighter stitches (my preference) compared to the loose-knits that define warm weather knitwear.
And the Farrah flats worn here are the perfect companion for summer dresses–they are dressy, but don’t have the high heels that make fast movement difficult. And the 1/2″ mini heels are a vast improvement on totally flat sandals. With strappy shoes, though, there is a limit on how far you can travel before they become unbearable. For me and these shoes, that limit is about 10 miles over a day, which is pretty good considering I didn’t use any heel cushions for much of the day and hadn’t broken in the shoes first.
Some more sale picks:
Thank you Ann Taylor for partnering on this post!
