LListen, can we have a quick chat? Nothing to worry about. But we have to talk about your summer dress. You know which one. The long, loose fit, maybe with ruching or ruching on the bodice. Oh and the puff sleeves, it definitely has puff sleeves. The upper arms and thighs are covered, which is partly why you bought it, but there may be an off-the-shoulder or milkmaid-style square neckline that shows a bit of cleavage. Was there a cutout in the back? A little bare skin, but classy, you know. I think it’s gingham. But it could be floral or bright pink, or white linen.
You already know the dress I’m talking about, because even in the unlikely event that it’s not in your wardrobe, it’s still everywhere this summer. It’s the dress your best friend wears in her vacation photos on her Instagram and the dress your son’s teacher wore to the summer fair. It’s the thing to wear to his birthday brunch, whether he’s turning 21 or 50.
The point where wholesomeness meets theatricality is exactly where you find this sundress.
How did the flamboyant dress with puff sleeves turn into the look of the woman sprinting to catch the train to work while checking her phone? How do we get to a point where even Nadine Dorries is transitioning from vacuum-packed tailoring to embracing the pastoral vibes of a cornflower blue maxi dress with ruffled tulip sleeves, like she recently did?
SL027AL Blue Gingham Linen “Atlanta” Sleeper Dress $320 (1) Photography: –
This dress has taken the world by storm because, despite appearing whimsical and light, it embodies two of the most seismic shifts in the way we think, live, and therefore dress, since that’s the way fashion works.
The first is the change of atmosphere towards theatricality, life as performing art, which comes from social networks and can be seen in the Christmas photograph: falsely sincere but very staged, a rear view of the pre-dinner stroll down a street picturesque instead of everyone smiling. to the camera through a table. The puff sleeve milkmaid dress is a costume version of the sundress.
The second change is wholesomeness, which used to be a bit sad and prissy, but is now aspirational and glamorous. Yoga vacations and half marathons, being a flexitarian, mindfulness, not drinking during the week, this was already happening when the pandemic fueled our obsession with the outdoors, going for walks and eating outdoors. Masks and social distancing have turned hygiene into something that must be acted upon. For all the predictions of a post-pandemic rush loading into sweaty, illicit basements, the opposite has been true. The alfresco feast, complete with salad plates, scalloped napkins and wicker lanterns, is as aspirational this decade as an expense account lunch at the Ivy was in the 1980s.
The point where wholesomeness meets theatricality is exactly where you find this dress. The mood can be sweet, gentle and cheerful, but this is not a dress for the faint-hearted. That’s why there will be oversized puff sleeves, or a dramatic painterly print, or an elegant rickrack or lace trim – a touch of Krystle Carrington glamor to make it clear that this damsel is not in distress and, by the way, recently he sold the castle and bought a mid-century bungalow he found at Modern House (follow his Instagram stories for #renovation).
To really stand out on your social media this summer, may I suggest a cabana ensemble (shirt and matching shorts), maybe terry cloth, possibly neon orange? But this is the dress that has won the summer. The change of environment has a uniform. And you’re probably already using it.
Source: www.theguardian.com