It’s A Fantasy Life: Resort Wear, Part II

 
Continuing our tour of the “resort” wardrobe that I have no place to wear, I bring you my most resorty, least practical dress that is not even suitable for a summer barbeque.

 
 
 
This dress is really only suitable for going out to neighborhood restaurant on a Saturday night.
 
But it’s so pretty!
Perhaps The Photographer will ask me out to dinner?

In these side and back views, you can see that the center seam down the back of the skirt presents a little ruffle, which looks a bit like the plates along a stegosaursus’s spine.*
 
Decollete in the front
Low-cut in the back, with an extra cut-out at the waist

 
 
 
Despite the low neckline in front and back, I can wear a regular bra with this dress because the straps are perfectly placed and sized. So clever. I doubt it was the designer’s intent (it should have been), but this convenience makes the dress a little bit sensible.
The ribbon ties at the bottom of the V provide coverage

I think our unpaid intern missed one
 
 
 
Of course, the convenience offered by the placement of straps is undone by the row of hook-and-eye closures that close up the back. Assistance is required to fasten these. I tried to do it myself (consider The Directrice as America’s Test Closet), and couldn’t manage, even starting with the dress on backwards.

 
 
 
One last little detail: a second round cut-out in the skirt, like a port-hole.
 
Unfortunately, the port-hole landed right over the only patch of spider-veins on my left leg. In a rare piece of Lightroom trickery, I allowed The Photographer to erase them.+
No one needed to see my spider-veins up close

 
Dress: Preen by Thornton Bregazzi; Sandals: JCrew Strappy Buckled Cora Sandals; Bag: Bembien
 
* This is different from the time that I looked like a spinosaurus, but clearly I feel a kinship to dinosaurs — those enormous, tiny-brained, doomed creatures.
 
+ The Photographer is allowed to illuminate me so that I look like an angel; he is not allowed to make me look thinner. Sadly, he cannot remove cat hair and lint from photographs; it would be very helpful if he could!

11 thoughts on “It’s A Fantasy Life: Resort Wear, Part II”

  1. Is it not practical to have just the dress to wear out to dinner? I think so. Therefore, this charming dress is also practical, even if it’s not for work. NSFW, as I believe They say.

    Reply
  2. That is a very pretty dress! What fun to be able to wear such a garment and look great doing so. My time for that is past,but it is good to see people who still can do so.

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  3. Dear Directrice, will you go out with ME on Tuesday evening??? I’ve got lots of summertime out-to-dinner dresses that never see the light of day. Plus a great Balkan restaurant in my neighborhood!

    Reply
  4. I love the porthole! What a cool little design trick.

    I appreciate the sentiment, but let me tell you, I saw multiple iterations of this dress on the Metro today, and with a cardigan, you’d fit right in at my office. There ARE no rules anymore, apparently.

    Reply
  5. I love everything about this dress, including the beautiful color.

    I suggest you wear it out to dinner once a week, starting with a date with The Photographer, of course, and subsequently with a different friend each week who would also like to wear a pretty summer frock that she would otherwise have no place to wear.

    Reply

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