The Last Gasp of the Woman in White

 
In searching for white dresses for you, I found a new white dress for myself and therefore decided to do one last Woman in White post as summer winds down.

 
 
This dress has a very flattering silhouette, and one that is easy to wear. The waist is shirred and raised a little (but not empire); the skirt is a-line. With minor alterations, the skirt could also be straightened (taken in from hip or mid-thigh to the knee) and then would have a lovely bell shape.

What I like best about the dress is the frayed edges around the armscyes. It’s just a little distinctive and makes the dress fun and memorable.

I had to have the dress taken in a little to tighten the armscyes and shortened a couple of inches.

Full length
Very comfortable, listing port-side

For those of you who are leery of white dresses, I hear your concerns: sunscreen, coffee, tiny jam and ketchup handprints. This dress comes in colors: lavender, cornflower blue, and a subtle ticking stripe. It’s made in New York City by a small label called Loup.

A white cotton dress is the ultimate blank canvas, no? So I am showing it with different accessories in two color combinations. The first, above and directly below, is white, black, and blue.

A jot of blue
A jot of blue
Closer
You need to come closer to really see the brooch

You've come to close
You’ve come too close!
Delft Tile Brooch, soon to be subject of inter-state custody battle
Delft Tile Brooch, soon to be subject of inter-state custody battle
 
I know these sandals are awfully bare, but the city has really emptied out and I don’t think those who’ve stayed behind are paying attention.
My shoes!
My shoes! Black with subtle white top-stitching

And now a radically different look.

Radical change; am tilting in the other direction
Radical change; am tilting starboard
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Perhaps not radically different, but another option: white, pale pink, and chocolate brown.

Awesome agate beads
An agate bead necklace . . . at least, I think that’s what I’m wearing; I found it in an antique shop
Pink bag
Pink bag has worked hard this summer and is thus entitled to hibernate all winter

Dress: Loup White Sea Dress; Black sandals: Donald J. Pliner; Brown sandals: Timberland; Black floral bag; Kate Spade; Pink bag: Tory Burch York Small Buckle Tote

The Jewels! The blue Delft tile brooch was a discard from my best friend’s jewelry box, but after seeing it discussed and featured on this blog, she may be preparing a replevin action to secure its return. Similar ones can be found on eBay. I found the agate necklace in a small antique store in Genoa. If we went to Genoa together, I am sure I could find the place again and then we would have huge plates of pasta to celebrate — but until then, you can look for agate and other stone beads on eBay. You will find hundreds (perhaps thousands) of necklaces for sale and among them many beautiful, vintage strands of beads like this.

And for those of you who are done with summer, I thought this dress from Loup would look great with a pair of cropped, grey wool pants and black penny loafers. Are you looking forward to fall?

8 thoughts on “The Last Gasp of the Woman in White”

  1. Oh, I can now understand the battle over the Delft brooch. I had expected a classic countryside scene but this is something else entirely. I imagine he helps you put opponents on guard during litigation!

    Reply
  2. I like this dress – the lines are simple yet that rough edge on the arm holes is unexpected and appreciated! It went from precious to sassy really quick! And your link to the other red dress from the same company gave me ideas. I’m always on the look out for a dress I can wear with pants and that one is perfection. More please Directrice! Love your posts!

    Reply
  3. Directrice – I would never want that brooch to come between us. Plus I imagine that even if I tried to steal him back, he would come to life (a la Night at the Museum) and challenge me to a duel.

    I also have to admit that I have never heard the word “armscyes”. How is that even pronounced?

    Signed,

    Your Low-Brow but Devoted Best Friend

    P.S. Not that it’s a competition, but the white dress looks way better on you than on the model on the Loup site.

    Reply
    • MGT: You spoil me with praise and cast-offs! I fear that if Don Quixote came to life, he would complain about conditions in my jewelry box. It’s very crowded in there. xo

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  4. Somehow I missed this post last summer. Is it permissible to comment a year later? Well, I’m doing it anyway.
    “In sewing, the armscye is the armhole, the fabric edge to which the sleeve is sewn. The length of the armscye is the total length of this edge; the width is the distance across the hole at the widest point.” Thank you, Wikipedia.
    Now, l too, would like to know how it’s pronounced! But I do agree that the frayed edging makes this very simple dress special.

    Reply
  5. Very late to this conversation! But I’ve been reading through your blog, which I just ran across for the first time this evening; I’m enjoying it a great deal. My contribution: I’ve heard the word “armscye” pronounced in sewing and tailoring circles, and I believe it’s pronounced ARM-sigh.

    Reply
    • Thank you, Beth! I did not mean to be inattentive but obviously left this burning question unanswered for more than a year. How did you find this blog? I am so curious about how people have done so.

      Reply

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