Flower Dress Redux

So my mom sent me the most curious link this morning, dear readers. It's a picture of Princess Anne wearing a flowered dress and matching topper to a royal wedding, which would be unremarkable except that she wore the exact same dress to Charles and Diana's wedding 27 years ago! Talk about recycling!

Besides the fact that she can still fit into the same dress 27 years later (go girl!) and the fact that she managed to keep it in mint condition that whole time (being a royal isn't all bad I guess), is that this same frock still looks quite fresh and modern in 2008. It could be a DVF wrap dress, or maybe something from Moschino Cheap & Chic, right?

There's nothing better for the dog days of summer (which in D.C. has been, like, all summer - ouch!) than simple floral dresses. They're cool, comfortable, and effortlessly stylish. You only have to put on a single piece of clothing and some accessories. It doesn't get better than that! Below are three of the DCGF's favorites, in yellow of course, as inspired by Princess Anne...







My first pick is from the fabulous Trina Turk. Although I can usually only afford her stuff at a deep discount, I just couldn't help but show you the "Helena" Halter Dress from Cusp online. Yeah, it costs $228 and yeah, it's only available in size 0 through 10, but there's something so perfectly summery about it and Trina always has the best fabrics and fits. It's 100% cotton, too, so you know you'll stay cool!









The second look is from the Bisou Bisou line, now available at JC Penney. Isn't it crazy the way certain brands that were once so hot are now available only at mass retailers? Anyway, I've owned a couple of dresses from this line and they're actually quite nice.

This floral frock is in polyester/spandex (machine wash, baby!), with an x-back and front gathers near the bust line. I like the wide band of brown fabric at the bottom of the dress. It's a generally very slimming look to break up a print with a wide swath of a solid color, assuming the hemline hits in the right place. And the brown and yellow combo is a sophisticated look for the evening. Plus, the dress is currently on sale for $49.99 and comes in sizes 4 through 16. Hmmm....maybe I'll get this myself!





Finally, speaking of Elle magazine, did you know the U.S. edition has collaborated with Kohl's department store for a capsule collection? Included in this is an adorable sleeveless knit leaf-print (leaves are part of flowers!) dress that comes in yellow or brown. It's on sale for $32.99 and is available in sizes XS through XL. Be sure to check out the rest of their microsite for a Look Book and many other cute clothes at great prices.






So there you have it. Three great looks at three different price points. And don't forget about vintage. I picked up the best yellow floral cardigan at Goodwill a few weeks back. It would be perfect for layering over any of these cute frocks. Yellow was a hot color in the late 60s and early 70s, so it's rather easy to find quality vintage that fits this look.

Oh! And I almost forgot, dear readers. I said Princess Anne wore that dress 27 years ago, right? Well there she is in the original picture. If you scroll back up, you'll see how she looks remarkably the same after nearly three decades. Awesome! Just goes to show that great pieces will look good now and years from now, when they've earned their vintage status...




Any purchase made at a Goodwill Retail Store or on eBay funds Goodwill's mission of training and employment programs for people with disadvantages or disabilities.