The Italian Dress

Every time I wear this dress my mother exclaims “It looks so Italian!” Well, it should. It is Italian. This unusual printed cotton shirt dress was designed and manufactured in Italy by LaVia.  I picked it up at a local consignment shop last year.  

The dress performs wonderfully in hot weather. The loose sleeves and full skirt are delightfully breezy. The cotton fabric doesn’t stick to the skin. I can dress it up with jewelry and high-heeled sandals or wear it casually with flats. After languishing in the back of my closet all year it moved front and center this August. This is the dress I reach for every hot, sticky, late summer weekend. I’ve worn it to meetings with clients and to brunch with the family. I’ve worn it house hunting and grocery shopping. Essentially I wear it all the time, but only this time of year. It is the perfect late summer dress.

The photos were taken on Saturday before heading to my parents house for dinner. We stopped next to a constructing site when my husband noticed the late afternoon light streaming through the green mesh covering the fence. I wore the dress the whole day and love that it still looks fresh and pretty even in the late afternoon.

Wearing:

• Dress by La Via, purchased at Clothes Heaven in Pasadena
• The necklace and gold bracelet belonged to my grandmother
• The gold and orange watch was found on Gilt.com
• The purse and belt are from Nordstrom
• The sandals are by Roberto de Carlo

Do you have a favorite late summer dress?