Sunglasses, Chanel. Linen dress, Winners. Bracelet, YSL.
There is nothing cooler to wear than a linen dress in the middle of a heat wave. But have you ever noticed that the fabric is the sartorial staple of women of a certain age? Like, you probably have a developed photo of your ma or an aunt wearing something linen on a Mediterranean cruise or while on a trip to Mexico, am I right?
I kind of know why now. I don’t like to show a lot of leg, so when shorts start being barred from a woman’s wardrobe, that’s when linen steps in to do the job of body cooling. This dress, scored at a Winners sale, is above the knee, but at any length, linen is like wearing practically nothing all all. And though linen does make me feel a tad elegant for someone who usually loves jeans, I’m kind of into it. Check out this inspiring shoppe called Ewanika which embodies the whole natural fibre, slow fashion vibe, with indie, made-in-Italy labels and models that are well beyond legal age.
Its see-thoroughness can present an undergarment problem though, which I was reminded of in this highly produced photo shoot. I was re-confronted with the issue when I wore the linen dress a second time at my husband’s work retreat with his esteemed colleagues around. I thought about buying a slip in advance, then decided that would entirely defeat the beauty and practicality of wearing a tissue-thin dress. So I went for it, opting for white cotton briefs no less revealing than your average bikini bottom. Part of wearing linen is getting to enjoy the feeling of being naked, and whether you’re aged three or 63, that wind on your bottom never gets old.
What about you, do you wear a slip or let your skivvies show? Check out these pretty epic linen dresses that are probably on sale by now. And if you like summer knit dresses too, head on over to this story.