The return of the dress Archives - Northern California Style

Well we are officially on summertime here in out house and it feels great. After a crazy last week with all sorts of school events, we are now in our happy place here, with our only requirement is to relax. You can feel the collective sigh of relief!

Last afternoon I worked grad night preview at our high school. Sophomore parents had fun being security while the public is invited to walk through the grad night display before the festivities start.

Chatting with another mom I worked with, we marveled at all the great dresses on the mom’s of graduates who walked through. Truly, I thought, this is the year of the dress, as I cannot remember a time where I have seen more well-dressed ladies. That is not always the case. We attributed it to the return of the dress. There are so many pretty choices out there now, and they are transformative. Slip one on with a feminine flat sandal and a clutch, and you are pulled together, chic and impeccable.

On that note, I have to share my favorite garment I own right now, A Della Dress! It is all those things I want a dress to be, easy, comfortable, light and stylish. I simply throw it on with my favorite sandal and I am off. No thinking is required and I have a polished look. As they skim the body, not grab it, I need no Spanx or any of that nonsense. When I don’t know what to wear to a lunch or dinner or just running errands on a warm day, I can go with it and feel stylish and cool.

If you are a regular reader of this blog you may remember I wrote of A Della Dress before. Andrea the designer, is based in Pacific Palisades and the dresses are all designed and made in California. I love that!! So rare. I like her simple philosophy of just 3 designs.. A shift, a sheath, and a shirtdress. It’s brilliant and who doesn’t look good in one or all of these?

Here’s my newest dress, a sheath, in my garden.

I wore this to my lunch with some lovely blog buddies at Bumble in Los Altos. Love that restaurant and I recently wrote about it. I was nervous about what to wear, lunching these fashionable ladies, Jody, Jennifer and Elizabeth, with me (nice closed eyes), but having my new dress to wear was so great.

They are wonderful kind and fun women. (Don’t they look fabulous?)

I am wearing my Ivanka Trump sandals (on sale now) and an older tote I am crazy about from Banana Republic (similar one here) that goes with everything, especially nice with this dress.

The fabric I picked was from Andrea’s summer 2014 fabric collection.

It’s from her lightweight cotton twill group that is called ‘A Hike in L.A.’ Isn’t that cute?

I choose the Los Lionnes print, and I am loving having yellow in my wardrobe.

It was hard to choose which dress.

I loved this Greek key print too ….

This dress felt very Jackie Kennedy to me. Adored the neutral colors.

Some of the pretty choices.

The cotton ticking stripes were very comfy and soft.

( Testing them out here in my boy’s bath.)

Then there were also the Beach Party fabrics …

These pretties are 100% yarn died linen.

Don’t you love the tags?

The workmanship and details in these made in California dresses are impressive.

The buttons are always unique and striking.

I believe this is a vintage button on the back of my dress.

Look how Andrea added a little hook to hang the dress. She is swims and wanted to be able to take it with her to the gym, hang it and just toss it on after a workout! Brilliant.

Now that is California living!

The buttonholes and beautiful sewing on a shirtdress here.

No annoying tags to stick out.

I ask you, do you own a dress with finished seams inside?

I know how much work this is as my grandmother was a seamstress, and this is a hallmark of a quality dress, but rarely found in today’s world.

In the end I chose chose the sheath with the pockets (crazy for them) and printed twill.

I will be wearing this for many years as it glides over me, I don’t need to stress if I gain a few pounds, or indulge on a holiday.

This is coming with me to Hawaii in a few weeks and will be partaking in as many macadamia nuts and tropical drinks as I am able to!!

Here’s designer and owner, Andrea, visiting me a few weeks ago on one of her jaunts up here in Northern Cal to see some of her retailers.. Adored her coat dress.

If you are interested in purchasing A Della Dress, or knowing more, you can click on my sidebar ad.

Right now if you use the NORCAL code you can get free shipping!

Check out the photos of A Della Dress in Action that customers have sent to her in their dresses when you visit her site. It shows many creative ways of styling these dresses.

Here’s Andrea on a recent trip to Palm Springs in the shirtdress from her summer collection in the Westridge cotton twill. I love how she added the booties with it. She has great style!

I am obsessed with the return of the dress and the ease and simplicity it adds to life!

What about you? Are you a fan of dresses or just rediscovering them again?

Happy June!

Kim