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Monday 4 July 2022

Summer Wedding Day Outfit

 Summer wedding day. 


Hello my lovelies. 



 I recently attended a lovely family wedding.  


In a new dress!


The happy event was held at Les Cotils on a sunny summer’s day, with the ceremony held in a wildflower meadow with an amazing seascape backdrop.




Photos credit: Les Cotils


You can also catch up on a few of my previous visits to the location By clicking HERE and HERE



Anyway, back to the dress.  Yes, I treated myself to a brand spanking new dress.  

Well, we do that for weddings eh.  

It’s worth noting for the record that The Photographer encouraged me to buy this dress.  

Yup you read right, HE ENCOURAGED ME TO BUY CLOTHES!!!


 

This floral mix is from Monsoon and is an easy to wear and rather cheerful dress. 

(I’ve been wearing straw hats on repeat this summer - you too?)

 It was a monumental struggle to find as this year’s store stock seems to be mostly gathered waists, smocking and tiers. Fine for 20 year old me back in the day, but this combo on now-me made me look like a sad and fat old milkmaid.  Not a good look at a wedding. 


But Monsoon saved the day, yet AGAIN, by coming up with something freshly floral and more suited to Mary version 2022.  Well done @monsoon !



The dress has a cooling cut out at the back.  
In the shop the ties had been tied loosely creating a square cut out.  My bra line showed over the baseline of the cut out.  

At first I was deterred from buying the dress as I thought I’d be faced with bra challenges, that I’d have to go through a series of bra try ons to find the right bra and may even have to opt for the dreaded strapless bra option.  Urgghhh!  

But undeterred I soldiered on and discovered that with the ties tied as tight as possible, it lifted the dress and a normal bra doesn’t peek through.  It also lifted the dress around the shoulders and bustline giving a nicer line, IMHO. 
And I think the triangular cut out is far prettier. 

So that is my top tip with the dress.  Tie tight. 

The dress is rather long on my 5’3” frame.  I thought to take it up and use some surplus fabric for the straw hat.
But the dress hem is cut on the bias and time, new sewing machine challenges and sheer laziness meant I kept with the midaxi length.
And actually the length is of huge benefit as it covers ALL leg varicose veins and . as TP kindly pointed out, it negated the need to shave my legs! 



I styled the dress simply with sparkly espadrille wedges, 


(Good for meadow walking)



and a capacious old Jones The Bootmaker bag (for sunglasses storage etc) and a straw hat (for the outdoor ceremony).


Oh and a jacket (for nothing, it turns out!)  


Yup, it was July, the epicentre of summer, and I took a jacket.  Hmmnnn. 


Of course, I didn’t need it. 
It hung in the cloakroom the entire day.  But at least it had an outing. 


Now let me tell you 
The Saga of The Ruched Sleeved Jacket.  

The jacket is from Marks and Spencer.  I’d been stalking this jacket for some time.  In fact a year or two ago I ordered it but returned it as I felt I couldn’t justify wear versus the £50 price tag in most more casual post-Covid world. 
So I returned it. 

Well, chance changed things.  

I overnighted in the Holiday Inn Express - Portsmouth Gunwharf Quay on my trip back to Guernsey.  It’s essentially a shopping and dining precinct (ans so much more!); I only discovered this once there, honest guv!  This hotel was the closest to our ferry terminal and as we had an 8am check in next day, close was a priority.

After a lovely lunch in one of the quay’s restaurants, @lochfyne, we wandered around the hotel vicinity and hey presto, around the corner from the hotel was an M&S outlet - well it would have been rude not to pop in.  So pop in I did.  
And the jacket was hanging there, in my size, ready to snap up and at a much reduced price.  So snap it up I did!  
Me and this jacket were meant to be.  MFEO. 
Pure serendipity. 

I look forward to styling my new dress, but even more so I’m excited to start styling this jacket; its shape and neutral colour creates a whole potpourri of ways to wear it - first stop with jeans obvs and in a post to come soon. 


So it’s been buy and more buy for me lately.  

Need, encouragement from TP, and serendipity have “forced” (😉) my hand.  

Have you made any summer purchase lately and if so, was your hand “forced”  😉?!!!



A la perchoine,

Mary xxx. 

16 comments:

  1. Lovely dress, so summery and appropriate.

    I just attended my Granddaughter's wedding Saturday evening and reception outdoors around the pool, many many youngsters her age (22 !!??) I had to have my dress altered at the hem and under the arms, and then still, at home, I sewed in darts under the bust to give me a waist. Loved it.

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    1. Hi Joan and welcome to my page! Congratulations on your granddaughter’s marriage, it sounds like it was a lovely day. I’m impressed you took the active route with your dress, you must have put in a fair few hours on it but you now have a beautifully tailored-for-you dress to wear, hopefully many times again.

      Mary xxx.

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  2. Pretty dress Mary, and how lucky to get your jacket at a reduced price in your size - serendipitous indeed! Lise

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Lise. Hope you’re having a lovely summer in Bulgaria.
      Mary xxx.

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  3. That was an excellent choice of dress, Mary and you look lovely in it. Good idea with tie tight rear neckline. I loved the pretty print and the colours of the dress. You were clearly meant to have the jacket!

    What a lovely place for a wedding and you obviously had good weather...love the floppy hat and the espadrilles with the dress. A perfect wedding outfit in my opinion. I have the same problem with a long dress I should hem; it's cut on the bias and I don't know what to do...

    Have agreat week
    xxx

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    Replies
    1. Yes that bias cut can be quite challenging. I expect a narrow hem with that iron on tape would give a neat finish. Good luck!
      Mary xxx.

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  4. I love your dress! It's beautiful, the print is so pretty and summery! And that little cut out in the back just makes it even more special.
    www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

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    1. Thanks Mireille, so sweet of you.
      Mary xxx.

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  5. It's a beautiful dress Mary, well done on avoiding the strapless bra issue, and yes you and the M&S jacket were destined for each other! I wish I could go to more weddings as it's the only event where husbands agree that a new outfit is needed. Thanks for linking!

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    Replies
    1. Gail, you are so right and so funny at the same time. We need more weddings!
      Mary xxx.

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  6. Mary, this dress is absolutely fabulous! I love the mixed floral print and the tie back is such a fun little surprise as you are leaving the room! I am glad you find a way to style it with a regular bra. I hate dealing with clothing that requires special undergarments. It looks like a beautiful place for a summer wedding, too! I have a wedding on Sunday that is taking place at a beautiful river front hotel but I haven't decided what to wear yet. I am thinking something similar to your outfit complete with a straw hat! I have lots of new summer dresses to choose from...and I will probably decide when it's time to get dressed.

    Shelbee

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    1. How lucky you have a lot of new dresses from which to choose your wedding outfit, Shelbee. I love your relaxed attitude to Sunday’s event. Wishing you a lovely day.
      Mary xxx.

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  7. This dress is lovely! The jacket is the perfect addition!

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

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    1. Thanks Katherine, and I was pleased (relieved!) hubs liked every element of the outfit.
      Mary xxx.

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  8. What a pretty dress Mary, I love the choice of sandal too. My espadrilles are a good idea for comfort with style for a special occasion. Jacqui x

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  9. That' such a pretty summer dress and perfect for a wedding! it's great you could score that blazer on sale too! :)

    Thank you for joining the #WeekdayWearLinkup! Hope you are having a nice weekend :)

    Away From The Blue

    ReplyDelete