I USED TO TAKE ONE OUTFIT FOR THE MARKETS AND ANOTHER FOR LUNCH. THEN I FOUND THE BLUE DRESS THAT COULD DO BOTH.
Six little things about a blue button-front maxi dress that made an ordinary Sydney spring Saturday so much easier to get dressed for.
I am 67, I live in Sydney, and until recently I had a peculiar habit of planning two outfits for every Saturday outing. There was the comfortable one for walking around the markets, and the nice one I felt I should wear if we stopped somewhere for lunch.
It became a little performance. I would lay out trousers and a loose top for the morning, then hang a blouse on the wardrobe door in case somebody suggested a café. Sometimes I even carried a change of shoes in the car. I thought I was simply being prepared.
Then one warm spring Saturday, my sister invited me to wander through the market stalls and afterwards have lunch by the water. I opened my wardrobe and started making two piles again. My daughter looked in, saw what I was doing, and laughed. “Mum, you are going for coffee and a walk, not travelling overseas.”
She was right. But the trouble was that my comfortable clothes never felt quite smart enough, and my smart clothes were never what I wanted to wear while walking around for a few hours.
That week I came across the Andrea at Perth Boutique, an Australian boutique. It was a softly flowing blue maxi dress with a shirt-style neckline, a row of buttons down the front and easy sleeves. Nothing fussy or grand. It looked like something I could wear to buy flowers and then sit down to lunch without changing.
I liked the denim-blue look straight away. It reminded me of the casual pieces I reach for most, but the long skirt and neat button front made it feel a little more dressed. I ordered the blue one.
When it arrived, I spread it across the bed beside the things I would usually wear to the markets. Instead of planning two outfits, I found myself wondering whether I could simply put the dress on and leave the house.
I had spent years dressing for the different parts of a day. I wanted one outfit that simply came along for all of it.
The more I looked at the Andrea, the more I noticed six little details that explained why it appealed to me more than the usual pile of trousers, tops and spare cardigans.
1THE BUTTON FRONT MAKES IT LOOK PROPERLY FINISHED
A simple row of buttons can do rather a lot. It gives the Andrea a clear line down the front, so the dress looks considered without being formal. I have spent years adding scarves to plain outfits because I thought they needed something. Here, the buttons and shirt-style neckline already make the dress look finished.
For the morning markets I would wear it just as it is. For lunch, I could add my usual earrings and be ready without having to change into something else.
It is nice when the detail that makes a dress look smart is already part of the dress.
2THE DENIM BLUE WORKS WITH THE THINGS I OWN
The soft blue colour was what first caught my eye. I like a denim look because it goes with my tan sandals, white trainers, cream handbag and the little cardigan I already keep by the door. It feels familiar without looking like another pair of jeans.
I picked Blue, but Perth Boutique also lists Black and Navy Blue. Sometimes a colour that fits comfortably into your wardrobe is more useful than an entirely new fashion idea.
I did not need new shoes or a new bag to make the blue work.
3THE FLOWING MAXI SHAPE BELONGS TO A WHOLE DAY
Perth Boutique describes the Andrea as a relaxed, flowing maxi dress. That is what appealed to me. I did not want something stiff for lunch or something so casual I felt out of place afterwards. I wanted a comfortable-looking shape that could go from walking around the stalls to sitting down for a long conversation.
The long line gives it a lovely, easy appearance. It looks like a proper dress without expecting you to make the day more formal than it is.
I wanted to remember what we talked about at lunch, not whether I ought to have changed my outfit.
4THE SHORTER SLEEVES MAKE SPRING DRESSING SIMPLER
Sydney spring days can start off cool and turn beautifully warm by lunchtime. The blue Andrea pictured has sleeves that finish around the elbow with neat turned-up cuffs. I like that they give the dress a casual, relaxed finish while leaving me free to add a cardigan if the morning is chilly.
With the dress draped over my reading chair, I could already picture wearing it on an ordinary Saturday instead of keeping it for some imagined occasion.
A simple sleeve and a soft silhouette are enough for a spring day that has no strict dress code.
5IT LOOKS RIGHT WITHOUT BEING AN OCCASION DRESS
This was the part I had been missing. I was not looking for a party dress or a house dress. I wanted something that made me feel neatly put together while I did the ordinary things that fill most of my life.
The morning I tried Andrea in front of the mirror, I stopped wondering whether it belonged at the markets or at lunch. It looked like the sort of dress I could wear to either. I rather liked that I could make one decision in the morning and then get on with enjoying the day.
The right everyday dress should fit into my plans, not make me plan around it.
6THREE COLOURS AND AUSTRALIAN SIZES TO CHECK
Perth Boutique currently lists Andrea in Blue, Black and Navy Blue, with selectable sizes AU 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20. I chose Blue for spring, but I can easily understand why someone would prefer the darker options.
Before ordering, I would check the store's size chart and the measurements for the size I wanted. Even a relaxed style needs to feel right for the person wearing it.
Blue was my pick. The most important choice, though, is the size that suits you.
THE ANDREA, AGAINST THE TWO OUTFITS I KEPT PLANNING
There was nothing wrong with either my market clothes or my lunch clothes. The problem was how much thought I was putting into an ordinary day. Here is what I wanted to make simpler.
ABOUT THE PRICE
Perth Boutique currently lists the Andrea | Denim Button Down Dress at A$84.95, reduced from A$217.00. The store shows Blue, Black and Navy Blue, with selectable Australian sizes AU 10–20. Prices and stock can change, so the product page is the best place to check before ordering.
What drew me to the Andrea was not an outfit for one special date. It was the possibility of wearing something simple to the markets, out for coffee, visiting family or to lunch with friends. I have bought enough clothes that only ever suited half of a day.
Perth Boutique advertises free Australian home delivery. I would check the current size chart, delivery information and returns policy before ordering, particularly if I needed the dress by a certain date.
We did not need to dress for a grand occasion that Saturday. We were only going to the markets and lunch. But I rather liked the idea of beginning the day in an outfit I could stay in until I got home, with nothing in the car waiting for me to change into.
Maggie
