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At 62, I was only allowed one small bag for a girls' weekend in Margaret River. This is a letter about the dress that did the whole weekend
Six things this easy floral dress gets right that a suitcase full of "just in case" outfits never did, from a Perth woman who has always packed like she was emigrating.
Maggie Whitfield · 62 · Perth, WA · 5 min read
I'm 62, and I have never in my life packed light. A night in Mandurah? Large suitcase. A week in Bali? Two suitcases and Ray carrying a third. So when my friend Lorraine announced our first girls' weekend in Margaret River in nearly twenty years, she laid down one rule: "One small bag, Mags. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't come." I said that was cruel. She said it was for my own good. Three hours in her car, a winery lunch, a walk on the beach, dinner in town, and only one small bag to do it in. So this is not a review. It's a woman who finally packed light, telling you which dress did the heavy lifting.
The dress I'm writing about is the Georgina from Perth Boutique, a small Australian boutique that dresses women our age. Mine is the light blue floral: a soft, ocean-blue dress covered in cream and pale-gold flowers. It's the colour of the sea down south on a calm day, which felt like a good omen. Lorraine, who'd obviously planned this, sent me the link the same day as her rule: "This one does lunch, the beach and dinner. Pack that." When Perth Boutique later asked if they could share my letter, I said yes, on the condition I could be completely honest in it.
Here's what fifty years of overpacking taught me. I never packed too much because I needed it. I packed too much because none of my clothes could do more than one thing. A dress for lunch, a different one for dinner, trousers for walking, a top in case it was cold. What I actually needed was one good dress that could do all of it.
I never packed too much because I needed it. I packed too much because none of my clothes could do more than one thing.
The Georgina is the first dress I've owned that does a whole weekend, and having worn it to a winery lunch, along the beach at sunset and out to dinner, I can tell you it comes down to six things.
One dress, three looks
This is the whole secret. With sandals, it was perfect for a long winery lunch. With white sneakers and a denim jacket, it was right for a walk along the beach. With my good earrings and a light cardigan, it was dinner. The dress didn't change. Only the shoes did.
Winery lunch in sandals, beach walk in sneakers, dinner in earrings. One dress. Lorraine kept saying, "Told you," which got less charming as the day went on.
Comfortable for three hours in the car
It's an A-line with soft front pleats and a fabric with a slight stretch, so nothing pinched or dug in on the long drive down. I got out of Lorraine's car in Margaret River without that crumpled, stiff feeling you get from a fitted dress, and walked straight into lunch.
Three hours, two coffee stops and a sausage roll at a bakery. Climbed out of the car feeling fine, which at 62 is no small thing.
Room for the cheese platter
The pleats let the fabric fall away from the body and the skirt flares out gently, so it skims over the tummy instead of clinging. There's a subtle waist to give it shape, but nothing tight. It's the reason I said yes to the cheese platter, the dessert wine and, yes, the chocolate at the cellar door.
Long lunch on the deck overlooking the vines. Cheese, wine, more cheese. Didn't think about my tummy once.
Pockets for the little things
There are discreet pockets in the side seams, which turned out to be perfect for a weekend away. Phone and room key in one, lip balm and a tissue in the other, and no handbag to keep track of at the beach or the cellar door.
Walked the beach at sunset with my shoes in one hand and the other in my pocket. That's what a holiday is meant to feel like.
Light, breathable and the right length
The fabric is lightweight and breathable, so it was comfortable in the afternoon sun on the winery deck. The skirt falls below the knee, and the short sleeves cover the tops of the arms. With a cardigan over it in the evening, I was warm enough for dinner without needing a whole extra outfit.
Dinner in town. Cardigan on, earrings in. The waiter said, "Lovely dress." Lorraine said, "She packed it in a bag the size of a lunchbox."
Sizes S to 3XL, four prints, and a proper size guide
The Georgina comes in sizes S to 3XL, and in four prints: light blue floral, which is mine, the soft blue with cream and gold flowers, plus red floral, yellow floral and blue floral. There's a proper size guide on the page with the length, chest and sleeve of the dress in centimetres, and it says that if you're unsure, go a size larger. I measured, I checked, and it fitted first time. If you're still not sure, ask Perth Boutique's team before you order. They're happy to help.
Ray's taking me to Albany in the new year. One small bag. My idea this time. He nearly fell off his chair.
This dress, against the overpacked suitcase
Most of us overpack because our clothes can only do one job each. Here's the difference, laid out plainly.
A different outfit for every part of the day
Uncomfortable in the car
Tight by the end of a long lunch
A handbag to watch at every stop
A suitcase you can't lift
One dress, three looks
A soft A-line with a slight stretch
Room for the cheese platter
Discreet pockets for the little things
One small bag
About the price
The Georgina is $49.95 at the moment. The website says it's usually $166.50. I won't pretend I know what a dress like this ought to cost, but it saved me packing three other outfits, and it's the only thing I wore all weekend.
You can split it with Afterpay, which works out at four payments of $12.49, and Zip is there too if that's what you use.
Shipping was free with Australia Post, tracked and insured, and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee if it isn't right. With the trip booked, that's what got me to press the button.
weekend
a size guide
Australia-wide
If you're 55, or 62, or 70, and you've been packing three outfits for every day away because nothing you own can do more than one thing, this is the dress I'd hand you myself, while your size is still there. Pack the small bag. Say yes to the cheese platter.
Maggie
Georgina · Elegant Floral Dress
Afterpay: 4 payments of $12.49 · Zip available
- Flowing A-line with soft front pleats and a subtle waist
- Cut to give gentle tummy coverage
- Light, breathable fabric with a slight stretch
- Discreet side pockets
- Short sleeves, a rounded neckline, and a length that falls below the knee
- Sizes S to 3XL · size guide on the page · 4 prints
- FREE shipping Australia-wide & 30-day money-back guarantee
End of season sale on now, while stocks last.
About the writer. Maggie Whitfield is 62 and lives in Perth with her husband Ray, a lemon tree that produces more than they can eat, and a standing Thursday coffee with Lorraine. She worked as a dental receptionist for twenty-six years and is now, in her own words, "saying yes to things."
This page is an advertisement for Perth Boutique. Individual experiences may vary. Perth Boutique · Free shipping Australia-wide · 30-day money-back guarantee.