At 62, I'd spent forty years handing my phone to my husband because my dresses had no pockets. This is a letter about the wildflower dress that finally has them
Six things this easy floral dress gets right that a lifetime of pretty, pocketless dresses never did, from a Perth woman who just wanted somewhere to put her keys.
Maggie Whitfield · 62 · Perth, WA · 5 min read
I'm 62, and since about 1985 my husband Ray's pockets have been my handbag. Every time I wore a dress, and I love a dress, the same thing happened: phone, keys, tissues and reading glasses all went to Ray. He once drove to Mandurah with my house keys in his pocket while I stood on the front step. Then one Saturday morning at Ruby's netball, my granddaughter scored her first ever goal, and I missed it. Not the goal, I saw that. I missed filming it, because my phone was in Ray's pocket and Ray was at the coffee van. So this is not a review. It's a woman with her own pockets at last, telling you what she wears now.
The dress I'm writing about is the Georgina from Perth Boutique, a small Australian boutique that dresses women our age. Mine is the red floral, which is a white dress covered in red poppies, blue cornflowers and little purple wildflowers. My friend Lorraine sent me the link with: "It's got pockets, Mags. Real ones." I didn't believe her until it arrived. 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 forty years of pocketless dresses taught me. Somewhere along the line, somebody decided that a pretty dress and a useful pocket couldn't live together. So you choose: pretty, or practical. A handbag, or a husband. I was tired of choosing, and to be fair to him, so was Ray.
For forty years my husband's pockets were my handbag. He deserved a break, and so did I.
The Georgina is the first pretty dress I've owned that's practical too, and having worn it to netball, the garden centre and Sunday lunch at my daughter's, I can tell you it comes down to six things.
Real pockets, tucked into the seams
Perth Boutique call them discreet pockets, and that's exactly right. They sit in the side seams, so you can't see them and they don't spoil the line of the dress, but they're deep enough for a phone in one and keys and a tissue in the other. I didn't know how much I'd missed having somewhere to put my hands, either.
Phone in my own pocket. Filmed her second goal from start to finish and sent it to the whole family before the final whistle.
A flowing shape that hides a full pocket, and the tummy
The Georgina is an A-line, with soft pleats at the front that let the fabric fall away from the body. That means it skims over the tummy instead of clinging to it, and it means a phone in your pocket doesn't make a lump. There's a gentle waistline, so you still have a shape, but nothing is tight.
Two punnets of petunias and a bag of potting mix. Keys in my pocket the whole time. Didn't lose them once, which is a personal record.
Light, breathable fabric with a little give
The fabric is lightweight and breathable, with a slight stretch, which matters more than you'd think on the sidelines. I've bent down for stray netballs, knelt in the garden and squeezed into a folding camping chair, and nothing pulled or rode up. It's cool enough for a Perth spring morning in full sun.
Two hours on a camping chair in the sun. Cool, comfortable, and not one tug at the hem.
A length that's practical, too
The skirt falls below the knee, so I can sit on a low chair, climb into the car or crouch down to hug a sweaty eight-year-old without thinking about what's showing. And the short sleeves cover the tops of my arms, so I don't need a cardigan on a warm day.
Sat cross-legged on a picnic rug at the park with Ruby. Got up again, too. Dress stayed exactly where it should.
A print that goes from the sidelines to lunch
The wildflower print is fresh and cheerful, with white behind it so it never looks heavy. It's pretty enough for lunch and busy enough to forgive a grass stain or a drip of sauce. I've worn it with sandals for lunch and with white sneakers for netball, and it looked right both times.
Straight from netball to my daughter's. She said, "Mum, that's gorgeous." I put my hands in my pockets and said, "And look."
Sizes S to 3XL, four prints, and a proper size guide
The Georgina comes in sizes S to 3XL, and in four prints: red floral, which is mine, the white with poppies and cornflowers, plus yellow floral, light blue 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 hasn't carried my phone in four weeks. He says he misses it. He doesn't.
This dress, against the pretty, pocketless one
Most of us have been choosing between pretty and practical for years. Here's the difference, laid out plainly.
Nowhere for your phone or keys
A handbag, or a husband, to carry everything
Missing the moment while you find your phone
Clings where you'd rather it didn't
Pretty, but not practical
Discreet pockets in the side seams
Hands free, everything with you
Phone out in a second
A flowing A-line with soft front pleats
Pretty and practical at last
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 I can tell you I've paid more than that for dresses that left me borrowing my husband's pockets.
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. That's what got me to press the button.
a size guide
pockets
Australia-wide
If you're 55, or 62, or 70, and someone else has been carrying your phone for years, this is the dress I'd hand you myself, while your size is still there. Put your keys in your own pocket. Film the goal.
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.