Mexican Floral

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Dress: Vintage, Mexican cotton, mesh, embroidery

Slip: Taking Shape elastane

Heels: Betts suede, lace-up & metal zipper

Clutch: LouenHide leather

Bangles: Gift, Indian metal, sparkles

Headpiece: Sportsgirl faux floral

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This unexpected hot & steamy weather pattern has me thinking about my favourite Summertime ensembles... particularly THIS one, ranking somewhere in the top three! The hero of the look is of course the stunning vintage Mexican white cotton lattice & mesh midi-dress with colourful floral embroidery patches, gifted by a dear friend quite some time ago. I am almost certain that it would have been regarded as a "Wedding Dress" in its former life & although I am not wearing it for that purpose, I do afford it a certain reverence in deference to the blushing bride who probably looked in the mirror & felt as special as I do (if not more) in the garment. Ah, the magic of vintage, stimulating creativity by imploring us to imagine what MIGHT have been...

In reality, the dress is far too sheer to have been worn alone & although I don't know what the former owner would have donned beneath, I chose a white elastane slip from Taking Shape - the ONLY brand I wear due to the exemplary "straight" cut they use while other brands cut on the bias - for modesty's sake. The scoop neckline allowed some of the mesh decolletage to show through while the slightly-thicker-than-shoestring straps were well hidden underneath by the busyness of the shoulder detail, evidenced below:

To elevate the look for dinner with friends, a bright pink leather clutch from LouenHide & suede heels from Betts were chosen for a pop of colour while the lace-up & zipper details echoed the dress' intricate lattice work...

Adding a touch of sparkle while allowing the dress to retain "centre stage" was easy with a trio of thin gold & silver bangles on one wrist & a single, chunky silver & bronze bangle on the other; all given to me as gifts by a friend who lived in India for a time.

Finishing the look on a "botanical" note was this gorgeous faux floral headpiece from Sportsgirl... actually made from two headbands worn together to create a lush, expensive, "haute hippie" vibe...

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