Most of the below dresses are actually in Boden clearance right now since it is still super hot here in Virginia and my skin is going nowhere near anything that even hints at fall or winter (wool--not even remotely comfortable). If the dress is still available, I went ahead and linked to both the item page at Boden and my review from this summer/spring.
Some of the below are from Boden of a few years back, so there will be no link to those, but these still fit into the post, so celebrate the old. :-)
Where: CW's friend's birthday party.
Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) There really is something about linen and summer, exactly the right fabric to feel less claustrophobic in the heat and sun.
Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Since CW's party was a tea party, I figured I should be more dressy than usual, you know a "lady who lunches" type. I fit right in, but honestly, DC and "ladies who lunch" aren't exactly the coolest, regardless of whether or not this print reminds me of the classic Ischia print from J. Crew (2008).
Anecdote from the Day: The woman who hosts these tea parties, Mrs. B, has the BEST job on the planet...she gets to have birthday/tea/decorum parties and people pay her to host them. The converted warehouse in Falls Church looks like it would be dank and gloomy, but then you walk in and are greeted with what could be a scene straight from Alice in Wonderland, minus all the drugs and weird creatures. There was bunting, mismatched place settings, dress-up boxes and wardrobes, and as a gift to each girl, they got to make decorate their own sunhat with ribbons, roses, and jewels. I desperately wanted to join them. :-)
Where: School Run/Playdate/Little Gym.
Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Can't go wrong with a cotton knit elastic waist dress with pockets for running around after children. The only thing that provided any sort of issue was the scarf since it ended up being warmer than I expected. It came off around 4, so I wore it for a grand total of 1.5 hours.
Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I think the scarf makes it look cooler, and my wavy/insouciant hair looks casual in a good/not try-hard kind of way.
Anecdote from the Day: So my kids' school has this really backward way of letting us in/out after school for pickup. As a kid, I remember the system being way easier, each parent would drive up and they would stop, the kids would run to the car, get in, and then drive off. Then the next parent would have his/her turn. I never got rides, but I sat there envious watching the whole parade of cars while waiting to walk home. (Yep, I was the classic mid-80s latchkey kid.)
Anyhow, now they have us all pull in the lot, park one behind the other, crammed in like sardines. Once we see let-out time is commencing, we get out, grab our kids and RACE back to the car to wait for each. row. to. let. out. Last year, the first row would go, then the second, then the third, etc. I never cared if I was the first row or last, I knew that the time I arrived made it fair, so if I got there early, then I got out earlier.
Well, this year, they are having us all cram in there in rows, and then when all the rows fill up, they fill in the auxiliary parking area, where the latecomers cram in one after another. Here's the kicker, though...now they only let out the first row of the original arrivals, THEN THEY PROCEED to let out all the latecomers. Once the latecomers get out, then they go back to the original rows, and only then is the second, third, fourth row let out. I have never been in the second row, and if I had been, I would have been FUMING. I don't know if they have changed it yet, since I have found ways of avoiding the traditional pickup (lots of after school meetings will do that), but I will keep you all in the loop, since I suspect a few of you make be egalitarian at heart and do not agree with this whacked system. ;-)
Where: Room parent meeting.
Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) After writing up my post on the dresses that are for sale over at Boden on Thursday, I realized I had the Breezy Jersey dress still in my wardrobe, ready to be worn, regardless of its maternity moniker.
I am not pregnant, have no plans to be pregnant, but because this dress is literally just a big ole circle skirt attached to a bodice, I can get away with wearing it even when not "full of child." Since I am constantly running around after children, I figure something this cute and comfortable and presentable needs to stay in my closet, at least for a few more rugraty years.
Cool Factor: (2 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Not cool, just a mere okay. Those Born sandals were never cool...but I still find excuses to wear them.
Anecdote from the Day: I am room parent for both CW and Rex, 'cause I am cray like that. I did room parent for Rex in kindergarten, so I know that picking up the baton will be easy enough for CW's class, and from what I understand first grade has a lot less on its plate, so I should be alright there.
In reality, though, being a room parent gives me a good excuse to see the kids in school and keep them in line with my "look."
By the way, I made Angus's little romper (Butterick 5625) there, with the monster applique and darling monster buttons. I wrote a review of it over at Sewing Pattern Review, so check it out if you dig sewing related things.
Where: Mass with my brother and CW. I had also worn the dress earlier in the day to a sewing class (I learned about making travel bags and machine embroidering designs on a kindle cozy.)
Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I had to wear a slip since my white undies showed through the fabric, but I wasn't uncomfortable, just a bit more buttoned up than I usually like to be, especially on the weekends.
Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I don't know, I like the way the Amelie dress looks, I love the color, and I think the shape works for me, but I can't get over the fact that I think I look a bit mumsy. Whatever. Everytime I wear it, people compliment it, so it must not be that awful, but I feel about as edgy as a cotton ball manufactured by wee little elves.
My hair was awesome, thanks to my new Revlon hair drying thingy, though, so yay for that!
Anecdote from the Day: CW was SO good at mass. I can't believe she can make it through the whole hour without fussing or getting bored. Minor miracle, I tell you.
You can get it at wal-mart for a lot less, but based on the results I got, I am more than fine with paying $25, since I can't even get a blowout for that cost.
Where: Knowing me and Wednesdays, I must have been going to Winesday. Mmm, Winesday!
Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) If you take a tee-shirt, lengthen it, add a waistband, and applique the hem, you have this dress. Since most of us wear tee-shirts to sleep in, you be the judge of the comfort.
Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) My hubby really likes it when I wear this. But he also loves his white tennis shoes*, so there's that. Let's split it and call this outfit a 2.5.
*They discontinued the type he had, so now he has graduated to all white with a black nike swoop. They do look cooler, so maybe my hubby is slowly getting cooler. Next stop--hipster reading glasses. Ha.
Anecdote from the Day: Winesday...mmm, Winesday!
Stitch Detail Dress
Where: I don't remember. It was a Friday and I dressed up, so I going to say dinner out, 'cause hey, why not write my own version of history?
Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Again, Boden hits it out the park with really great choices for fabric. I tell you, barring their increasingly (and slightly worrying) overuse of viscose/rayon, they always choose the nicest, softest fabrics for their clothes. And then they tailor them well, too. I only wish that the true intended audience of Brits could know just how great Boden clothing can feel in sweltering, high humidity, nearing 100 degree farenheit heat. (I remember being in Britain for a study abroad and the news kept going on about the heat wave--the temperatures were in the high 80s--that's our early October here, btw.)
Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) The Anthro sunglasses and J. Crew bag are really cool, and help make the rest of this fairly preppy outfit seem a bit less stuffy.
Anecdote from the Day: Dinner out was great--and since I am making up what I had--I will go ahead and report that the caviar was excellent, the champagne flowed continuously, and I had the world's most amazing creme brulee.
Okay, that's all for now. Hope your week starts off well and continues in that direction!
You all have a great night!!!
