A Dress A Day: Garden Party Dress (Day 5)

Blue Floral Off the Shoulder Maxi Dress | Grey Vanity Crossbody Bag (also love this coral color!)| Fringe Wedges (3 colors!) | Similar White Sunglasses | Gold Choker | White Tassel Earrings | Lipstick in ‘Bright Raspberry’

Sooo, there aren’t many gardens in downtown Chicago. However, there are a lot of patios! At some point during the year, the city decides that it’s time to bring the patios out. Overnight, you see outdoor seating and flower filled planters pop up. Literally, overnight. Coming from Southern California, this is something that makes sense in hindsight but was a little weird for me the first day I saw all these lounge areas coming out of nowhere. These are like big cities’ versions of gardens. So, I broke out this gorgeous off the shoulder maxi dress!

I’ve tried on tens (maybe hundreds?) of off the shoulder pieces. So many of them pop awkward off my shoulders. Call it my broad bone structure or just call it a poorly thought out fashion concept, but it annoys the crap out of me. I don’t want to reach across the table for the salt and pepper only to have my top get all messed up. This dress did not do that. Wahoo! The elastic at the top kept it in place the entire day!

Not only that but the print is just gorgeous and perfect for a garden party. Why not match your surroundings? Would we call the flowers on this dress peonies? Let’s. Who doesn’t love peonies? So far, I’ve been talking a lot about wedding related events in this A Dress A Day series. Part of the fun of this series has been coming up with a type of event to wear each dress to. Let’s see how long I can keep this going… And while I may have deemed this off the shoulder maxi perfect for hanging out with flora, it can really be worn multiple places (like as a wedding guest or to weekend brunch).

If you’ve ever walked on grass in heels, you know how awkward stilettos can be. If you like the thrill of your shoe piercing the Earth, sending you into an off balance tumble, keep wearing them. However, my preference is wedges. Always. Not only are they easier on your feet because they disperse the weight, but you don’t have to risk falling. These fringe heels come in 3 colors and are under $90! The wrap around tassels are an adorable little detail that really keep your foot in place too.

Do you have any plans for a party in a garden this summer?