I Now Own This Quince Linen Sundress in Three Colors
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I often feel desperate, cranky, and overheated when shopping for a new sundress online. Unsurprisingly, this state of mind rarely yields a successful purchase. But about a month ago, I was browsingQuince’s summer linen dresseswhen a brown gingham midi style with spaghetti straps and a narrow pencil-ish skirt caught my eye. I’ve beendrawn to brown ginghamlately as a more subtle, less obviously trendy way to incorporate the pattern into my wardrobe, and this version had the added benefit of being pleasingly small scale, like a ditsy-floral print. It looked easy to style and structured enough to pass as office attire.
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When the dress arrived, I tempered my expectations; I’ve been disappointed by many affordable linen dresses in the past. Then I tried it on. A few hours later, I was still wearing the dress and sending excited selfies to fellow Strategist staffers. The brown gingham is all I’d hoped it would be: tasteful and summery without looking like a cottagecore fever dream. The particular shade of brown is slightly warm in tone, like chestnut, and the small size of the pattern gives it a sophisticated appearance that reminds me of Muji or Toast. (It also comes in ablack and white ginghamthat’s just as small in scale.)
I am five-foot-seven and got the dress in my regular size, medium. The fit is impeccable and sexy thanks to adjustable straps, elasticized ruching on the back, and a clavicle-framing scoop neck. The bodice is fitted enough that I can wear it without a bra and not worry about flashing anyone, and the whole thing has a silky lining that ensures it’s totally opaque. It even has pockets! The combination of the fitted bodice and slim, tailored pencil skirt with strategically placed hip and rear pleats reminds me ofvintage wiggle dressesfrom the ’50s and ’60s, a flattering shape for women with curvy lower halves. This really works for me as I am pear-shaped with small breasts and a generous butt and hips. Pleased with my purchase and encouraged by my co-workers, I decided to buy the dress in a couple more of the 12 available colors.
Now I also own it in black and a beige color called flax. Last Sunday afternoon, I wore the beige to a local playground with my son. On the way out of our apartment building, a neighbor told me she liked my dress. At the playground, a mom I don’t know complimented me on it, and when we got home, my husband asked if it was new. When I said “yes,” he said, “It looks good. I like it.” That is a rave review from a man who doesn’t often comment on fashion.
In addition to looking good, the soft linen material is easy to move in, so I don’t feel encumbered while playing with and catching my son as he repeatedly jumps off playground equipment and into my arms. The fact that the dresses are machine washable doesn’t hurt (the tag also suggests it’s fine to tumble dry on low, but I’ll hang them just to be safe). The only drawback is, because the dresses are 100 percent linen, they do wrinkle easily — especially after playing with and carrying a toddler for hours — and the fabric has loosened up a bit after several wears. So while the beige and gingham ones are great for typical sundress activities, I’ll be saving the black one for dressier occasions.
More Quince dresses we like
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