A Dress For All Occasions

Don’t you just adore these last, heady days of summer? The grass is still dry and the gardens still lush with the last blooms of the season, but the leaves are starting to turn golden, the mornings feel crisp, and the days are starting to shorten. I’m at once excited for the arrival of autumn and all it ushers in, yet still wanting to make the most of every last moment of summer.

I haven’t yet made the seasonal wardrobe swap (packing away my summer dresses to make room for piles of cashmere sweaters is always a bittersweet moment), but autumn is nonetheless creeping into my wardrobe. Linen is being replaced by sheer layers of silk chiffon, and summer espadrilles and flat sandals making way for ballet flats and heels once again.

Wearing: Dress // Shoes // Bag // Sunglasses // Necklace

My diary – after being gloriously open all August for impromptu summer adventures and lazy weekend picnics in the park – is suddenly filling with fashion parties and Cambridge soirées again (for my husband, the academic year starts in a few short weeks, and the colleges really know how to welcome in the new term). So my wardrobe needs to step up to match my schedule. Floaty white dresses no longer feel appropriate, but it’s not yet party season so nor do I want dramatic inky hues or sparkles.

Enter the go-anywhere trans-seasonal dress that takes you from day to night and from summer to spring with ease. My friend Julia sent me this beautiful dress from her line (which is a must if you’re a fellow dress enthusiast), and I’ve been reaching for it constantly all month. Despite the maxi length, it’s surprisingly versatile and seems to work for nearly every occasion. I’ve already teamed it with espadrilles and a basket bag for weekend brunch dates, with ballet flats and a blush bag for a picnic with my friend Brenda, and with sandals and this little woven bag for a college dinner. And the longer length means I can wear it just as much for winter parties; I’ll just team it with statement earrings, a metallic clutch and a white fur jacket thrown over the top.

So here’s to those beautiful wardrobe treasures that seem to work for anything our schedule throws at us. (To paraphrase a great quote) May we find them, may we own them, may we wear them.

Wearing: Gal Meets Glam dress c/- // Clare V. bag (large version on sale here + also comes in black + cream) // Next sandals c/- // Celine sunglasses // J.Crew earrings // J. Crew bracelet // Astley Clarke necklace c/-

Love, Briony xx

Photos by Joe Galvin