The Summer Minimalist

This post celebrates my favorite part of summer clothes: the minimalist dress. To go along with that minimal theme, I’ll be keeping the over-thinking to a minimum for this post. (Just kidding — you guys know I can’t stop talking.)

Dress: Meg | Handbag: Balenciaga (Consignment) | Shoes: Ivy Kirzhner (Saks Off Fifth)
Dress: Meg | Handbag: Balenciaga (Consignment) | Shoes: Ivy Kirzhner (Saks Off Fifth) | Necklace: Catbird

This dress is probably my favorite design from the brand Meg. (Here is another dress I wore recently from Meg.) Here’s a quick rundown:

Pros:

  • As comfy as a T-shirt
  • Constructed out of linen, so it’s cool
  • Can be dressed up or down

Cons:

  • Wrinkles easily
  • Will wrinkle within two minutes of wearing, even if you just steamed the dress before you put it on
  • No, seriously, those wrinkles are making me crazy
whitedress3
This bag was so damaged when I bought it, I had it re-painted. I regret it — I should have kept it flawed.

The dress’ simplicity is even more lovely because of its expert cut. Note how the waist is defined with just a clever seam — no belt needed. (A total godsend in balmy temps.)

whitedress2

 

A couple more tips:

  • These slip-on sandals (better photo here) were thematically perfect — but I got the worst blisters on the tops of my little toes. Beware the vagaries of slide sandals!
  • When I got the secondhand Balenziaga bag in the photo last summer, its leather was beat-up and cracked with damage. I took it to a leather repair place to get it “freshened up,” but they just painted over the leather. I really wish I had kept it the way it was — this glossy version of the bag seems to lack the character that’s so attractive about slouchy bags in the first place.

Do you have any favorite simple summer dresses? I’d love to hear about them!