I know first hand how tough it’s been this year – running a business is never easy but throw in a pandemic and restrictions out of your control and it’s a whole new level of pivoting and changing things up. If you run an online fashion or lifestyle business and are in lockdown in Victoria right now, please email me [email protected] so I can give you a shout-out.
This edition of The Model and Me features one such business, Melbourne-based fashion label, Alessandra, which you might know for its cashmere and cotton knits.
What you might not know is that Alessandra also offers cotton clothing pieces in its signature fun colours. It may be officially the last week of winter but in many parts of Australia, spring weather is a long way off, so I’m featuring an Alessandra dress that can be layered up or down to suit where you are.
… and it comes with a pop of colour to make you smile.
The model
Alessandra Hazel dress in pink check
and me
Alessandra dress (I’m in XL) | FRANKiE4 Footwear MiM sneakers in white braid
I’m a huge fan of the shirt dress, particularly one that is flowy and fun. This 100% cotton pink check will get you noticed but has that dress-up/dress-down versatility factor that I look for in a garment.
I’ve worn with sleeves rolled up and sneakers for a Queensland pre-spring look but this dress could also be layered over leggings and worn back with boots and a longline cardi. You could also wear the dress completely unbuttoned as a jacket over jeans and a fine knit.
The fabric is a decent weight, so suitable for this trans-seasonal time but not too hot should things warm up quickly where you are.
The layered tiers sit in just the right place for my bust and torso to add the illusion of shape without being too tight in the bust/upper waist. I sized according to my bra size in this dress (I’m a 16D and am in the XL) and this worked perfectly for me.
I’m 166cm so you can see how the dress falls lower on me than the model, who is probably 10cm taller. Always keep this in mind when looking at model images on a website.
So, tell me, how are you holding up as we heading into spring? Particularly my Melbourne and Victorian friends in full lockdown? Remember to email me those online fashion/lifestyle businesses for shout-outs.
This dress was gifted to me for editorial consideration.
