At the beginning of May, four months ago, I had one goal and one goal only for myself: to find the perfect summer dresses that I could wear all season long. Now, that might seem like a pretty achievable goal. Afterall, how hard could it be to find a couple of summer dresses? Well, let me tell ya, it is a lot of hard work, especially for someone as picky as myself. I typically don’t like dresses if they’re inconvenient. What do I mean by inconvenient, you might ask? I hate dresses if they’re too short, too heavy, too tight, have long sleeves or they’re not made of a breathable fabric. I want dresses that I can do absolutely anything and everything in and are comfier than a pair of leggings and a hoodie. You’re probably beginning to see exactly why this was such a hard task.
But I am pleased to report back that after a challenging couple of months, I have finally completed the task and it’s largely thanks to this wonderful dress I’m wearing today. This is the Smocked Tiered Dress from Oak and Fort. I picked it up on the opening night of the new store at West Edmonton Mall. It’s the biggest Oak and Fort in North America and it really didn’t disappoint. It was filled with so many beautiful clothes and it was definitely a challenge trying not to buy everything in the store. However, I did walk out with this dress and I don’t regret it one bit. It’s a linen-blend (65% Linen, 35% Polyester) so it fits the breathable aspect of my checklist perfectly. I have really been loving linen lately as it’s been so hot in Edmonton. It just feels so lightweight on my body! It’s truly the comfiest dress and because of that, I’ve been wearing it twice a week at minimum. The dress features a relaxed fit, a tiered midi skirt with a smocked bodice and fun puffy sleeves. Now at first glance it might make me look a lil’ amish (not that that’s a bad thing) but it’s kind of a vibe. Mine is in the beige colour but it’s also available in a black shade as well as white. Let’s just start a petition for Oak and Fort to produce this dress in some fun colours as well. We all need a pistachio version.
Although this dress definitely has the potential to be dressed up, I took the casual route with it today. I paired a bucket hat with it which is something I definitely thought I would never say. I used to absolutely despise bucket hats. I thought they were the ugliest things ever and yet, here I am, wearing a bucket hat. My bucket hat obsession started when I realized my scalp was getting way too burnt out in the sun. I wanted a hat to protect it but baseball hats seemed to make my head too sweaty due to their tight fit and dense fabric. Straw sun hats seemed to solve that problem, yet they were a real pain to carry around and travel with. And so, after much consideration, it seemed like bucket hats were the only way to go. And as soon as I tried on this bucket hat, much to my surprise, I actually liked the way it looked on me. This is the Both Ways Bucket Hat from Lululemon. It’s a lightweight hat with a wide brim that protects me from the sun’s rays. It’s also reversible which was really the selling point for me. One side is this fun mauve/beige zebra print and the other side is just a more neutral tan colour. It seriously matches everything. The fabric features four-way stretch and is sweat-wicking as well as quick-drying. Even when I got dunked in the lake by my boyfriend, it dried off quickly and held up fantastically! The only complaint I would have is that because it’s so lightweight, it sometimes doesn’t hold up against the wind well and will fly off my head. But that’s a small price to pay to have the cutest bucket hat ever!
For the rest of my outfit, I’m wearing my leather, tortoiseshell chain Vans as well as my Coach Pillow Tabby Shoulder Bag. Big surprise there. This is all I’ve been wearing all summer (perfectly showcased by my last outfit post) so I will save both of our time by not talking about them for the hundredth time. Peace out from the Amish girl ✌️
Shop The Look:
Dress – Oak and Fort // Sneakers – Vans // Bucket Hat – Lululemon // Purse – Coach // Necklaces – ℅Ania Haie // Lipstick – Bite Beauty //
*ftc disclaimer: Products marked ‘℅’ were sent free of charge for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make When I’m Older possible!