What to wear with a muumuu

Ok, before you get all technical on me, this dress is probably not actually a muumuu. It has an empire waist and some crazy sleeves, and I doubt Hawaiians make their muumuus out of toile. It was also not super-well suited to the 98-degree weather we were having when we shot these photos (yes, in June!). But this dress is loose, comfy, and easy to wear, plus it captures the laid-back spirit of summer (and of Hawaii), so I think that makes it an honorary muumuu. That said, this dress is a lot of look. so let's jump right into how to wear it.



I have not shopped at Urban Outfitters in ages, but I saw this dress on The Cut and was influenced to buy it in under 10 seconds. (See, I get influenced too!) Turns out, it's from a collaboration between Laura Ashley and UO; I was a Laura Ashley SUPERFAN when I was in middle school but have not worn her English-countryside prints since, but the classic toile print mixed with a more trend-conscious just spoke to me. As you might imagine, this style is a bit polarizing; multiple women complimented me on it the day I wore it to wine country, but let's just say it's not Sean's favorite style. I think that can be mitigated with a little tailoring, however—this dress is absolutely huge, and while I tried to take it in at the bust with safety pins, what it really needs is a trip to the tailor. It comes in two sizes—I'm in the XS/S—and while the vibe is definitely nightgowny, it does have some really interesting pleating in the skirt, and the sleeves are major, in a good way. A little nip and tuck at the empire waist will make a world of difference, but for what it's worth, I wouldn't wear this dress and expect to get lucky, unless your mate has a Virginia Woolf fetish.



Are people still carrying Cult Gaia ark bags? Who cares! I still love mine, and while men might hate this dress, they love the bag (go figure). I seriously get more compliments from men when I carry it, than from women. Not that I'm dressing for either—I dress for me! Anyway, you last saw this bag with my dress-over-jeans look, also coincidentally a blue and white outfit. 



I had originally intended to wear more of a heeled sandal with this dress, but I was going to wine country and it was pretty freaking hot, so I just went with the sleepwear theme and wore these bow slides instead. I like how they tie together the colors of the dress with the stripes of the bag. (See, I actually did that on purpose!) These are several years old, but Sam Edelman more or less makes the same pair every year, so I've linked a more recent version.




Amusingly enough, we shot these photos mere feet from our front door, because it was so hot, we couldn't walk much further. When I first came back to blogging, we were always shooting in these picturesque locations, and while those can be fun, sometimes just a simple background will do. Which is exactly how I feel about this outfit.



OUTFIT DETAILS: Laura Ashley x UO toile dress | Cult Gaia Ark bag | Sam Edelman shoes


6 comments

Nancy 's Fashion Style said...

Love it! And the mules!

Mica said...

That is such a great dress! I love how loose and floaty it is - just what you need on a hot summer day! :)

Hope that you have a lovely weekend ahead of you :)

Away From Blue

Budgeting Belle 80 said...

Your dress looks so comfortable and for a casual day out. I love how loose and floaty the dress looks on you.

mummabstylish said...

Looks comfy, but not sure the style would suit me as good as it does you! Thanks for adding to the #linkup Jacqui Mummabstylish

Claire Justine said...

What a beautiful dress, Cheryl. Love the pattern on it. Thanks for sharing at The Wednesday Blog Hop :)

aditi oberoi Malhotra said...

Love the way you've styled your look. You look amazing.
Adi xx | www.fancycorrectitude.com