Essayage de robes pour un événement par Caroline

Four Event Dresses, My Fitting for a 90th Birthday

Dresses Caroline 5 min
Essayage de robes pour un événement par Caroline
The key takeaway: choosing an outfit for a big family event is an art in itself, and a real headache when the suitcase is small. I tried four dresses for my grandmother’s 90th birthday, a beige Sunfere linen dress with its two big flowers, a very elegant Portuguese dress found for almost nothing, and two more cheerful floral dresses, one blue, one red. Here’s how I paired them with shoes and jewellery, and the reasoning behind each choice. The goal, to stay chic and just right, never too much.

Hello everyone, I hope you’re holding up despite the heat. Today, a slightly special mission, and I need you. We’re going to choose an outfit together for an event that only happens once, my grandmother’s 90th birthday. Suffice to say the pressure is real. The event runs over two days, a dinner in the evening, a lunch the next day, so at a pinch I could bring two or three outfits… but my suitcase didn’t sign up for that many dresses. So I’ve selected four candidates, and I’m counting on you to help me decide. Come on, let’s try it all.

Dress number 1, the beige Sunfere linen one

We start with the one I adore, a thick linen dress by Sunfere, that you may have already spotted on my channel.

The detail of the two big flowers

What I cherish on this dress are those two immense flowers set on the chest, which I find absolutely divine, and that opening in the back that hints at the small of the back, just enough. It’s an amusing blend, halfway between the slightly rustic sack dress and antique elegance, what I’d call, with a smile, an assumed bohemian elegance. The linen has that thick drape that structures the figure.

Which heels with it

I hesitated between two pairs. Little short-heeled Vivaia pumps, soft enough to fold up and slip into any bag, very comfortable, with a delightful air of 1950s-60s shoes, very chic. And high-heeled Minelli sandals, more open, more spicy. My verdict, the Vivaia win, they really suit this long dress better, more just right, less showy. A set of earrings and necklace, discreet and elegant, and there you go. No bracelet on top, that would be too much.

My rule on jewellery. I like pairing earrings and necklace, but I avoid systematically adding the bracelet. Too many matches kill the match. To stay elegant, better two pieces that answer each other than a cascade of jewellery.

Dress number 2, the Portuguese one found for almost nothing

The second one comes from a little typical shop, with no particular name, the kind of place where you find pretty pieces at tiny prices. This one, I got for 19 euros, and I’m just as in love.

The detail of the two stones

Look at the strap, adorned with two stones, I find that detail magnificent, and it’s enough to dress up the top of the bust. The linen is even thicker than on the previous one, which gives it real poise. Since the neckline is already worked, I looked to dress up the wrist and the ears instead, without overloading the whole.

The matching of accessories

I tried Promod earrings, always a safe bet in their range, and another pair brought back from a little traditional shop in Tavira, in Portugal. It’s the latter I’m keeping, because they pick up almost exactly the colour of the stone on the strap. When one detail answers another, the whole looks thought-out, and that’s all you ask of a beautiful outfit.

Dress number 3, the lighter blue floral one

We move on to something more cheerful, a floral dress in tones of blue, white and yellow, much lighter than the linen, and so more pleasant in strong heat.

When the flower does all the work

This dress is light and easy to live in, ideal for an outdoor lunch. I already have the perfect pair of earrings, found at Promod here again, and for the feet, I brought out a Cosy Island pair received during a collaboration, a brand specialised in genuinely comfortable heels, in which you can spend hours without suffering. The result is chic and cosy, with that little buckle on the top of the shoe that adds the finishing touch.

Dress number 4, the red floral one and its opening

And here’s the last, a red and white floral dress, also very successful.

The opening that changes the tone

What I love here is the opening, fastened by a little bow, that reveals just enough. Let’s say, a touch cheeky, but nothing vulgar, and that’s exactly the line I love to hold. Red earrings with little flowers, by Promod, and why not a matching little red bracelet, the only case where I allow myself the complete trio, because everything answers everything.

The choice of dark heels. On a dress that already contains dark tones, like this red and white one, black heels anchor the figure and avoid the overloaded effect. The right heel, sometimes, is simply the one that doesn’t show too much.

An agonising choice, and so much the better

Four dresses, four moods, from sculptural linen to light flowers, and honestly, I’d be quite unable to decide on my own. What guides me every time is the same idea, to stay coordinated without ever overdoing it, just enough to be elegant and chic. For the shoes, I have a soft spot for the Vivaia, foldable and comfortable, whose code, if the brand tempts you, is WILDY12 for 10% off.

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PS. So, team sculptural linen or team floral dress to celebrate a grandmother turning 90… tell me everything in the comments, because deep down, it’s you who decided that day.