Eileen Fisher stretch organic cotton shift dress | XS
Birkenstock Birko-flor Arizona Sandals
Wearing/Buying
I’d been trying to find something red, or “colorful” since watching I Love Dick. Catherine has a picture of the women in red from one of the episodes, the one where the women in the show talk about the experiences that shaped their lives as women. And they were all wearing red. Anyway, it made an impact on me in many ways, but I also started trying to think more about why I do NOT wear color.
It’s not because I don’t want to draw attention to myself, or just fade into the background; the styles and silhouettes I wear do that already.
It’s not because I don’t “like” color – I do, just in extreme moderation, and only one color per outfit please.
One reason is that because, beyond how much I already think about what I wear, I do not want to think about what “goes” with what.
And ultimately, color just doesn’t feel like “me” most of the time. That may be a result of my training myself not to wear color though, so I could potentially “train” myself back into wearing color.
When I wore this dress, I felt youthful, fun, and “free” – in a weird way, like I was doing something I shouldn’t. Granted, I was on “vacation” with my family, and I mostly wore it at home, and then for a super-casual dinner, so I didn’t feel the pressures I feel at home, to look and dress a certain way. When I’m home, I often feel like I have to prove myself, or say something about myself with my clothing. I have to say, “I’m Different” and express with my clothing what I feel inside, that I do not “belong” here.
Whoa.
Anyway, issues aside for now, I love the dress, and after I tried on ALL THE SIZES, I settled on the XS, although it shows my knees. The other sizes did too, but they were a teeny bit longer. The other sizes were just WAY too big at the shoulders and bust for me, making the dress look even more tent-y (as my husband says) than it already is intended to be.
I like that it’s not a deep RED red also. I did try on this raw silk dress, and it was also nice, but I didn’t like the sleeves on me, same with this olive colored dress. I LOVED SO MUCH this silk dress (the color was really beautiful – I tried it in a small), but I have absolutely no need whatsoever for it in my life right now. Or probably ever. But it would make a nice summer wedding guest dress, or as a tunic with leggings for a beach vacation…
I was at the Eileen Fisher store with my step-mom and niece while in Florida because my step-mom got a 15% off coupon after her recent purchase (I mentioned I convinced her to try these pants, and she loves them), and she wants to start adding more pieces to her wardrobe. She ended up with the “matching” viscose top for her pants, and this tencel kimono cardigan which made a lovely outfit.
And yes, I bought a pair of white Birkenstocks. I love them. And they’re perfect to wear with this dress, because there’s nothing I dislike more than red and black together 😉
Reading/Watching
I’m reading too many things right now, which means in fact, I’m not reading much of anything. I’m sort of not into any of it, actually, and want to read some more interesting, jarring, thought-provoking books now. I have these on my list:
The Price of Illusion by Joan Juliet Buck
Lives of Girls & Women by Alice Munro
Sapiens: A brief history of humankind by Yuval Harari
Becoming Wise by Krista Tippet
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
Has anyone read any of those? Any other suggestions?
Doing
Well, I did it, obviously. I took almost a WHOLE WEEK OFF from “work.” I did work on some things here and there while I was in Florida, but not as much as I usually do. I really didn’t do much of anything besides lounge around the house, enjoy the lake with my niece & nephew and time with my family.
I did bring both my swimsuits, and interestingly, found that my Beklina swimsuit dried very quickly this time – I could wear it easily the next day – as opposed to when we were in Costa Rica and it took 48 hours to dry. And I loved wearing it; now I feel great about recommending it highly. I even went all out Florida and wore it to Target with my Emerson Fry caftan on top LOL
What did you do for Memorial Day? What do you have planned for this weekend?
Thanks for being patient with me while I took the week off!!
Oh, I also wanted to talk about social media, and why I’m not really doing it anymore. But maybe I’ll do that next week. I’m just over it. Over the pressure I feel after I post something – the pressure to always check and see how many likes I got – the pressure to compare myself to other bloggers on Instagram with many, many more followers than me – the pressure to keep up. I’m not interested anymore. I do enjoy engaging with a lot of readers who only engage on Instagram, or Facebook though. It’s all about finding balance….
Whoa that looks great! It’s funny I wear almost exclusively very bright colors and patterns but I love this blog because I think they way of thinking about clothes can apply to any type of style. Plus I’ve learned about some more neutral items I can add to my wardrobe to mix and match, since the tough thing about having a wardrobe like mine is that a lot of my items look awful together.
So glad you have grown to love your Beklina suit! I was worried about signing its praises after your Costa Rica trip, but feel much more justified now!
I’m not much of a social media person, although I do love the SellTradeES account on Instagram. There’s a recent thread on how ES has influenced peoples shopping habits, and while it’s mostly a gushy ES Love-Fest, it’s also very inspiring.
Singing**
Love the outfit-you look terrific in red! You have to let me know how you like the white birks.
I have the old ones that have the black sole which are on their last leg. I actually spray painted them with plastics paint to get another summer out of them! I am afraid of the white sole getting yucky fast and not being cleanable. I also hear the Birko-leather is not as good. Any thoughts would be helpful.
so far i love the birko-flor, and anyway, I didn’t want to buy any more leather birks for right now…i’ve only had them a week.
they do not soften/stretch as nicely as the leather does, that’s for sure, but i don’t really find that a significant problem right now. so far so good! but i’ll keep you updated as i wear them 🙂
I’ve had a couple pair of the birko-flor Birkenstocks and I won’t buy any more. Since it’s not leather, it cracks (mine cracked where your foot bends at the ball), and it doesn’t breathe like leather does. It’s why I never buy synthetic leather shoes for regular wear – they just don’t hold up.
I took the plunge and made my first Eileen Fisher purchase yesterday. I got these cropped pants. https://www.eileenfisher.com/straight-cropped-pant-in-yarn-dyed-organic-handkerchief-linen-s7ylo-p3807/?&color=2183
I am excited about them because they are beautiful to touch and I loved them on. I am looking forward to wearing them this summer.
OMG GORGEOUS! I have been turning to red dresses too this season. The thing about wearing neutrals is, when you do choose to wear colour, everyone literally freaks out and can’t believe how gorgeous you are. I just got back from southern Italy, and basically wore brown/white/navy but I did bring a red cotton dress (similar to yours but a bit longer and even flowyer) and I’m telling you, the people I was travelling with, although they gave me compliments on my neutrals, were in love with that one red dress. Good for you! There are no rules!
I have the silver Gizeh in birkoflor and while I don’t love it as much as real leather, I haven’t had any problems either. I’ve had the silver a year (with pretty constant use July -Dec for some travel and for work because I had plantar fasciitis and all I could wear were my birkis and a pair of Merrell sneakers that are super old. Perhaps the style/shape of the faux leather plays a role in how well they hold up over time. But for me – the silver doesn’t come in leather, and that’s what I wanted….
I love that red dress! Red is one of my favorite colors for clothing (though I seem to have been wearing more cobalt & aqua the past year….Those are my accent colors, with neutrals of black, sometimes khaki or white….) It is a perfect casual dress!!
Grechen, I know exactly what you mean about not wearing color. I feel most like myself in black, grey, olive and a very deep almost black, navy blue. I do however love red (mainly in my case for accessories) and I think the dress looks terrific on you. Great to find something new and un-expected. I just bought a pair of black birko-flor Birkenstocks, not even realizing at first that they weren’t leather. When I did figure it out, I was happy about it — as a vegetarian I feel very conflicted about owning so many leather handbags and shoes. It’s one area where my ethics aren’t in line with my consumerism at all. In any case, I don’t know how the birko-flor will wear (and it seems there are mixed reviews) but I’m happy to try them. Your white ones look very fresh and modern. Will be interested to hear what you think.
Love the red! It’s similar red to a silk Everlane dress I ordered a year or two ago but didn’t keep (it was too sheer for me).
You look lovely, Grechen. When I loaded your page and saw that picture, I knew where that color came from! I feel like red washes me out, but I do have one darker red cotton shift from Mata Traders that I wear during the hottest days of summer. It’s nice to have something cool that doesn’t cling to my body and the fabric breathes so well.
i am conflicted too gillian – i am not strictly a vegetarian, although i tend towards it, and am most of the time. i’d like to consume less leather, for sure, but it’s not easy finding really good non-leather bags & shoes, even most canvas bags have leather straps/handles. which is why i love my james perse tote so much 🙂 and am happy to try the birko-flor shoes. i don’t expect them to last as long as my leather ones, but by having these, at least i can prolong the amount of use i get out of my leather ones. i think, anyway, since i won’t be wearing them every day anymore!
thank you catherine! i’m so glad you posted about i love dick, and specifically that episode too…i think i’ll watch the series again after i finish with transparent 🙂 – i might read the book, although i don’t care for reading books after i see the movie/tv show
That dress looks amazing on you! I respect you so much for going against the grain when it doesn’t feel right, like with the social media stuff. Especially this week, I found myself really getting attached to the results after I would post something and it made me feel really anxious and like I need to slow down. Having said that, I definitely noticed your absence on Instagram this week and missed you, but happy to come over here to comment 😉
Should I take this opportunity of new clothes discussion to give a quick review of ES? I received my order earlier this week, so for those who are planning to but have not yet ordered…….. 1. Everything is, of course, lovely. 2. In general, sizing is not generous. I am a 6 and ordered a medium. While everything fits me perfectly, (just) no tightness or discomfort whatsoever, I feel that size 8 people would likely do better with a large, depending on the style and where the largest part of your body is. 3. The crinkle linen is much, much thicker and more textured that I would have thought. For me, this is a big win. Completely packable, opaque, and I do love, love, love texture. 4. My absolute favourite item is the Clyde dress, which I am sure I ordered in error lol. It came in navy linen, and I already have the Georgia midi in navy linen, so I think even if I had intended to order it, which I’m sure I didn’t, I would have ordered it in flax. Weren’t we discussing happy mistakes previously? It is much more fitted on me than on the model. 5. New fit on Bell skirt: lovely, but a tonne of fabric and my hands keep searching for inset pockets. There is so much fabric that inset pockets would not add bulk, which is why normally these types of skirts normally do have them. Maybe I’ll add them. 6. Josephine tunic: the one item with plenty of room everywhere. If one were to wear a silk or linen slip underneath, or partially sew up the generous slits, one could totally wear this as a beautiful flowy dress. I got the ivory, and although less yellow than ES’s previous ivories, it’s still has strong beige/yellow undertones. I can wear it, as I have a bit of a tan right now, but just mentioning in the interests of full disclosure. This may be a Yea! or a Nay! for some. Lara dress and Top: got both, one in charcoal, one in grey. Both colours are good, both are slightly more fitted than I would have expected (again, not tight, but not the usual ES flowiness either.) Currently considering: another dress (harlow or lara in poplin? clyde in flax?) another lara top (chalk?)
I love this red on you. For some reason, it’s a color I never ever wear, even though my mom is always trying to convince me to.
And totally with you on social media (did you read my rant a week ago?). It’s such a pain and makes me anxious.
Bleh social media is so self-indulgent. I was on a flight yesterday and when we landed half the people around me snapped a selfie and had to choose just the right filter for the obligatory “just landed” post. I don’t think people are even stopping to LOOK at anything, it’s just compulsory scrolling. But I like selltradeES and puppy accounts.
Red is YOUR color! You wear it well, dear Grechen. I’m so happy to see you try adding something “fun” to your wardrobe. It is fun and youthful. When I saw and read your post, it dawned on me that I have a Pinterest board full of dresses that I love….I might as well have named the board “Red Dresses” because there are so many of them that I have pinned and love. And yet, sadly, I don’t own a red dress. I think I had convinced myself that it wouldn’t be consistent with my wardrobe colors. But the great thing is, a dress doesn’t have to be the same color family as everything else. It stands on its own. And I’m ready to have fun, too! I’ve got my eye on a Tomato red raw silk tee dress by Jamie and the Jones.
I laughed over “What did you do over Memorial Day weekend?” I watched my husband rush out of the house for ambulance call after ambulance call. Memorial Day signifies the beginning of the summer season in Montauk. Sadly, the EMT’s had their hands full…and, no surprise, most of the calls are alcohol related. It makes me want to give up drink all together!
Watched (in fits and starts when my husband came back after a call!) “Marcella” on Netflix. And started “Bleak House” on Amazon, but it’s pretty bleak. Not sure we’ll stick with it. Reading This is a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett, still.
Ok, I’m confused. What social media are you not doing?!?
I have the Gizeh in Birko-flor and they just aren’t that comfy. They’re not as soft or moldable as leather.
I want to read the book, too. I read somewhere that the book is completely different from the show, so hopefully that will help. 🙂
haha. well, i am trying not to look at any social media, but i’ve not been so good at that since i got back from florida, but i took a full-on break during my vacation.
i’m just trying to shift the way I think about social media I guess…i don’t like the way it makes me feel about myself, and my success, but i have complete control over that. I just need to work on it. so, i’ll post on instagram still, every couple of days, or whenever i feel like it, but i’m trying not to follow-up too often, if that makes sense. like usually i’ll check every few minutes or so for comments/likes. THAT is what i don’t like. i like the engagement, and interacting with people there, who don’t leave comments here, but i hate how i feel so tethered to the results of whatever i post (as dacy also pointed out in her comment)
YES. that makes me feel so uncomfortable, and BAD.
i know i’m in charge of how i deal with social media, etc. and how much attention i pay it, but i cannot help but check and re-check to see how many likes or comments posts get, and compare my results to others’. it always makes me feel rather like a whore, for lack of a better word….
First off, love your blog. We have somewhat different styles, but I appreciate the topics you cover with such thoughtfulness.
Second, you look great in this dress. As soon as I saw it, I hopped over to my Nordstrom app, where I scored it for $119! Oddly, it’s no longer on sale, so I’m glad I jumped on it. the color is gorgeous, the poplin holds is shape well, and it has pockets! It’s super tent-like on me, Bc I’m busty, but it’s soooo comfortable and doesn’t touch me anywhere. Perfect for hot humid days.
Thanks for the rec!
no way!! that’s awesome, so glad you scored it 🙂