There are some dresses that are befitting a love story. Those who you spot across a crowded internet and fall in breathless, immediate love with. This dress, appropriately named the “Embroidery Dress: Summer Love 1951” captured my heart the moment I clapped eyes on her and is likely to be a love story for the ages…
Something I’ve been struggling with lately is allowing myself to still feel joy over the little things. The world has pretty much devolved into chaos, depressing at best to downright terrifying at worst. But, I’ve realized the importance of allowing yourself to see the slivers of hope, the silver linings, the small moments that can still shine despite the more difficult stuff. To fall in love with moments, even when those on either side are less than perfect. To be open to joy, so that when the most perfect dress walks into your life, even though days of stretchy tops and pajamas pants lay in its wake, you embrace it like an old friend. You zip it up and straighten your spine, and get ready to fight the good fight…
If you’ve never heard of Prettie Lanes before, they are an online shop based in Zurich that specializes in 1940’s & 1950’s inspired bespoke garments. Franziska Schlupski (Fran) is the lovely designer and owner of this magical corner of the web, and one click and I have no doubt you will also fall down the rabbit hole of vintage inspired perfection.
Fran truly makes garments like no other – one of the reasons why I love them so much is that they harbor the details that I always look for in true vintage. Metal zippers, often hand-finished hems and facings, and tiny details. Their mission statement, “Vintage look teamed with modern values,” speaks to my soul and makes me proud to support such an incredible female-owned small business.
After my first purchase from Fran, I immediately fell in love with her designs, her craftsmanship, her attention to detail. So, when the Summer Love 1951 dress appeared before my joy-starved retinas, I knew it was time to make another one of her creations mine. Fran does both ready to wear sizes and made-to-measure garments, which really help you get that fit of dreams. After a quick flurry of messages back and forth with Fran to accommodate my extra long torso, my dress went into creation and I patiently waited for the folds of red embroidered perfection to find their way to me from Switzerland.
When she arrived she took my breath away – she was perfect in the fit and the construction (literally at the measurements provided to the mm), and almost needed a moment of silence to drink it all in. Everything, from the vibrant color to the placement of the pattern, was perfection, and just what I needed in a world so often tinged with grey.
Fran has very limited runs of her dresses, so if you see one that speaks to you, it’s always wise to pounce sooner rather than later – this beauty is currently on the last restock, starting at ~$307 USD. Although the prices of Fran’s garments may seem a bit daunting at first, they are absolutely worth saving your pennies for. It is so important to invest in quality and a piece that will last you a lifetime, handmade with love.
I’ve been feeling the final days of summer slip through my fingers this week, relinquishing itself to long sleeves and wooly socks. But when I slipped this dress on this morning, it was like wearing the perfect love letter to a favorite season almost passed…
This week is a big one for love and milestones – Today is a huge day in the life of my career. My Department is voting on whether or not to award me tenure. This is pretty much the pinnacle moment for an academic, culminating decades of work. While there are a bunch of other things that will happen after the vote (its won’t be “official” until early January) tonight’s kind of the night. Do or Die. Love it or List it….
So, I’m doing what I always do: going a little over the top in terms of my preparations, going a little over the top in terms of my dress, and going WAY over the top in terms of my nerves. But, much like love, the butterflies are a good indicator that you really, truly care and are invested in a person, a place, a career.
Stay tuned….
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Dress: custom made by Prettie Lanes
Necklace: gift, Firefly
Handbag: Veracious Vintage (similar)
gloves: Modern Millie’s (similar here)
Shoes: Lola Ramona, via Kinks & Quirks
Lip Color: Dior Rouge 634
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Any items marked with a “c/o” (courtesy of) a retailer mean I was provided with an item for free in exchange for a review and/or feature on my blog. I always provide my honest opinion of any item I’m reviewing, regardless of whether it was sent to me as a courtesy item or if I purchased it myself. In addition, this post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you click and/or make a purchase through certain links or ads on this site, I may make a commission from that click and/or purchase at no cost to you, which helps with the day-to-day running costs of my blog.