This dress is amazing! Certainly would fit a “hippie” theme.
Higher cost does not always equal more flattering. I agree that if you can wear a piece of clothing more often, it can justify spending more. I just don’t agree that you have to spend more to find something flattering.
@VaBluebird , wow, that is cool! Don’t know if it would flatter my body (any ideas?), but I would sure feel lovely running through the redwoods in it … don’t want to outshine the bride, of course. 
Wow–so many attractive pieces to consider. Might be nice to get free shipping ones sent to you, especially if they’re on sale and free shipping each way, so you can try on and see how they look.
Just a caveat to pay attention to return shipping prices and dates if it isn’t free shipping both ways. Shipping charges can REALLY add up, especially if there are several stores and outfits. Lots of time to ponder, but fashions change and selection may shrink if you wsit too long and they start bringing in next season’s stuff that may be warmer and not as breezy and flowing as these.
Suggestion:
@soozievt Very pretty .
That dress is beautiful, @VaBluebird! I am pretty sure the venue for the upcoming wedding is pretty close to where my s’s wedding was last summer. the summer event was up in the mountains, and it got cold at night.
Chiming in to agree with the others in that I like the chicos dress. I haven’t bought much at chicos but I was in the store last week and really liked some of the new spring items they had.
The thing I find appealing at chicos and at J Jill is that they seems to either have dresses or tops that have a sleeve to cover those larger than we wants arms. Or that the dresses they have that are sleeveless have coverage options (either sweaters or jackets or a shawl).
I love the idea of a light sweater over a dress. I wear that look a lot.
Love the dress @VaBluebird. I can see wearing that with a silk or slightly lacy shawl thrown around the shoulders.
@jollymama, I love the navy modcloth dress! I imagine it would look good on a lot of body types, but check the reviews to make sure the waist is stretchy. You could pair that with a shimmery shawl and a very dramatic necklace. The price is certainly good and you could wear the dress for many other things.
But definitely read the reviews carefully. My daughter and I are modcloth shoppers, and we have found that their quality, cut and sizing are all over the map.
There was not a lot of stretch in that dress-I could barely breathe in the longline bra I’d wedged myself into. I just checked the tag-it is 100% polyester.
That is a beautiful dress, and the handkerchief hem is so pretty!
In the picture it’s beautiful, but if you scroll down and look at the comments some people are having issues with the horizontal ruching at the waist. As somebody who sews and wears a lot of dresses, I am not a fan of ruching just at the waist-it adds bulk.
The problem with this cardigan is that it is silk and linen, so it’s going to wrinkle and it has no give-if you have heavy upper arms, it’s going to squeeze you there, and all the folds of fabric on the front are going to add bulk that you don’t want. It looks good on super skinny tall girls (like my daughters, who wear these a lot), but it doesn’t translate well to other body shapes.
If price point is a consideration, OP, you might want to look at high end consignment shops. I got that dress I posted at a consignment shop, and it was less than half the price it would have been new, and it still had the tags on it. Especially for something I only tend to wear once (although I’ve ended up wearing the beige/black dress a few times because I love it so much), I will hit up a consignment shop first every time.
That’s a great suggestion, motherofdragons. I had very specific color requirements for my kids’ graduations and associated events, and got many of my dresses from upscale consignment.
I really find the Modcloth customer pictures hugely helpful. The park bench dress looks quite good on everyone except the largest shortest woman. The I love your dress- in navy I think really only looks good on the very slim models.
I love my Modcloth dresses, but they are more sundress type cheerful summery cotton prints and one that’s a cotton brocade. Do read the reader comments, they really get into how things are sized.
That dress is beautiful, @VaBluebird! I am pretty sure the venue for the upcoming wedding is pretty close to where my s’s wedding was last summer. the summer event was up in the mountains, and it got cold at night. >>>>>>>>>
Oh, yeah, too cold for that dress. But isn’t it cute? I really love it.
Thanks to all for getting me to think about a dress for an outdoor graduation in May on the East Coast ! If OP is still checking, look at the brand Loveappella @ Nordstroms. They have a nice comfortable V neck maxi that is inexpensive and could be dressed up or down with a shawl or cardigan. Comes in about 6 colors.
“The problem with this cardigan is that it is silk and linen, so it’s going to wrinkle and it has no give-if you have heavy upper arms, it’s going to squeeze you there, and all the folds of fabric on the front are going to add bulk that you don’t want. It looks good on super skinny tall girls (like my daughters, who wear these a lot), but it doesn’t translate well to other body shapes.”
Nope. I have a lot of EF cardigans, her silk/linen fabric is like no other. It drapes well and is lovely all around. It does not wrinkle!!! None of those issues whatsoever. And I am neither tall not skinny.
fun, flowy top with cool jewelry (Charming Charlies or Kendra Scott) and a skirt with wedge sandals. But what do I know…I am not sure I understand fun and fabulous. They also put Texas chic at the bottom here and I never know what that means either.
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@jollymama, there is a Chico’s code today for 50% off items over $100. Use code 95553. If you sign up for their passport (free) it’s another 5%. You could order and if you don’t like it return to a store.