Story

The Wallflower is my favorite dress in our entire FW16 collection. After a dress I had planned for the collection did not work out the way I intended, I was at a loss for what to replace it with. I knew I wanted a dress with short, flowy sleeves and a bias-cut skirt that hit below the knees, but I couldn't figure out what other design elements to include. As with many problems, the answer to often lies within — in this case, it happened to lie within my wardrobe, in which hung a vintage wrap dress I've had for years but had only recently rediscovered.

That vintage dress has a lot of problems, it being poorly constructed and in minor disrepair among them, but its main problem is that I find it difficult to wear without accidentally flashing someone throughout the day, due to either the too-loose surplice top or the skirt without enough overlap. I realized it would be simple to make a wrap dress that was elegant and figure-flattering but also modest, so I sat down at my drafting table and designed the Wallflower. With a fitted bodice and just enough skirt overlap to avoid a sartorial disaster, the Wallflower is the wrap dress of my dreams.

Design Details

• Main fabric: 100% silk crepe de Chine
• Lining: 100% silk crepe de Chine
• Designed, cut, and sewn in Arkansas, USA
• Full wrap dress with two-button closure on waist
• Fully lined
• Semi-fitted bodice and waist; bust darts for shaping
• Two slash pockets in front
• Skirt is cut on the bias for extra flowiness
• Waist tie is not pre-tied and is attached to dress in the back
• Measures 40" long
• Hand wash cold, line dry, cool iron as needed (learn more about garment care here)

Materials

This dress is made of 100% silk crepe de Chine from China. It is a heavier weight of silk (16.5mm) that has been stone washed to give it a perfectly matte look. When I first laid eyes and hands on this silk, I knew it was the one — never before had I seen and felt something so amazingly luxe with perfect drape.

I hand-dyed this silk using acid dyes; I call it Almost Black because if you wear it with something other than black, it'll look perfectly black, but if you pair it with a true black you'll see it look a bit more blue-grey. As with all hand-dyed fabrics, each batch I dye turns out slightly differently (that's part of the fun of it!), so if you are super concerned about the color, please contact us before placing an order.

The dress is self-lined — i.e., it is lined with the same fabric as used on the outside.

In addition to the silk, this style uses 100% silk thread, two vintage mother-of-pearl buttons, and organic cotton labels.

Fit

Take a look at our Size Guide to find your size.

The Wallflower is fitted in the waist and the bust, so use your waist and bust measurements when determining your size. If your measurements fall in between sizes, I recommended sizing down.

Alyssa is wearing a size Small and is 5'8" with a 35" bust, 26" waist, and 37" hip.