The Burnt Ochre Dress from Last Summer & Spread The Kindness Link Up On the Edge #756
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what are a thousand pictures worth? According to the principles of mathematics, the answer would be one million words. Although I am certain that I could write one million words, I don’t really feel like it. And you probably have little interest in reading the one million words that my very noisy and chaotic brain would string together anyway. So I will leave you with some words (far less than one million) and many pictures (a lot but much fewer than a thousand) of little ole me wearing one of my favorite summer dresses.
Last summer, I purchased this dress in deep black with a batik sun print and I loved it so much that I ordered it in a pink retro autumn blossom floral print as well as this solid burnt ochre. I haven’t worn the pink floral one yet but I will definitely share it here when I do. As much as I love the black batik and the pink floral print, this burnt ochre dress has emerged as my very favorite of the three. When I bought it, I never imagined all the things in my wardrobe that it coordinates with.
If you recall, I wore this burnt ochre dress with an orange and green floral kimono robe for our last Style Imitating Art challenge. I have also styled this orange dress with a black butterfly print kimono robe which I will share soon to showcase the versatility of this dress in my wardrobe.
I wore this particular outfit in September for the drive home from our weekend date in Troy, New York. We took these photographs at a pull off spot on the side of the road which led to a hiking trail entrance.
For this simple bohemian styling of my burnt ochre dress, I wore this floral kimono robe which I always perceived as a red on black floral print. Upon closer inspection, however, the flowers actually are more orange than red and coordinate perfectly with the color of this dress.
There are tiny bits of green in the floral print so I wore my oversized green straw hat and my olive green Birkenstocks. To complete a true boho look, I wore my big feather earrings and then I layered on my tree of life necklace, my wooden owl pendant, my Shelbee mala beads, and my green mala beads (which have since broke, thereby also breaking my heart).
This outfit combination of a long dress and kimono robe is my go-to formula for the warmer months. When the weather starts heating up and the humidity increases, it is time to put my leggings away for the season and pull out all of my sundresses. I am not a big of fan of shorts and while I love big flowy loose fitting pants they are not really fans of me, so my summertime wardrobe consists mainly of long dresses and lightweight robes for sun protection.
My style aesthetic definitely changes with the seasons. Does yours?
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Keeping it on the edge,
Shelbee
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
18 Comments
Laura Bambrick
Sounds like a good buy for you! It’s a great color on you and I love how it coordinates with the kimono!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Laura! It really was a great buy. And so comfortable, too!
xoxo
Shelbee
Anne M Bray
Lovely! And remember… orange and green are good friends.
Honored to be the Reader Favorite!
The artist (Amy Ahlstrom) asked to take my portrait in front of her quilt, and I’m so glad she did!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thank you so very much, my friend! I love that photo of you in front of Amy’s quilt! Have a lovely weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Di
That’s a beautiful dress Shelbee, and it fits right in with your boho style! I love the colorful kimono and all of your fun layers to make this outfit special and your own. A frustrating thing that I have experienced when ordering multiples, is that I buy something I really love then order it in another color, only to find the fit is different. I guess it might be because different colors are manufactured different factories to different standards. Anyway, thanks for sharing and hosting the link up and hope you have a great weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Di! I don’t think I have ever had a problem with different fits when ordering multiples. But I can see how that might happen and be very frustrating. My biggest peeve with sizing is in shoes. I know that clothing manufacturers’ sizing is all over the place but I feel like shoe sizing should be 100% standardized and it is not. Some brands I need a 10, some an 11, and other brands I have needed a size 12. I used to wear a size 9. I don’t know if my feet have gotten bigger or if shoe sizing has just changed that much over the years. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sally in St Paul
Isn’t it interesting how we can’t always anticipate what purchases will become workhorses in our wardrobes? One thing I’ve noticed for myself is that a solid colored piece in a color I don’t really have much of sometimes unlocks a gazillion new outfit options as I start pairing it with different print pieces. And since adding a dress is like adding a matching top/bottom, you don’t even need to have another solid to work with – you can just start playing with your print garments and various accessories! And I currently have ZERO solid dresses in my closet, haha! I think that may be something to rectify after my No Buy 2025 is over.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Sally. I am generally surprised at which wardrobe items emerge as workhorses. I never would have thought an orange dress would be that, but it certainly has proven itself worthy! I thought I would wear the black batik sun printed more but that is not the case. I love when thrifted items turn into valuable wardrobe workhorses, too. That makes my heart really happy…when something costs close to nothing and turns out to be invaluable! Since you are not buying anything in new in 2025, I might have to clean my closet and send you some of my unwanted things! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Marsha Banks
I know green is your favorite color, but, gosh, this burnt ochre color is so gooood!!! And, that kimono looks like it was made for just this dress as it fans out across the back. It’s so good when we find things that make our hearts sing, isn’t it? I love the green accents, too. Thanks so much for the feature and the link up!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Aww, thanks so much, Marsha! Green will always be my favorite color but recently teals, purples, oranges, and yellows are winning me over! My skin tone has changed a bit in recent years, making these colors much more flattering on me than they used to be. I like being able to add more and more bright and bold colors to my wardrobe. I want to live the second half of my life as colorfully as possible!
xoxo
Shelbee
Your True Self
Hi, Shelbee – What a great look! I love this outfit formula and how you paired the dress & duster kimono. The hat really gives it character. You’ve got a very strong personal style that shows your true self/personality. Oh, yes, and your calculations were a refreshing introduction! – Angie, http://www.yourtrueselfblog.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Angie, thanks so much, my friend! This is absolutely my go-to outfit formula for the warmer months. My mathematics introduction had me giggling so I am glad you enjoyed it! Have a lovely weekend.
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
What a very beautiful dress and such a amazing colour. It’s such a warm colour. Enjoy your weekend!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Nancy! I hope you enjoyed your holiday!
xoxo
Shelbee
Amy Johnson
Its a beautiful dress. I love the color. Thanks for the party.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Amy! Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Looking very nice and the dress and everything fits well with the background. Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick! I really appreciate that. I hope you have a wonderful week as well!
xoxo
Shelbee