I’m not the most conventional dresser. I love strange clothes that other people find bizarre (if not straight-up ugly), like these mismatched pants. But there’s one dress I’ve fallen in love with that somehow all my friends, with their wildly varying styles of dressing, agree is “pretty.” I came across it by accident while browsing Matches late one night in bed. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular since I had already splurged on a black slip for all the weddings I have to attend this summer. But as I scrolled through a sea of seasonally appropriate printed caftans and frothy white maxi dresses, I stopped on this moody, dark creation.
The calf-grazing dress is by a brand called the Vampire’s Wife. The two-year-old line is the brainchild of Nick Cave’s spouse, Susie Cave, and features sweeping velvet gowns and delicate candy-colored cardigans. The design of this dress is fairly simple – a fitted silky sheath with shiny blue flowers and two thin straps knotted at the shoulders. It emphasizes my waist without constricting, and skims my hips in a flattering, not-too-tight way. It also adds visual inches to my five-foot-two frame by creating a long, elegant line from my neck down to my ankles. This is a dress you can wear to a family wedding full of judgmental relatives and on date night. Even the most ardent summer goth can agree that’s really all she needs in an outfit.
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