Dakota Dress: Igigi

Shoes: Softwalk via Shoebuy

While temperatures descend into autumn here in Australia (we’ll just disregard the fact it was 30 degrees two days ago) our friends in the UK and the USA are starting to see the first signs of a long-awaited spring.

My favourite online stores are full of bright colours and floral prints in anticipation of the warmer months, but I’m particularly enamoured of this Dakota Dress from Igigi.

The impressionistic rose print reminds me of gorgeous overblown peony roses, and while it’s obviously part of Igigi’s new spring line I think the dusky hues suit Autumn just as well. Once the weather gets cooler I’ll be adding my rusetty brown cardigan, and knee length boots.

The dress is fully lined which gives a lovely smooth line, and both dress and lining are made of a stretchy fabric that ensures it’s comfortable, ultra-wearable, and bullet proof as far as crushing and creases go. This is the kind of dress you can shove into your carry-on suitcase, and it’ll come out looking like it’s fresh off the hanger.

The dress is a mock wrap with a ruched waistband and a panel at the front that falls in a waterfall drape from your hip.

It gives a bit more movement and dimension to what would otherwise be a flat pencil skirt, and coupled with the double layer of lining helps to disguise a rounded tummy (if that’s a thing you want to do!)

It’s got a similar bodice to Igigi’s lovely Adelle dress, which I loved for the cunning elasticised crossover bodice that allows you to generate some spectacular cleavage, without flashing your bra up and down the neighbourhood.

You might recognise my little bow necklace as the Charis necklace that I mentioned I was lusting after when I was first introduced to The Jewel Collective.

The bright white sapphires sparkle against the lightly oxidised sterling silver of the bow and chain, giving the piece a lovely old-world vintagey feel that you don’t often find in contemporary jewellery. It’s named for the Greek goddess Charis, who was one of the three Charites, and stood for kindness and grace, which I think are two virtues to aspire to.

The lovely lady behind The Jewel Collective, Sian, was kind enough to give me a sneak peek into her upcoming new line when she visited Melbourne a few weeks ago, and there’s some beautiful pieces on their way.

In the meanwhile this classic-yet-modern little bow is the perfect complement to a classic-yet-modern dress, don’t you agree?

I’ve just arrived back from my last interstate trip of the year; this time to Perth to visit my WA sales team, and spend some time with my beautiful little sister.

Waiting for me when I got home were two lovely new dresses from Igigi’s range of party frocks: a glam, sequinned version of their classic “Francesca” dress, and a chiffon polkadot adaptation of the “Adelle”.

We’re deep into Party Season now, and it’s great to have a couple of pretty new LBDs up my sleeve for the celebrations.

Francesca Dress: Igigi

The Francesca’s a lovely cut that I’ve had my eye on for a while, so when this sparkly version hit the store I leapt at the chance to try it. It’s heavily embroidered with a swirly sequinned pattern that’s also available in the super glamorous, floor length Angelica gown. With elbow length sleeves this fully lined frock is perfect for cooler climes, and the striking fabric can play up the elegance factor without needing accessories.

I teamed it with black pumps and basic jewellery, and just let the fabric sing. The sweetheart neckline and crossover bodice can be worn wide on the shoulders bardot-style, or pulled up to frame collar bones.

The sequinned version is definitely a nighttime dress, but it also comes in a range of other colours and patterns including an absolutely killer red, and a smashing leopard-print which is no-doubt on the wish list of more than a few fashionistas out there.

If you’re looking for something a little less OTT (or if your Christmas Party season is shaping up to be a hot one!) you might like to check out the Adelle Dress.

Adelle Dress – Igigi

The Adelle dress has the same crossover bodice as the Francesca, but with cunning little cap sleeves, and a little elastic inserted into the edges of the neckline, so that it follows the contours of your bust without revealing more than you want it to. It’s a really clever design feature, and something I’d love to see in more wrap/crossover bodices.

The effect is good-golly-miss-molly excellent cleavage that didn’t need to be pinned or double-sided sticky taped into place.

The dress is a lot lighter than the Francesca, the bodice a double-lined jersey, and the skirt featuring a polkadot chiffon overlay.

The empire cut elongates my legs and works with my short-waisted figure. It’s fun and flirty, and ultra comfortable to wear.

I played up the vintage-retro vibe, and teamed it with pearls and nude shoes, but it’s one of those dresses that could go classic or contemporary, depending on the accessories you teamed it with.

The fit was a little smaller too, which was good. Often the Igigi dresses are just a smidgen too big for me, but this one was perfect, so if you’re an inbetweenie who’s never been able to wear Igigi before this could be the style for you. There’s a gorgeously decadent version heavily embroidered in gold, and the floral and sheer geometric versions are currently included in the 40% off sale.