Summer Dress Chic: Blues & White for Flower Show

On Friday I finally attended an event I’ve been itching to go to for a few years now; the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.  And what a year to pick.  It’s their 25th Anniversary.  If you’re going to do it, do it in style, I say!

Striped dress, parasol, shrug and bag

So what does one wear to a flower show?  Well, pretty much anything goes!  It was hot on Friday; the heatwave was still on ‘furnace’ mode.  Thankfully, not as high as on Wednesday, when temperatures exploded thermometers but still high.  Some folk opted for casual t-shirt and shorts. Others, like me, summer dress chic and then there was everything in between.  I chose a dress because

a) summers in the UK can be ‘blink and you miss ’em’, so I don’t get to wear dresses much
and
b) being a Pilates teacher I can’t exactly rock up to class wearing them!

Side view of Striped blue and white dress against floral display

I bought this little beauty only a couple of months ago.  I was mooching in TKMaxx and as I walked past, it said;

‘Hello, you need to try me on’.

Now,
I’m no fool. I’ve had dresses say this to me time and again, only to be
disappointed in the changing room but this dress was quietly persistent
and I did inwardly go ‘Oooooo’ at the gorgeous blue hues.  Off I duly
trotted to the changing room, dress in hand.

Close up of dress; PetiteSilverVixen

‘Pockets!’, I squealed in delight.  ‘It’s got pockets!’ 

‘I know’, said the dress.  ‘One reason you had to try me on.  I know you love pockets on a dress.’

Look how I’m on tippy toes!  I’m imagining how the dress would look
with heels.  The length was perfect, hitting just below the knee, not
drowning me as so many dresses can do.  It was a done deal really.

Close up of dress with hand in pocket; PetiteSilverVixen

What I really like about the dress is that I could easily wear it to a more formal occasion. I’d give the skirt some poof by putting a petticoat underneath, slip on some heels, pop on a fascinator,
grab a sparkly clutch and voilà, wedding here we come.

But what made my day, was when a lady walked by me and said ‘that’s such a pretty dress’.

Blue and white striped dress; PetiteSilverVixen

The dress has a 50’s feel to it with the a-line skirt and the box pleats.  Although the material is cotton, it has some weight to it, so the skirt holds its shape.  I like that the horizontal stripes are different widths which is visually more interesting and more flattering than block stripes.  Plus, they don’t make me look as if I’m wearing a skirt made of hula hoops.

And the pockets.  I did mention the pockets, didn’t I?

Close up of skirt; PetiteSilverVixen

White Necklace; PetiteSilverVixen

This was a day for a wide-brimmed sun hat, worn at a slightly jaunty angle.  This hat holds special memories for me.  I bought it in Australia on honeymoon 5 years ago and it’s served me well.

You can scrunch, squash and squish it into a suitcase but it still pings back into shape every time.  It’s even washable!

Head and torso shot of dress; PetiteSilverVixen

They were selling parasols at the show.  Although my sun hat and shrug protected my arms, the parasol helped to lessen the intensity of the sun.  There’s precious little shade in the park of Hampton Court Palace.

Dress and Blue Parasol; PetiteSilverVixen

Blue Parasol; PetiteSilverVixen

Dress: Kew from TKMaxx
Shrug: Peacocks: SS14
Necklace: Dorothy Perkins
White Sandals: New Look       Bag: Debenhams

And the flower show itself?  INCREDIBLE!

I’ll be writing a separate post about it as some of the gardens were spectacular.  In the meantime, here’s the Equilibrium Garden.  It won Gold and Best Conceptual Garden.

Equilibrium Garden at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

The upright groynes, sculpted by the sea and bleached by the sun represent a henge.  Ancient Britons built many henges – the most famous one being Stonehenge.  They were spiritual structures linked to the movements of the sun and moon, especially the solstice and equinox.  The design reflects these ideas and walking around it you certainly felt a sense of equilibrium. 

Linking with: /  Turning Heads Tuesday  /  Style Swap Tuesday  /  Confident Twosday  /  Garay Treasures  / StylelixirTARDIS Tuesday  /  The Wednesday Pants  /  What I Wore  /  The Wednesday Blog Hop  /  High Latitude Style  /  Passion 4 Fashion  /  Fashion Should Be Fun 

42 Comments

  1. July 7, 2015 / 6:57 pm

    Oh beautiful!!!! This is definitely an unmissable dress!! You look charming and with the parasol, blue heaven! Pockets!!!!xxx

    • July 7, 2015 / 9:00 pm

      Thanks Kezzie, it is unmissable, isn't it? I knew you'd appreciate the pockets!

  2. July 7, 2015 / 9:35 pm

    Oh, my stars! That dress! That utterly brilliant dress! I am soooo jealous of you right now! Pockets?! Be still my heart! And I even like it without the belt, frankly. That parasol looks sturdy – it's not a paper affair à la Japanese parasols, is it? I want one of yours; mine's so flimsy! Double jealous! 😀

    • July 8, 2015 / 9:52 pm

      You made me smile with your opening sentences, Maricel. I agree, looking back at it, I'd wear it without the belt. The parasol is sturdy as the handle is wooden. I was abit tired by the end of the day after holding it for about 6 hours but that's a small price to pay! It's material rather than paper.

    • July 8, 2015 / 9:54 pm

      It's a great shape. Rare to find one that fits my height and hourglass body so well! It was a great day out. Lived up to any expectations I had and more. I hope to visit it next year!

  3. July 8, 2015 / 7:56 am

    The perfect summer dress and with pockets, so rare. The hat and bolero lovely finishing touches. The parasol both so pretty as well as functional. As a gardener I really enjoyed your garden show pictures.

    • July 8, 2015 / 9:57 pm

      I wish more dresses had pockets but I guess it comes down to expense alot of the time. Pop back again soon, Jill as I'll be posting on the medal winning gardens with lots more photos; there were some beautiful ones on show. Thanks for stopping by.

    • July 8, 2015 / 10:08 pm

      Thanks Irene. I loved wearing it so much I didn't want to take it off when we got home!

  4. July 8, 2015 / 8:45 pm

    That is a gorgeous dress, I love a dress with pockets too! I really love all the pretty flowers in the background as well!

    • July 8, 2015 / 9:58 pm

      Thanks Amy, good to find another lover of pockets! The floral displays were stunning.

  5. July 8, 2015 / 10:46 pm

    Looks like such a fun event! I really love the dress you chose, the shades of blue are all so pretty! I love the stripe detailing and all the white accents.

    Denise | Fashion Love Letters

    • July 9, 2015 / 3:23 pm

      Thanks Denise. It was, and not just flowers, there were jazz bands playing, a food tent with demonstrations from chefs, a real day out. I felt it best to keep it simple with just the blues and white.

  6. July 9, 2015 / 9:27 am

    Indeed, such a pretty dress! I would buy it myself! So lovely stripes and colour and design! And of course, those pockets! Love the parasol, too, what a beauty! I have been at the Hampton Court flower show once, loved it!

    • July 9, 2015 / 3:24 pm

      I'm NOT selling it , Olga! LOL! That's amazing you've also been. It's fantastic, isn't it? I'm so glad I finally made it.

  7. July 9, 2015 / 12:59 pm

    Your dress is beautiful! Even better that it has pockets, I love a dress with pockets! 🙂 Great purchase.

    Looks like a nice day out at the flower show!

    Thank you for linking up with The Wednesday Pants 🙂

    Away From The Blue

  8. July 9, 2015 / 1:53 pm

    Don't you just hate it when clothes boss you around and make you try them on…happens to me all of the time! Good thing you listened this time though. The dress is beautiful on you and pockets…seriously, who can say no to pockets?
    Debbie
    http://www.fashionfairydust.com

    • July 9, 2015 / 3:26 pm

      Ah, you and me both then, Debbie. Some clothes get REALLY bossy, but I didn't mind this time round. Exactly, pockets rule!

  9. July 9, 2015 / 10:59 pm

    Perfect, a dress with pockets, so rare, so wonderful. And the parasol is quite pretty, too.

    • July 10, 2015 / 4:59 pm

      It is rare, isn't it? I think from now on, every dress I buy will have to have pockets!

  10. July 10, 2015 / 2:39 am

    Love the dress! You look like a proper British lady. What happened? LOL Joking!!! ; P

    And I'm with you all the way on pockets! They need to be included in everything.

    I can't wait for your photos of the gardens.

    bisous
    Suzanne

    • July 10, 2015 / 5:03 pm

      Ha, ha, not quite, Suzanne. I should be wearing little white silk gloves, like they did in the 1950s. Then I'd be a proper British lady. Do give me a curtsey. Garden photos coming soon!

  11. July 10, 2015 / 5:03 pm

    This looks like an amazing time. Love it, as when I go into the store, I only buy pieces that "speak to me". Perfect look and look forward to additional flower pics from the show! You look lovely

    Thanks for linking up with Turning Heads Tuesday!
    jess xx
    http://www.elegantlydressedandstylish.com

    • July 11, 2015 / 9:03 pm

      Great minds then, as this one certainly spoke loud and clear! Thanks Jess.

  12. July 10, 2015 / 5:25 pm

    You look stunning, the dress is so cute and it suits you. I love a dress with pockets, even though I'm not sure I have one.

  13. July 12, 2015 / 2:31 am

    I love that dress! It has two of my fav features … and fit and flare silhouette and pockets! So pretty! Thanks for sharing this with Fun Fashion Friday. Can't wait to see what you wear next week! 😀

    OXOX
    Dawn Lucy
    http://fashionshouldbefun.blogspot.com

    • July 19, 2015 / 10:58 am

      You can't go wrong with fit and flare, can you? It's such a flattering silhouette.

  14. July 13, 2015 / 6:04 am

    Thanks for linking up to Top of the World Style. Your dress is aqwesome and you look stunning in that dress!

    • July 19, 2015 / 10:58 am

      Thanks Nicole. I felt pretty stunning in to which is rare with dresses for me.

  15. August 3, 2015 / 6:59 pm

    Love this blue dress. Great length and don't we all just love finding those surprise pockets! Great blog x

    • August 5, 2015 / 1:52 pm

      Thanks Anna, yes I always look for pockets and am so pleased when I find them!

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