I am slightly averse to dressing up for parties. If you’re out for a good time, do you really want to be nervous of doing a TOWIE-style arm jiggle on the dance floor because your strapless dress/off the shoulder top might create a scene? I’m not the sort that enjoys spending the whole afternoon getting ready either.
But I do want to look fabulous, just in five minutes flat.
And I want to wear something gorgeous, but with longevity, who has the need for a ‘party dress’ section in their wardrobe anyway, unless you are Joan Collins or one of the actors in The Crown? Or am I just not going out enough? Jane told me she went out to a party last week until 3.00am, I can’t remember the last time I was out that late at a party.
Anyway, recently I was introduced to a Lily & Lionel dress that I thought was nigh on perfect. And here’s the thing that most pleased me, it’s kind of a Super Moon dress, the print features stars and moons (admittedly not full moons) on a midnight back ground, so couldn’t be more suitable for this witchy-moon week (did anyone actually get to see it?)
Lily & Lionel creates its own prints in house and you may already have come across the brand through its very popular scarves, sold in Liberty, among others.
Image via vogue.com
It would work both as a Christmas party dress and for other less smart events throughout the party season, and then could move into next season as a summer dress. It has a bang-on-trend 70s vibe and is made from a lovely sheer voile with a detachable slip lining. It’s easy to wear due to its relaxed shape so is sized S, M, L and is made in the UK. It costs £200 and although this isn’t cheap, I think it could be excellent value when you consider how many times you might wear it over the next year. The 70s aren’t going anywhere in terms of trend.
Find out more at the Lily&Lionel website.
Lovely, lovely print and dress. I wonder if they do it in a slightly shorter length? & Yes! Eldest Son and I watched it from the top landing window before the cloudy weather set in. It was surrounded by a huge ,glowing, doughnut shaped, rainbow-like ring. Mesmerising. Or maybe we just need to get out more…
I can always rely on you TWR! I too am rather averse to a long frock, but a party approaches and needs must. I think it’s going to be perfect. Job done. Thank you x
P.S. Any chance of a velvet jacket edit …?
and it has sleeves and no sequins!
Glad it hit the spot womenfolk..a velvet jacket edit eh? Will give it some thought Ax
I ordered this dress, but was intensely disappointed. I felt the quality of the fabric was very poor for the price. Such a shame – looks lovely in the photos
Lovely, lovely print and dress. Thanks for sharing
Haha, “fabulous in five minutes flat” is exactly my approach too — and that dress is stunning. The moon print on midnight is perfect for party season, and the fact it doubles as a summer dress makes the £200 much easier to justify. Adding Lily & Lionel to my list, love that they print in-house.
One practical tip: when I post outfit photos to Instagram stories, square shots always come out with black bars or a crop that cuts off the dress. I use a free in-browser image stretcher (image stretcher.io) that adjusts width and height independently, so the photo fills the whole story frame without losing the outfit — and there’s no upload, which is a bonus. Makes the “five minutes” part actually true.
Lovely find, thanks for sharing!