A Della Dress

Kate wearing A Della Dress shirtdress in her own style with tights. Love this.

Here's a post I've been meaning to write forever and it seems something always comes up and I don't get to. Now that summer is here I finally have had a few moments to look around and take stock of the home and my wardrobe. One thing I am really noticing lately is that the quality things I have purchased in the last decade or so are still with me, still stylish and give me more joy than ever to wear and use. The things I fling willy nilly into my home and wardrobe from some mindless shopping are just taking up space. What was so coveted in the dressing room is greatly disappointing me once home and I end up reaching for the older and quality pieces that always look great. I'm rambling a bit here, but it brings me to one sound investment I made this year,  A Della Dress.

Bonnie in the sheath with sleeves in a gorgeous red at the holidays.

Last Fall, my friend Bonnie, a mother at our school, invited me to a trunk show at her house. I really had no idea what to expect. Turns out Bonnie has a dear friend Andrea who lives in Pacific Palisades and recently started her own design business. Her friend, Andrea Dyke realized there was a real need for the super flattering A-line dresses of the 1960s that were worn by Jackie Kennedy and so many. She had a vintage Marimekko shift dress that she had worn out and could not replace. Andrea decided there was a niche to be filled and has done it brilliantly, setting up her own atelier and design team in Los Angeles. A Della Dress is based on 3 versatile A-line shapes. They are a shift, a sheath and a shirt-dress.  Andrea travels all over doing trunk shows in California, and even up in Canada where she hails from.

Andrea wearing one of her dresses with a jean jacket. Doesn't she look chic?

I was intrigued that I could have a custom dress that was very affordable (they start at $70) and unique. I tried several dresses at Bonnie's home and finally settled on a shirt dress in a pale blue grey with a light plaid print. I also chose my buttons and decided I'd like tabs on the back too. When my dress came, I felt like a princess. I had never had a dress made so beautifully, except for the frocks my grandmother made me as a little girl. The quality of my dress, the seams, the shape, all of it were amazing. I have enjoyed wearing this shirt dress a ton and have had so many compliments on it. I have worn it with boots, a scarf and a coat in Winter and with sandals and chunky necklaces in Spring and Summer.  It just hit me this week in my closet purge that I need to order a shift dress. The one I am thinking of will be sleeveless in her Malibu fabric or maybe the Hollywood aqua with on seam pockets. Now this is something worth spending your hard earned money on! What am I thinking with another mindless trip to the mall? It's lovely to have something made just for you, that you had a hand in customizing and is made so beautifully. I also love that it's made right here in California! Check out the photos below to see some of Andrea's fans in their dresses...

Jenna Bunnell is an event coordinator for Hermes. Here she is at one of the events wearing the sheath dress in boardroom brown, I love her hair and accessories.

One of the shifts on Kathleen in a lovely fabric at the Prado in Spain.

The shirtdress on Holly in navy pique with a belt and she's holding the shift in Malibu fabric.

Helene, sent Andrea Marimekko fabric from the Manhattan store so she could make a shift dress. Here she wears it after yoga with boots and a leather jacket. You too can send them a fabric you love to  be made into a dress.
Deborah below is wearing an African Safarai Khaki Shirtdress on her bike!

These ladies, Andee and Pam are wearing shirt dresses with seersucker linings and double wrap belts.

Diane looks fabulous in the sheath in the Hollywood fabric! Below she's in the same with another fabric.

Some of the printed shifts.

A sheath on Alicia with a wrapping belt.

The fabric of my beloved dress. Isn't it pretty?

How I was wearing my shirtdress on Easter.

Another customer in the style and fabric I bought. She wears a belt and boots with it.

Some of the fabric choices for Summer.

You can check out Andrea's great website here. Make sure you click on A Della Dress in Action to see all the lovely ladies who already own her dresses. I have gotten to know Andrea better over email and I just love her. She's so smart and funny and really a cool lady. If you live near Los Angeles, you can even visit her Atelier, in Pacific Palisades, where she lives. She also does custom made to fit orders.

The view from Andrea's Atelier! Who wouldn't love to bring a friend and shop here?

Kim :)