Happy Saturday!
WHAT’S ON:
Our Summer Piccadilly Dot Collection is on preorder this week! A follow up to our first September 2022 Dot Collection, over the last year we’ve grown to think of our Piccadilly Dot as a wardrobe staple - a foundation to build on for shoulder seasons & high seasons alike.
When I think about dots in fashion, they feel very “sportswear”. Very 80’s. Power skirt suits. Royal Ascot. Wimbledon. Warm weather style. Day & Evening. Boldness & playfulness. Stockard Channing. Princess Diana.
Which is why we were so excited to squeeze in a second run of Piccadilly Dots! We are extremely particular about which dots work, and in which colors (thank you to my years at Ralph Lauren & ODLR). Our original run of MM Navy & White Dots was a safe and sensible bet for September, but we wanted to see if we could push it a bit further for the high months of the Summer season. After all, there is plenty of Summertime for easy, laid back, or more “vacation friendly” clothes. But this time of year, I’m thinking about more buttoned up Summer occasions, and there’s nothing better for that than Dots!
This whole collection is a study in Anglo-American style. To me, there’s almost nothing more summery than a big pot of red geraniums. My mom is an avid gardener and they always lined our window boxes, dancing over huge buntings. And there’s nothing more American, more Fourth of July, more Rhode Island, more Taylor Swift even (dare I say it?!), than a red and white dot shift. Our Louise shift in Geranium - White Multi, with micro scale bindings, is just the cheeriest firework display you could have this Summer.
And as for our MM Navy - White Amy Gown - forget it. I actually intended to release this in November 2022, but with a calendar that was simply too full, I held back to save it for the right time. I ended up making one for a friend early this spring, and when I saw the final product, I knew we had to pull it up to offer for Summer. It’s just about the most classic, nautical, streamlined evening option you could find. We’ve made a few floral versions of Amy, and I’ve never seen it look bad on anyone. But this Piccadilly Dot Amy is the most slimming & striking I’ve seen, and the only gown I’ve made (maybe Black Violette) that I would wear on July 15th and December 31st with equal satisfaction.
You could wear it with a white pashmina, with a white or neutral clutch/shoes, and whatever earrings are your bliss. While shooting this gown last week (oh the joys of trying to evoke summer style in chilly April New York….) I decided on a whim to put my favorite blazer over it. Wow. I loved this unexpected combo and would highly recommend. There’s nothing better for a grown woman than a Blaze Milano Blazer, they’re bar none. I’ve had a few and they are absolutely worth the cost. This one would be great for high summer too. I don’t have this bolero, but it’s definitely been added to the top of my wishlist!
On the Anglo side of things, our Stockard dress is one of my hands down favorites of 2022. Silk Twill is totally luxe, extremely breezy, and provides great coverage for high heat. White - Geranium Multi is perfect for any daytime event, and Tobacco - White is a welcome reprise from traditional wedding guest florals. A great brown is satisfying any time of year. I’d pair this with ballet flats for the work week, espadrilles for an outdoor party, and single sole pumps for the nighttime. It’s my favorite dress to wear to the U.S. Open, and hopefully next year for Wimbledon ;)
WEEKLY INSPIRATION:
April & May are always extremely busy for MM HQ, making Spring webstock & planning/prepping for the summer ahead. Mentally I’m ready to put an X through May 31st and dive into JUNE!
With that in mind - I always make this recipe around this time of year in anticipation of picnic weather. It’s a Barefoot Contessa classic, and one of the few I pretty much follow word for word. I use a baguette instead of boule. It’s always in my family’s refrigerator all summer long.
If you haven’t read this book, (now in paperback!) pick it up for your first beach read, vacation flight, or poolside hang of the season. It’s deliciously easy, dramatic, and summer centric. Any and all Piccadilly Dots certainly fit the bill!
If you’ve already read it, I’ve been exploring Edith Wharton for the first time this year. I read The Buccaneers (it’s like the source material for Downton Abbey) in Miami with our Noir Swim collection (new colors may be in the works, you heard it here first….) and now I’m curious to pick up Custom of the Country. There’s been word for years Sofia Coppola is adapting it into a movie, which I’m very ready for…
I set this post to publish much earlier. I stopped everything to add this. If you’re a Nicole Kidman fan, a 90s fan, a Matt Dillon fan (really, who isn’t?) this movie is a must watch this weekend. I literally just finished it. Wild. When you have an extra minute.
Finally, a few songs of the week. With those poolside paperbacks in mind, and a fresh Saturday ahead, this and this are my ideal to dip my toes in once it’s actually warm enough up east….
Very nice polka dot dresses, I really liked them, especially the MM Navy - White Amy Gown. This dress is so elegant, streamlined, and beautiful that I can't get enough of it.