I’ve had my eye on the Free People Feeling Groovy Maxi Dress for a couple of years. It took a pandemic for me to pull the trigger. Quarantine life has me leaning in hard on my ‘comfort is queen’, belief system. But how many pairs of joggers can a girl own? Turns out a lot; however, being a fashion girl, I cannot live in joggers alone. So the Free People dress again caught my eye, and I decided now was the time.
Free People Dress Love
Free People has a wonderful selection of beautiful, loose, and flowy dresses. The sizing is my only issue. You never quite know what size is right with FP items. I purchased this dress in a small as I do with most FP maxi dresses. It fits perfectly. I didn’t want an overly voluminous look, so I sized down from my regular medium. In the smaller size, the dress hangs a little closer to the body but still has enough space to avoid grazing my bum.
The dress has an internal slip that per the online reviews is the main issue with sizing down. The slip fit me fine, but it is a bit snug in the chest. If you like the look of the smaller size dress, but the slip is too tight, you could ditch the provided slip and go with one of your own. I like the Commando Fitted Slip. It is available in two lengths.
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Transitional Dress Picks
A good transitional maxi dress is long enough to cover boots in late fall. It always has sleeves though they can be short or draped. The fabric needs to be light and the pattern should encompass the colors of summer and fall. This dress is available in a beautiful purple but it is too dark for summer. It would be wonderful for winter.
How To Wear Now
Right now, I am wearing this dress around the house. It flows nicely and works with sandals or flip flops. I’ve been wearing the OluKai Kaekae Ko’o Flip Flop. OluKai is my favorite brand of flip flop and the only brand I wear because of years of dealing with Plantar Fasciitis. You can read my post devoted to them here.
My son recently turned 15, and we had a socially distanced family dinner, where I wore this dress. It easily hides the ‘ I just ate a piece of chocolate cake’ belly!
I have to take a moment, and brag..my son’s friends commented on my “cute” style when I wore this dress for his pool party. I give all the props to the dress. It takes a lot to impress a group of 15-year-old girls. These days I can’t do much right in the eyes of my son (terrible teens is a thing), but he was proud his mom got a compliment on her style.
If the oversized style isn’t your thing, this dress looks great belted. I have a short waist and a straight figure, so I avoid belting dresses because it makes my torso look even shorter than it is. You can see the dress belted in the widget above. Adorable!
How to Wear for Fall and Beyond
The days are moving slowly, but the weeks seem to fly. The kids are back in school next week (online), and soon fall will be upon us. It takes at least a couple of months for the weather to cool down in San Diego. This dress is perfect for the transition from summer to fall. When the cooler morning and evenings arrive, I will layer a denim jacket first, keeping the sandals, but as it cools even further, I will swap my jeans jacket for a leather jacket and boots.
I’m wearing the Madewell Washed Leather Jacket in Burnt Sienna. Right now, it is only available in black, but it should be available later in the season in both the color I am wearing and an Oxblood color. The colors sell out fast, so if you want one, pick it up as soon as you see it. I stalked this one for a month or so before finding in my size.
If you are shopping the NSale, I love the All Saints Leather Biker Jacket in Deep Berry or the BlankNYC Suede Jacket in French Taupe. You can check out all my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Picks in my recent post.
Clogs work perfectly with maxi dresses for fall. I’m wearing the Patricia Nash Rafael Shoe. I clipped the dangling zip tie off because it drove me crazy. I also plan to wear with the Everlane Knee High Boot which I picked up at the end of winter. Cream or off-white boots are on-trend for fall, and the quality of Everlane leather is terrific for the price.
Every year about this time, I look for opportunities to transition my closet for fall. Fall is my favorite season for fashion, so I try and extend it for as long as possible. The problem is in SoCal, our hottest months are Sept and Oct. This dress is the perfect solution. It allows me to move on from shorts but gives me the flexibility to deal with our crazy hot fall weather.
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