A Letter From Michelle: The Debbie
A Letter From Michelle
When did we start asking whether we’re too old for the clothes we still love?
On the six things that made me take the Debbie, how it compares to the other dress you were shown, and why it is $69.95.
I am Michelle, and my husband and I opened this shop twenty years ago with one idea: that a woman should not have to choose between comfortable and beautiful.
What I did not expect was how often the thing in the way would be the woman herself. She takes a dress off the rail, likes it — and puts it back, not because it is wrong but because she has decided she is too old for it. Nobody told her that. She arrived at it on her own, and now it decides what she wears to dinner.
I never accepted that a woman had to choose.
The Debbie is the dress I would hand her. There were six things I would not do without.
A zip at the neck, so you decide how open it is
This is the detail I would point at across the counter. A short gold zip runs down the V, and where it stops is yours to set. Pulled up it is a closed neckline. An inch or two down it opens. The dress does not decide for you and then leave you adjusting it.
“I like the little zipper at the front. You can show a bit more neckline or keep it higher, depending on the occasion. Such a clever detail.”
Joanne T., GreenvilleThe lace follows the V rather than sitting on top of it
Lace is usually applied to a dress like a brooch. Here it is worked into the line of the neckline and runs down both sides of the opening, so it reads as part of the shape rather than a decoration stuck on. And it is the same navy as the dress.
“It’s the lace around the neckline that makes this dress special for me. I love how it follows the V shape without being too fussy.”
Pamela R., LancasterLong sleeves, gathered above a lace cuff
The sleeve is full to the wrist and gathers into a band, with a scalloped lace cuff below it. Full sleeves on an evening dress are rarer than they should be, and they are the first thing a woman looks for once she has stopped wanting a wrap over everything.
“Those lace cuffs are gorgeous! The slightly gathered sleeves give it a lovely romantic look. I’d wear this with tights and ankle boots.”
Beverly K., RoanokeThe pattern at the hem is the same color as the dress
Across the hem and up the front seams there is a worked floral pattern, navy on navy. You see the pattern when you are near and the shape of the dress when you are not.
“The embroidery near the hem caught my attention first. I like that it’s the same shade as the dress, so you notice the pattern without it being too busy. Really pretty styling.”
Marilyn W., CharlottesvilleIt is short, and it is short for a reason
I will say this plainly: the Debbie is a mini, and it sits above the knee. It is cut to be worn with a tall boot — with the boot on, it covers from the hem down and the proportion works. That is why the length is where it is.
“I’ve always liked shorter dresses with tall boots, even now that I’m in my sixties. The dark blue and embroidered details give this one a little bohemian character.”
Suzanne L., Santa FeSeven sizes, two pockets, and one navy
XS through 3XL, every size the same price, and two pockets in the side seams, which almost nothing at this end of the rail has. And plainly: it comes in this navy and nothing else.
“The deep navy color is beautiful. I would pair this with tall black boots and a simple gold necklace for dinner. The suede-like finish gives it such a rich look.”
Christine M., AshevilleThe Debbie, against the other dress you were shown
| Most $230 evening dresses | The Debbie | |
|---|---|---|
| The neck | Fixed, and lower than you wanted | A zip down the V, set where you like |
| The lace | Applied on top, in a paler shade | Worked into the neckline, navy on navy |
| Sleeves | Short, or none | Full length, gathered above a lace cuff |
| The pattern | Printed, or nothing | Worked at the hem and up the front seams |
| Pockets | Not on an evening dress | Two, set into the side seams |
| Sizing | Runs to XL, if you are lucky | XS through 3XL, every size one price |
I refuse to sell a woman a dress that spends the evening asking to be adjusted.
Why we are clearing it now
The Debbie came in at $230, and that number was for the lace worked into the neckline rather than laid over it, the scalloped cuffs, the tonal pattern across the hem, and two pockets on a dress that did not have to have any. That is a great deal of finishing on something most makers would have sent out plain and called it elegant. But the shop turns twenty this year, and my daughters Julie and Amy are beside me at the counter most days now, which is not something I let myself count on in 2006. We wanted to mark it by handing something back to the women who kept our door open, so it is going out at $69.95 — a little under a third of what it was.
And the honest reasoning. A woman who puts a dress back because she has decided she is too old for it does not need talking into anything. She needs it to be easy to say yes to. At $69.95 it is.
★★★★★4.8 out of 5 — from 3,369+ reviews
$230.00$69.95
20th Anniversary Sale — Save 70%
- A short gold zip down the V, set where you like
- Navy lace worked into the neckline, not on it
- Full sleeves, gathered above a lace cuff
- A tonal pattern at the hem and front seams
- Two pockets in the side seams
- Mini length — above the knee, cut for a boot
- XS through 3XL, every size the same price
- Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
Every size the same price
The question at the top is not rhetorical. Somebody asked it of herself once, in a fitting room, and has been answering yes ever since without checking the working.
Go and check the working. Put it on with a boot and look properly.
— Michelle · The Hayes Family Hamptons
SEE THE DEBBIE — $69.95 →This is a personal letter from Michelle Hayes, co-founder of The Hayes Family Hamptons. Customer reviews are quoted as written. · US family brand since 2006 · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee.