A Letter From Michelle: The Lucienne
A Letter From Michelle
Have you ever had a beautiful event to attend, but absolutely nothing you felt beautiful wearing?
On black velvet, the six things I would not give up on in an occasion dress, and why the Lucienne is $99.95.
You have a dress that works. Most women do.
It is black, it fits, and it has been to a wedding, two birthdays and whatever last December was. It is not the dress you want. It is the one that means you need not think about it.
And every time something comes up you look at it and feel the small flatness of already knowing how the evening will go.
A dress that merely avoids being wrong is not the same as a dress you are glad to be seen in.
Six things I would check before you buy another one.
Sleeves that go the whole way down
The most common reason a dress goes back is the arms. Cap sleeves, or none, and then a shrug you spend the evening adjusting. These run full length and finish in scalloped lace, so the sleeve is part of the dress.
“I’ve always loved dresses with a little vintage charm. This one has such a classic look, and the longer sleeves are a big plus for me. Beautiful design.”
Barbara H.A neckline that stays where you put it
Occasionwear is cut for a different decade. Necklines drop, shoulders come off, and you spend the night checking. This sits high at the throat and does not move, so you can lean across a table without thinking about it.
“I was looking for something elegant that wasn’t too revealing. The higher neckline and longer length are exactly what I prefer. The floral details make it feel special.”
Margaret S.The flowers are the whole argument
On most black dresses the pattern is printed flat across the whole thing. Here the roses start low and build up from the hem — dusty pink, deep wine and cream. The eye travels down and out, which is an old trick that still works.
“I’m usually not one for black dresses, but those beautiful rose colors caught my attention. I love the vintage feel. It looks lovely with my black boots.”
Susan B.A waist, and then the skirt goes
This is what most dresses get wrong at our end of the rail. Fitted the whole way through, or straight down from the shoulder. The Lucienne takes the waist in and then releases, so the skirt moves away from you rather than with you.
“What I like most is the shape. The defined waist and flowing skirt give it such a pretty silhouette. I would wear this to a family dinner or holiday gathering.”
Linda W.Lace at the cuff and along the hem
Scalloped, rather than a trim stitched on afterward. It is at both ends, the cuff and the hem, which makes it read as considered rather than decorated. On velvet, the open work is the only place light gets through.
“The lace cuffs are what really sold me on this dress. Such a romantic touch! The flowers against the black background are beautiful too.”
Patricia R.Five sizes, and it stops at 2XL
I would rather tell you here than let you find it at the dropdown. It runs S through 2XL and no further, narrower than almost anything else we carry. If you take a 3XL this is not your dress, and I would rather you knew now.
“The black velvet and flowers look so lovely together. I especially like the lace around the sleeves and bottom. Very feminine without being too flashy.”
Carol M.The Lucienne, against the black dress you own
| Most $330 occasion dresses | The Lucienne | |
|---|---|---|
| The sleeves | Short, or a shrug you keep adjusting | Full length, finishing in scalloped lace at the cuff |
| The neck | Cut low, and you check it all evening | High at the throat, and it stays where it is put |
| The florals | Printed flat across the whole dress | Worked up from the hem, so the eye travels down |
| The fit | Fitted throughout, or straight from the shoulder | A defined waist, then the skirt releases and moves |
| The lace | Trim stitched on at the edge | Scalloped at both the cuff and the hem |
| Sizing | One run, and you take your chances | S through 2XL, and every size is the same price |
Why we are clearing it now
The Lucienne came in at $329.95, and that number was for velvet, for roses worked up from the hem, for lace scalloped at the cuff and the hem, and for sleeves that go the whole way down. I am not going to stand here and tell you that is a small amount of money for a dress. But the store turns twenty this year, and my daughters Julie and Amy are both 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 those doors open, so it is going out at $99.95 — a little under a third of what it was.
I will give you the honest reasoning too. There is a kind of evening where you have somewhere to be and nothing you feel like yourself in, and the careful choice is nearly always the plain one. If this turns out to be the dress you are glad to be photographed in, then $99.95 was never the point.
★★★★★4.8 out of 5 — from 3,369+ reviews
$329.95$99.95
20th Anniversary Sale — Save 70%
- Full-length sleeves, scalloped lace at the cuff
- A high neckline that stays where it is put
- Roses worked up from the hem, not printed flat
- A defined waist, and then the skirt releases
- Scalloped lace along the hem as well
- Velvet, in black
- Sizes S through 2XL, every size one price
- Free UPS shipping · 30 days to send it back
Every size the same price · while sizes last
One more thing, and then I will let you go.
Go and look at the dress you wear to things.
Ask whether you have ever once been excited to put it on. If not, that is not a fault in you.
It was never you. It was a dress doing a job and nothing more.
Try it in your own hall mirror the day it arrives. If it is not the one, send it back inside thirty days.
Go and pick your size.
With love and gratitude,
— Michelle · The Hayes Family Hamptons
SEE THE LUCIENNE — $99.95 →This is a personal letter from Michelle Hayes, co-founder of The Hayes Family Hamptons. Customer reviews are quoted as written. · Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee.