A Letter From Michelle — The Meadow
A Letter From Michelle
Who decided that loving flowers and pretty dresses had to stop at sixty?
On the lace that keeps a floral from looking like a costume, where a skirt has to fall from, the six things I would not compromise on, and why the Meadow is $59.95.
Nobody decided it. That is the maddening part. It happened on its own, one dress at a time.
You picked something up with flowers on it, held it against yourself in the mirror, and put it back — because it read as a dress for a much younger woman, or as one your grandmother would have chosen, with nothing at all in between.
There is. And it is not the flowers that decide which one you are holding.
Look at the lace on this one, and look at what color it is. Cream on cream, in straight vertical panels down the bodice and across the sleeves. Nothing ruffles, nothing contrasts, nothing sits on top. That is the whole difference between a floral dress and a girl’s floral dress.
Six things I would not give up on.
The lace is the same color as the cloth
That is the decision the whole dress turns on. Lace in a contrasting white sits on top of a print and shouts; lace in the same cream as the ground sinks into it and becomes texture instead. And it runs in straight vertical lines rather than round the edges as a frill, which breaks the print into columns so you see a dress first and flowers second.
“The lace around the neckline is what caught my eye. It’s such a lovely old-fashioned detail, but the dress itself doesn’t look dated at all.”
Nancy F., StauntonThe skirt falls from the waist rather than over it
The gathers are set at the waist and released immediately, so the skirt drops away from you from that point down and never lies against the stomach or the hip at all. That is the difference between a dress that skims and one that reports on you every time you turn sideways in a mirror. Nothing clings, and there is no second seam lower down to catch.
“I’m 71 and don’t care for anything fitted around my middle these days. The skirt falls nicely from the waist and gives me plenty of room. Just what I was looking for.”
Marjorie L., LancasterThe sleeves cover the tops of your arms
They come to below the elbow and finish in a scalloped lace cuff, which means the part most women would rather not think about in a photograph is simply covered. No cardigan to carry in July, and nothing to arrange before somebody takes a picture. They are also short enough that covered does not turn into warm.
“I especially like the lace on the sleeves and along the bottom. Those little touches make it feel a bit more special than an ordinary summer dress. Lovely with a pair of flats.”
Elaine W., RoanokeTwo deep pockets, set into the side seams
Deep enough for reading glasses, which is the test that matters and the one most dresses fail even when they do include pockets. A phone goes in. Keys stay in when you sit down. It is the difference between carrying a handbag around a garden party and having both hands free.
“Finally, a pretty floral dress WITH pockets! I can keep my reading glasses handy instead of digging through my purse every five minutes. 😊”
Donna R., AshevilleThe flowers are small, and there is space around them
Pinks, reds, yellows and a little lilac on fine green stems, scattered across a cream ground rather than massed into blooms. Scale is what ages a floral in either direction: large flowers read as a child’s dress, and dense dark ones read as a sofa. These are small, spaced, and painted rather than printed flat, which is why people notice them without being able to say why.
“Wore my Meadow to Sunday lunch with the family. My husband noticed the little flowers and said it reminded him of dresses I used to wear years ago. That made me smile.”
Carolyn P., FranklinEight sizes to 5XL, and the one thing I would rather say here
S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL, 4XL and 5XL, every one at the same price, cut generous on purpose, so take the size you usually take. It is a linen-cotton blend and it washes at home on a low temperature. And the honest word: this print is the only one. There is no plain version and no second colorway, so if flowers are not what you are after, this is not the dress I would send you.
“I wore this to my granddaughter’s garden birthday party with little beige sandals. The flowers are so pretty, and I felt dressed up without looking too fancy.”
Barbara H., GreenvilleThe Meadow, against what else $60 buys
| Most $60 floral dresses | The Meadow | |
|---|---|---|
| The lace | Contrasting white, added round the edges | Cream on cream, in straight panels down the bodice |
| The print | Large blooms, or dense and dark | Small flowers on fine stems, with space around them |
| The middle | Fitted, or a seam that sits on the stomach | Gathers released at the waist, so the skirt falls away |
| The arms | Sleeveless, so you carry a cardigan all day | Sleeves past the elbow, finished with a lace cuff |
| Pockets | None, or two that will not take your glasses | Two deep ones, set into the side seams and usable |
| Sizing | Stops at XL, if you are lucky | Eight sizes, S through 5XL, every one the same price |
Why we are clearing them out now
The Meadow was $169.95, and that number was for cream openwork lace set into the bodice and the sleeves rather than stitched round the outside, a scalloped lace cuff, a painted floral on a linen-cotton ground, two deep pockets in the side seams and a skirt gathered at the waist and released. Lace panels are slow to set in, which is why most makers trim the edge and leave it at that. 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 a little over a third of what it was.
And the honest reasoning. Somewhere in the last twenty years, pretty quietly became something other women were allowed to be. I do not think anybody announced it and I do not think you agreed to it. At $59.95 you can find out whether you still like it.
★★★★★4.8 out of 5 — from 3,369+ reviews
$169.95$59.95
20th Anniversary Sale — Save 65%
- Cream openwork lace set into the bodice and sleeves
- A scalloped lace cuff below the elbow
- A small painted floral with space around it
- Gathers released at the waist, so the skirt falls away
- Two deep pockets in the side seams
- A breathable linen-cotton blend
- Eight sizes — S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL, 4XL and 5XL
- Machine washable at a low temperature
- One print only — there is no plain version
- Free UPS shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
Every size the same price · while sizes last
One more thing, and then I will let you go.
Go and find the last pretty thing you put back on the rail. You will remember it, which is rather the point.
Ask yourself whether it was really the flowers, or whether it was the frill, the shine or the strap that came with them.
Then look at the Meadow the day the box arrives. If the flowers are the problem, send it back within thirty days and we will refund you.
Go and find your size.
With love and gratitude,
— Michelle · The Hayes Family Hamptons
SEE THE MEADOW — $59.95 →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.