A Letter From Michelle — The Mikaela
A Letter From Michelle
Remember when getting dressed for a special occasion made you feel excited instead of self-conscious?
On the gathers that run the whole way down the middle, why sitting down is the only real test, the six things I would not compromise on, and why the Mikaela is $59.95.
I remember the dress, and I remember the year, which tells you how long it has been.
What changed was not the invitations. It was that the mirror stopped being a pleasure and turned into an inspection.
Look at the middle of this one. The cloth is gathered across it in dozens of small folds rather than cut smooth, and gathered cloth stands a little away from you instead of lying on you. That is the whole difference between a dress that reports on your stomach and one that simply does not.
Six things I would not give up on.
The gathers run the whole way down the middle
From under the bust to below the hip, not a band at the waist. A band draws a line and says where your waist is. A panel running the whole way has no edge, so there is nothing to read your outline through, including when you sit down, which is when most dresses give you away.
“The ruching around the middle is lovely. At 63, I’m not nearly as comfortable in fitted dresses as I once was, but this style has such pretty draping.”
Beverly R., KnoxvilleThe sleeves cover the tops of your arms
Short, sheer and cut full, falling over the arm rather than gripping it. You can see through them, which is the point: they cover without announcing it. And there is no shawl to find, carry all evening and leave on a chair.
“Those sheer little sleeves are what caught my attention. I prefer some coverage on my upper arms these days, and these look so delicate without hiding the whole dress.”
Diane K., GreenvilleThe skirt is released below the hip
The fullness starts past the widest part of you and carries on to the ankle. A skirt that flares from the waist adds width exactly where you did not want it. This one waits, then moves when you do.
“The V neckline and the way the skirt falls are my favorite parts. There’s plenty of movement below the hips, so it doesn’t look stiff or overly formal. A lovely dress for a special occasion.”
Patricia W., CharlottesvilleSeven colors, and one of them is the surprise
Dark green, navy, brown, purple, olive, red and black. The green and navy are what women buy for weddings, and they are right to. The brown is the one nobody expects, and it does something with gold that navy cannot.
“I ordered the chocolate brown because I wanted something different from my usual navy and black. It’s such a rich, understated color, especially with gold jewelry.”
Janet P., LancasterThere is nothing built into it to endure
No boning, no stiffened lining, nothing holding a shape you must live inside. A wedding is a ceremony, photographs, dinner, then hours after dinner. You can still be wearing this cheerfully at the end of it.
“I chose the navy for my daughter’s wedding. The flowing skirt is so pretty, and I love how the fabric gathers around the waist. Just the elegant look I had in mind.”
Margaret S., WilliamsburgSix sizes, and the one thing I would rather say here
S through 3XL, every one the same price. And the honest word: the V is a real V. It crosses over and it sits low. If you want something high at the neck, this is not the dress — though a camisole underneath settles it, and plenty of women do exactly that.
“Wore the green to our 35th anniversary dinner with gold earrings and nude heels. My husband said I looked beautiful. Made my night! 😊”
Carolyn M., SavannahThe Mikaela, against what else $60 buys
| Most $60 occasion dresses | The Mikaela | |
|---|---|---|
| The middle | Cut smooth, so it reads your outline | Gathered from the bust to below the hip, standing away |
| The arms | Sleeveless, so you go hunting for a shawl | Short sheer sleeves over the tops of the arms |
| The skirt | Flared from the waist, adding width there | Released below the hip, so the fullness starts lower |
| Inside | Boning and stiff lining you feel by the speeches | Nothing structured in it at all, nothing to endure |
| Sizing | Stops at L, if you are lucky | Six sizes, S to 3XL, every one the same price |
Why we are clearing them out now
The Mikaela was $199.95, and that number was mostly cloth. Gathering eats fabric: a panel from the bust to below the hip takes two or three times the material a smooth one does, and the folds have to be set so they fall evenly rather than bunching. Add sleeves cut full in sheer chiffon, a crossed bodice and a skirt released below the hip, and you have a dress most makers would simply cut flat instead. 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 just under a third of what it was.
And the honest reasoning. There are not many evenings like that left in a year. You should not spend one of them holding your breath. At $59.95 you do not have to.
★★★★★4.8 out of 5 — from 3,369+ reviews
$199.95$59.95
20th Anniversary Sale — Save 70%
- A crossed V bodice in soft chiffon
- Gathers running from under the bust to below the hip
- Short sheer sleeves over the tops of the arms
- A skirt released below the hip, chiffon over chiffon
- Nothing boned and nothing stiffened inside it
- Seven colors · green, navy, brown, purple, olive, red, black
- Six sizes · S to 3XL, every one the same price
- 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.
Think of the last photograph of yourself at a wedding.
If what you remember is not the day but what you were doing with your hands, that is worth fixing.
Then try the Mikaela on and sit down in it, because sitting down is the test. If it is not right, 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 MIKAELA — $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.