WHAT IS AN IDEAL MAXI DRESS FOR A SUMMER VACATION?

Hello, lovely readers! Summer is finally here. Are you as excited about summer as I am? Today I'm back with another summer styling, and this time it's about a white floral maxi dress. I love white items for the summer, and if they come with a floral print even better. If you read my last post, you know that I decided to welcome the summer in bay Torac (on island Hvar, Croatia). I told you that one of the first things I packed was a yellow jumpsuit as it is a good vacay item and so easy to throw on when you're at the beach. Another essential vacation classic is a maxi dress. This white maxi dress with a cute floral print proved to be the perfect vacation item because it is so easy to dress up and down (for example, here you can see how I styled this maxi with kitten heels). I actually got this white maxi dress as a part of a collaboration review post last year. Today you can see me wearing it in a more dressed down summer version, with tropical print sandals (same here) and a blue beach bag that was a birthday gift. This particular outfit is a fun mix between romantic and casual, making it  not only super comfortable but also appropriate for most summer occasions. I can definitely see myself wearing this combo again. Maxi dresses are a summer essential. Don't you agree? 

If you remember, in April I styled this maxi dress with white jeans and I might wear it this way again, as it seems a good outfit formula for summer as well. I do like the pairing of jeans and dresses for urban summers. However, I typically never pack jeans for vacations, for me they're urban than island getaway chic. When packing for vacation, most items I end up carrying are usually dresses (especially those that are light and easy to pack). Summer is such an ideal time to wear dresses. I actually wore this outfit for dinner with my family at restaurant Timun at bay Pakomina (linking the restaurant up in case you're interested in checking it out, this bay is located on the northern side of the island but it is also one of Gdinj's bays). I don't have any photographs from the dinner, because it was dark by the time we got there, but the food was nice. I like the cliffs in Pakomina bay, that remind me of Vela Stiniva bay but I don't think I ever swam there. It wasn't the first time we dined there either, as it is not far away from bay Torac. There are still some restaurants I haven't tried out in the area such as the fish restaurant in Veprinova bay and Kastel restaurant in Dugi Dolac. I'll keep them in mind for my next visit. A maxi dress is a practical item as you can wear it both for every day and a night out....and that brings me to my next point.

OUTFIT DETAILS: DRESS (OLD COLLAB), BAG (GIFT), SANDALS: ART BRAND (SAME HERE)

WHAT IS AN IDEAL MAXI DRESS TO GREET THE SUMMER WITH?

The answer to this question is bound to depend on a few things. If you're into sustainability and ethical fashion, then the ideal maxi dress is the one you already have in your closet, a vintage (or second hand one), a dress from a sustainable designer/ seamstress or even a dress you made yourself.  If you can't find your ideal maxi dress this way than make sure you buy a maxi dress you'll love. One of the ways to make your wardrobe more sustainable is to buy items you know you'll get plenty wear of. A lot of people advise investing into classical pieces. A nice maxi dress is definitely a summer classic and if you're creative or good with layering you can wear it through the year. Whether you're into sustainability or not, you should NEVER buy things just for the sake of buying them, if you get what I'm trying to say. This kind of consumerist behaviour only generates clutter both in your living space and perhaps even more importantly- in your mind. Automatic shopping does nobody any good. If you are to build a functioning wardrobe, you need to figure out what you like and what you feel comfortable in. A lot of us complain about not having anything to wear, or about our closets being a mess, or about not being able to find what we like, but really isn't it sometimes our fault? Surely by buying more consciously we can organize our wardrobe better?

My first tip for finding a perfect maxi dress for summer is to think about what you like. Write down  (or keep in mind) things you can imagine yourself wearing, the cuts, the colours and the patterns you love to wear. That might help narrow things down. Next thing to consider is your own sense of style. Are you the type that likes nothing more than to look on the trend? If yes, then try to find a maxi dress that incorporates one (or more) of the trends you like. If you have a particular style you like, such as vintage, goth, elegant (or whatever), then go for that. Finally, think about what your summer is going to look like and where you're going to wear that dress. In other words, what do you need your maxi dress to do for you? Do you need a casual or a more dressed up maxi dress? Perhaps you'll want a mix of both. If that is the case, you can choose something like this maxi dress I packed for my vacation. Moreover, in summer you might want to wear something you typically don't. For example, I typically shy away from anything too revealing in the chest area, i.e. I don't wear cleavage dresses that often. However, for summer I don't really follow that rule especially if I wear a swimsuit under the dress. Most of us are a bit less inhabited and more relaxed during summer, so that's something to keep in mind when choosing a summer dress as well. I don't remember what exactly was on my mind when I ordered this dress, but it definitely has a lot of elements I like such as ruffles, floral print and an interesting cut.  Buy only the things you really like and want to wear- that sounds like such a obvious shopping tip, but sometimes we overthink things and forget about it. Long story short, the perfect maxi dress for 2019 summer is a dress you feel fantastic in! That is what you need to pack for your vacation. 

I was certainly glad I packed this dress for my island Hvar getaway. I really can't get tired of this place. It wasn't a classical vacation as I went there primarily to visit my family, and I stayed there for less than a week, but I had a lovely time. I couldn't have stayed much longer because I, among other things, have some paperwork to take care of. Another reason why my stay wasn't longer was  because the tourists have already started arriving and I didn't book anywhere to stay. I don't typically do 'traditional two week vacations'. Two of us are perhaps not organized enough for that. We always plan to go out away somewhere on a proper vacation, but something always comes in our way, often a social event, a medical check up,  or something of the sort. We typically do more short trips and excursions than traditional one a year longer vacations. Anyhow, I really enjoyed my short stay in bay Torac. We stayed in my parents' apartment no. A4044-a. If you follow the link, you can check the availability. (July is already full, but I think there is another free week in August). 

If you like the idea of vacationing here, you can check other apartments in the area as well, but keep in mind that most of them are probably already full. If you dream of just driving here and finding a free apartment, well that fantasy isn't very realistic. I always dream of that btw, making no plans, just arriving and staying somewhere on the whim, but that's just not a pragmatic daydream for popular destinations. Perhaps booking on spot is only possible with hotels and areas with dense apartments' buildings. For this  island paradise Robinson type of tourism, you will need to book in advance. The terrace you can see on these images belongs to my uncle's apartment (you can find it on the same booking site I already linked to). The lovely cacti you saw earlier is one of many planted around the house. I already left you some links to my previous posts about bay Torac. Here is one that is particularly abundant in photographs (in case you want a more detailed view). 

OLIVE TREES AND ISLAND HVAR

One thing I love about island Hvar is how green it is. Its thick pine forest is visible from afar, making it look like an emerald gem. It's one of the things that fascinates me about this island, the combination of beaches and thick forest. However, at the same time, seeing all those pines is bitter sweet. Pine trees are beautiful but they are also a testament that the island's population has grown smaller and consequently so did agriculture and farming work. Not too long ago, there were almost no pine trees because the whole island was covered in vineyards, orchids, lavender, olive and other plantations. Fortunately, many olive trees plantations are still alive and well. In this region, organic olive oil is a fundamental part of our cuisine and diet. I often joke that us Dalmatians don't know how to prepare food or eat it without olive oil, so a lot of people grow olives not just for sale, but for themselves as well. 

If you visit island Hvar, do look for lavender or olive plantations to visit. Some locals even organize activities such as picking olives and grapes (but you must visit in the right time). That's wonderful because this island has a long tradition of producing organic olive oil and wine. Among all the trees, my favourite ones are perhaps olive trees. While I was on Hvar, my parents took me to show their olive trees. They have only started harvesting olive trees, my grandmother gifted them some land (that included a few olive trees) that she inherited from an aunt. Right now, they have less than a dozen olive trees and they only make a few liters of olive oil (for themselves). While on the subject, I often get asked what olive oil brand I use. I don't buy olive oil for shops, I always buy it from local producers, often from relatives or people I know. Most often, I buy organic oil from a local producer in Podstrana and I'm very happy with the quality of it. I get gifted a liter or two of olive oil sometimes, but as I use a lot of it, I also buy it regularly. Olive oil has been a part of both my diet and my skin care regime since I was born. Small wonder I love olive trees, right? 

 

 As always, thank you so much for visiting, reading and commenting. Let me know what do you think about maxi dresses? What are your summer essentials? Where do you like to spend your summers?