A letter from a reader
Every woman at the beach kiosk wore a dark kaftan. Except one.
Every Sunday my friends and I sat at the beach kiosk in the same shapeless dark kaftans. Then a woman at the next table sat down in a blue striped shirt dress, tied at the waist, and I had to know where she got it. Megan Clark on the Sophia shirt dress that ended her kaftan years, and the 5 reasons she'd buy it again tomorrow.
A few of us walk the beach path every Sunday morning and finish with a coffee at the kiosk at the end. Same bench, same order, and for years the same outfit on nearly all of us: a loose dark kaftan or a baggy shift that hangs straight down. Comfortable, yes. But we all looked like we'd given up a little. Mine included.
Then one Sunday a woman at the next table sat down in something completely different. A long shirt dress in blue and white stripes, a proper collar, buttons all the way down, sleeves turned back at the elbow and a sash of the same stripe tied at her waist. It moved when she walked and it still looked relaxed. She looked cool, neat and put together, all at once. I couldn't stop looking.
I assumed it came from one of those resort boutiques where a dress costs more than the holiday. When she stood up to leave I just asked. She smiled and said she gets asked every time she wears it.
It's the Sophia striped shirt dress from Scott & Daughters, the family boutique in Melbourne that Julie Scott has just handed over to her daughters, Emily and Charlotte.
I'll be honest. I have bought more summer dresses than any woman needs, and most of them let me down in the same three ways. So loose I looked like I was wearing a tent. So fitted through the middle I spent the day tugging. Or sleeveless, so the cardigan came along and never came off. So I ordered this one half expecting another one for the back of the wardrobe. It didn't go there.
I've spent a small fortune on summer dresses over the years. This is the first one I'm actually glad to wear.
Since then it's been on the Sunday walk, to a long lunch by the water and on a warm afternoon in the city. Here's what it comes down to.
A shape I choose myself, every day
The Sophia comes with a sash in the same stripe. Tied at the waist it gives me a shape without anything clinging to my middle. Left off, it hangs loose and relaxed. On a hot Sunday I wore it open at the kiosk and tied it for lunch afterwards. Same dress, two looks.
Sleeves that cover the bit I like covered
The sleeves are cut wide and turned back at the elbow. My upper arms are covered, my forearms are free, and I haven't packed a cardigan for the beach once since it arrived.
→ See the Sophia dress and check your size
Long, but I can still take a proper stride
It comes down to mid calf, with a slit up each side. On the beach path and up the steps to the car park I walked at my normal pace. No hitching it up, no small steps.
Air around me on a warm day
It's a soft, relaxed cut, and the shop says it lets the skin breathe. On a 30 degree morning I was the only one on our bench who wasn't peeling her dress off her back.
Beach in the morning, city in the afternoon
The collar and the buttons make it look like a proper outfit, not a cover up. I wore it with flat sandals and a basket bag on the beach and went straight on to lunch in the city without going home to change. Mine is the blue stripe. There's also a pink and a khaki stripe.
How it stacks up against the summer dresses in your wardrobe
Most of us never really choose a summer dress. We grab whatever's cool enough and live with it. Here's how this one compares, side by side.
About the price
Right now it's $79.95 AUD, down from $194.95 AUD.
I'm careful with money, so I'll pass on what they told me: it's their New Chapter Sale. Julie is retiring and her daughters are clearing the current stock to make room for their own collection. Each style comes in a small batch, and once a size is gone, it's gone. At that price I didn't think about it long. I ordered the blue the same evening.
I don't trust perfect scores, so I always look at the details first: the size chart, the three colours, the free shipping and the 30 day money back guarantee. That was enough for me to try it.
So if you've got beach mornings, long lunches or a Christmas get together coming up this summer, do yourself a favour. Check your size while it's still there.
Megan
Sophia | Timeless Striped Shirt Dress with Elegant Comfort
$194.95 AUD$79.95 AUD
New Chapter Sale · Save 60%
- Classic stripe with a shirt collar and buttons all the way down
- Matching sash: tie it at the waist or wear it loose
- Sleeves to the elbow, turned back at the cuff
- Long length with a slit at each side
- 3 colours · Sizes S to 2XL
Free Shipping with Australia Post | 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
See if your size is still in stock →New Chapter Sale on now. The popular sizes go first.