Chocolate brown, covered edge to edge in small painted folk marks — squiggles,
scallop chains, little leaves and flowers in green, blue, pink and gold — with
butter-yellow trim framing every edge of it. The collar, both sides of the
placket, the cuffs, and a deep band at the hem.

That trim is doing more than looking pretty. Brown in July can go heavy, and the
fix stylists name is exactly this: contrast piping breaking up the depth, and a
fabric that breathes. Linen and butter yellow, and suddenly a chocolate dress
reads like summer rather than October. Which is the other thing worth knowing —
chocolate is the neutral everyone's reaching for this year, to the point that
brown dresses now sell out ahead of the black ones on the same rail.

The waist is elasticated, and yes, we know what that phrase does to people. But
consider what it's actually for: a shirt dress hangs straight unless something
draws it in, and this draws it in — properly, at your natural waist — with no zip
to fight and no belt to find. Then it releases into a full flared skirt with
enough body to swing when you walk. There are pockets, too.

It's short. Deliberately so, and the volume in the skirt is what makes it work —
it moves with you rather than sitting against you. Sleeves to the elbow, arms
covered, collar up if you like.

Brown leather sandals, gold at the ear, and the good part of the afternoon.

Linen · notched collar · full button-front placket · wide elbow-length sleeves with contrast cuffs · elasticated waist · side pockets · full flared mini skirt · butter-yellow contrast trim at the collar, placket, cuffs and hem · drawn in at the natural waist by the elastic, full through the skirt · a deep ground under a dense print — fully opaque · take your usual size; the elastic waist gives · model is 5'7" and wears a size M · in Cocoa Folk · machine wash cold, gentle cycle, hang to dry — heat damages elastic, so no hot wash and no tumble dryer — warm iron while damp