Horny Toad Perla Dress : Slip into Summer

I had big plans for my Horny Toad Perla Dress. I was going to spend three weeks in oven hot, humid Minnesota, and this soft, ultra lightweight dress was going to be my frock of choice for BBQ's, a college reunion, and strolling through the sculpture garden at the Walker Art Center. Then I got sick and had to cancel my trip. Not to worry. I've been wearing it anyway in cold Seattle with a sweater!

The Perla dress is actually two dresses; the bottom layer is a sheer, striped, spaghetti-strapped slip (lavender and light green) and the top layer is a solid (slate grey, my favorite color) colored sleeveless tank-style dress. The two layers work together perfectly. The striped slip, which I can attach and detach to the top layer with small snaps under the dress, peeps through the v-neck collar of the dress; it's also a few inches longer than the outer layer, so it shows at the bottom of the dress, too. I love the look because the striped accents give the dress a bit more character than it would have on it's own.

I especially like the unfinished seams at the bottoms of both layers. They actually aren't hemmed, just stitched along the edge of the material to prevent fraying. To break up the solid colored top layer and give the dress some movement, Horny Toad made the top layer extra short, then stitched on a wide (about four inches) panel of fabric that's cut at a different angle to give the bottom of the dress a slight flare.

The Perla dress is body-conscious, with an A-line cut that gently tapers at the waist and has darts at chest level to subtly conform to my curves without hugging them. I went up a size with this dress, even though I'm a solid size medium in another dress made by Horny Toad, because the first dress I tested shrank when I washed it (it's 60 percent organic cotton and 40 percent Modal, a fiber made from beech trees, and the other HT dress I have is made out of a different type of fabric blend that contains less cotton) and was then too short for me. If you want a looser fit, are in between sizes, or, like me, are tall and have have a large chest, you might want to size up.

I love the lightweight material used in this dress. It breathes, it's soft against my skin, and it dries quickly, making it an ideal travel garment or the dress you'll want to wear every day at home.

Available in sizes XS-L, in Opal (light green), Ajax (light blue), and Smoke (grey).

Bottom Line: I love the Perla's unfinished, easy style. --E.D. (June '10)

BUY ONLINE: $66, click to shop at Amazon. On sale for $49.99 at Half Moon Outfitters.

Manufacturer's Site : www.hornytoad.com

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