Like all great love stories, it started in Paris. My parents drive across France each year, and last spring I decided to fly from London to join them for a weekend in the capital. On my agenda: vintage shopping and a staring competition with the Mona Lisa. On my parents’ agenda: nice wine and a day trip to the palace of Versailles. To avoid baggage fees, I wanted to pack light — meaning one dress would have to suffice.
Amy Lynn’s puffball dresses had been in the back of my mind for some months — but I wondered when I’d have an occasion glamorous enough to warrant one. But then two things changed my mind: the fact Versailles practically called for it and the way the dress had been styled on the Amy Lynn website. Instead of heels and an updo, the model had a pair of sneakers and low-key hair. At the time, the dress was also less than $100 and available in a deep-burgundy color that matched my cherry-red hair. No more deliberation: I ordered one for the next day.
And wow: I’ve never fallen in love with a garment so fast. The skirt, made with 100 percent cotton, ballooned out to create a princess shape that swished along with me as I walked. Meanwhile, the bodice is jersey; so, while the skirt keeps its puffy shape, the bodice rather flatteringly hugs your chest. Thanks to the drawstring ties, you can also tighten the dress to fit higher or loosen it so it sits at a drop-waist. The straps can be tied halter neck or in two big, looping bows on either shoulder — for an added bit of romance. After making my flatmate watch me twirl for half an hour, I flattened it down and packed it in my personal bag for my flight.
My birthday came later that summer, and like any typical Leo, I wanted to dress for attention. I emulated the Lynn model, and paired my gown with a pair of silver New Balances and a messy bun for a picnic in the park. Later in winter came the first time I truly glammed the dress up to its full potential: my sister’s wedding. After wearing a bridesmaid dress for the ceremony, I slipped into my wine-colored gown, a pair of mary janes, and a fur coat for the wedding breakfast.
While the occasions I wear the dress for are never the same — the season, the formality, the guest list — one thing never changes: the amount of compliments I receive. Both strangers and friends gush over the silhouette, and anytime I post a TikTok in it, the comments are flushed with people demanding to know where to get one. I’ve even loaned it out to my content-creator friend for her birthday dinner as well as to my DJ friend for her artist promotional photos. And if people aren’t borrowing it, they’re buying it: Fellow Strategist writer Brenley Goertzen bought one of her own to attend a gala. “People always want to touch the puffy skirt, of course,” she tells me. “Very ethereal.”
The dress is now a little pricier than when I bought it, but it’s worth every dollar. I’ve worn it to picnics, a Booker International Prize event, a wedding, parties, days shopping on Brick Lane, on vacation, and of course to strut around Paris. I’m not into clothes overconsumption, but the dress is so beautiful and versatile I’m seriously considering adding a second one to my collection. Right now, my eyes are on the gingham.
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