“Summer afternoon – summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.”

– Henry James

I designed the Diplomat’s dress to wear for my son’s wedding on a sultry late summer’s day in south west France. As mother of the groom I felt I needed something that was a little formal (especially for delivering my very “serious” speech during the marriage ceremony!) but also a little playful and romantic – hence the two large floral broderie anglaise hearts on the sides.

Though the original was created for a summer event, this elegant dress can be worn most comfortably throughout the seasons and I hope will become one of our “classics”. It has a pretty Peter Pan collar, long fitted sleeves and a fairly high waist from which the midi-length skirt flows gently. There are self-fabric buttons on the bodice and pockets in the side seams. Cut in a soft cotton organdie, this Diplomat’s dress is fully lined in cotton voile apart from the sleeves which are left unlined to simply provide some discrete coverage.

This dress should be washed separately by hand or in a machine on a gentle programme at 30 degrees max, air-dried and pressed with an iron.

Approximate measurements of garment in cms/inches:

Bust     ---        Waist     ---    Length (mid-shoulder to hem)          

XS        87 / 34”  --   73 / 29”  --   120.5 / 47”

S          92 / 36”  --   78 / 31”  --   122 / 48”

M         97 / 38”  --   83 / 33”  --   123.5 / 48”

L          102 / 40”  -- 88 / 35”  --   125 / 49”