I’ve been a big fan of Rhode Resort’s Ella dress for some time now. I bought the black one in 2016 (see it in this post and this post) and got the pink one last year.
I had really wanted to find a printed one and when I saw this yellow one I was like YES PLEASE. Also, I get asked about sizing quite a bit and it’s literally all about height. It’s basically a giant sack that you cinch with the (amazing braided) belt it comes with, so order based on how tall you are. I have a small in the others and it fits but it’s too short to wear with heels. This one is a medium and it’s probably about 2-3 inches longer, and I prefer the extra length.
It’s really a summer dress.
I packed it for Costa Rica (you might have seen it on my instagram story last night!) But since it has long sleeves you can get away with wearing it with black tights in colder weather. I’ve been doing this with a lot of my summer dresses (feeling bored by my winter wardrobe at the minute) and you can’t do it with everything, but I’m always surprised by which dresses actually look great with tights (this was a surprise for me)!
Also, I bought this coat from LK Bennett and could not love it more. It’s on sale and they are usually doing an extra 25% off. Highly recommend it if you love green as much as I do.
Outfit Details: L.K. Bennett Coat (on sale! it’s great in red too!) // Rhode Resort Ella Dress (love the mint green too, this rainbow one, and LOVE it in this print // Express Tights (my favorite!) // Manolo Blahnik Pumps // Chanel Purse // Polaroid Sunglasses (sold out but love this pair) // Tuckernuck Earrings
If you are a regular reader, you know that I am on vacation(ish – I work for myself so still have to do a few hours everyday!) I got to Santa Teresa (Costa Rica) yesterday at 5AM. It was probably one of the worst travel days I’ve ever had… one of those days where anything and everything that can go wrong will.!
It started with my uber driver…
He seemed a little out of it and circled the airport for half an hour, making me miss my 7am flight. I got on the 9am flight – United was so nice. But THEN we sat on the runway for 2 hours because the plane’s windshield was cracked! We all got off of the plane at 11 and re boarded at 3. I landed in San Jose (Costa Rica) around 7:30 and had missed the tiny plane flight to Tambor (the closest airport for Santa Teresa).
I had planned on just doing a cheap Hotel Tonight near the airport and catching the first morning flight but it turned out another (much braver) girl from the retreat was also late and was driving. She seemed confident in driving and so I wound up making the (six hour) trip with her – a total stranger but a cool stranger!
By the time we got the rental car it was nearly eleven, and we arrived in Santa Teresa at 5am. The drive itself was insanity. Luckily Shola (my new friend) was a great driver but whoa. A lot of the roads weren’t paved. There was a ton of random and weird construction. Also, the roads would split with no clear direction, and there was so much construction. In hindsight I can’t believe we made it, but we did. So yesterday I slept in and took it easy.
I will say that Santa Teresa is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been.
Worth the hike. It’s a bit like Tulum used to be (before it essentially got ruined) but the views of the mountains from the water make me think of the islands in Thailand. And I love our hotel, if you’re thinking about planning a trip. It’s a sprawling jungle property, right on the ocean. My room is enormous, with a big porch that overlooks the ocean. The food has been very good and I love lounging and reading in the hammocks by the beach.
So the 26 hour trip was worth it… but WOW – what a fiasco! The silver lining: I have a great story, I made a new friend, and now I am in a beautiful place doing yoga and reading all of the books with my favorite yoga teachers.
photography by Carter Fish.
I love the pop of colour the dress brings! It’s such a great piece, especially since we’re all getting ready for spring now. Goes so well with the green coat as well. 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Thank you so much Charmaine! I hope you had a great weekend.
I love my dresses all year around and just pair them with tights and a coat in winter 🙂 Gorgeous look!
x Lisa | lisaautumn.com
Thanks Lisa!
So glad everything went well in Costa Rica! I had to drive in three hour bursts there once, and it was such a challenge! I hope you didn’t have to go over any of the essentially chainlink bridges I did! It is so worth it, though. It’s such a beautiful and amazing country. And driving through it really made me reflect a lot on what I had…and what tourists get there…versus how the locals live. That might seem like a bummer way to start a vacation, but I truly appreciated it, even if it made me feel like a bit of a dick. lol
YES! We had to cross a few of those – so scary!!! I completely agree – although it was so late and dark that it was hard to see much. It definitely started us on a sad but appreciative note.
Oh wow! What a day you had. So glad you made it safe + sound, lady!
thanks friend! Hope you have a great week ahead! xo
Would love to hear your recs for the Santa Theresa area once you get back from your trip! Will be there for a week in December 🙂
I will def share a recap of the trip! It’s a bit different as it’s a yoga retreat so we’re not leaving the property much! xo
May I ask what size your Chanel bag is? I’m confused on their website when I look at options! I’d like to order same size as yours. 😉
It’s the classic (or medium) flap.
Oops sorry – vacation brain. My tan one is the maxi.
We would have drives like that when I was in Indonesia. I would try not to think about what would happen if we fell off the side of the road, got hit, got lost, and on and on and just live in the moment. I tried to be grateful for the experience but most of the time when we arrived I would let out a huge breathe I didn’t realize I was holding the entire ride. Glad you made it safely! Enjoy the week and fingers crossed for an uneventful trip home!!
I felt the exact same way. Thank you Shana!
That’s a gorgeous dress! I love the fit, it looks very feminine and cute. I’m glad you actually got to that beautiful place eventually but hopefully, the trip back won’t be as bad.
Thanks Marta! Hope you have a great week ahead! xx
I literally thought of you when I saw this dress + the green version the other day! So glad you got it and love how you’ve styled it for winter here too (and it will look so cute with a wicker bag and gold sandals for summer / vacation).
Have the best time on retreat and may your travels home be 100% smoother!
Briony xx
Aw I love it!! It really is the best dress!!
Thanks friend – having an amazing time so far! xx
Grace we were in Santa Teresa 2 years ago – go to The Bakery in town, the best avocado toast I have ever had and coffee … so good! Enjoy!
thank you!
Love the dress with tights! I used to do this all the time — wear summer dresses with tights in the winter. I need to start bringing this back. Another reason I need to modify my capsule wardrobe approach to dressing.
yes!!! and with a cozy sweater it’s the best!