Forget the loud and brightly coloured Hawaiian-shirt-type-prints, this is how you do a tropical print. In a neutral palette of black and light greige (grey + beige), this jungle-print dress by Australian designer Shona Joy is bringing all the island vibes. Made from a beautifully soft, medium-weight linen, the dress features a plunging neckline with tie front closure, a flared a-line mini skirt that elongates even shortish legs like mine, and a super voluminous puff sleeve (which is amazing for sun protection).
My puff sleeve obsession started with this dress and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve been noticing a little sun damage on my arms, so I’ve been trying to incorporate more sleeved pieces into my island hopping attire. As much as I love a strappy dress or top, if I’m out in the sun in the middle of the day, I make sure my arms are covered. The best thing about these particular sleeves is that they have an elasticated cuff, so you can pull them all the way down to your wrists for extra sun protection.
I wore this dress on our luxurious yacht journey to One&Only Reethi Rah in the Maldives. We took these photos at our incredible beach villa with our own private pool not long after arriving on the exclusive island. That night we had an incredible alfresco dinner with our own private chef and Jason proposed! If you want to know more, I’ve written a mammoth blog post about our stay on One&Only Reethi Rah, Maldives (including the proposal).
Shona Joy ‘Maradona Linen Puff Sleeve Mini Dress’, Castaner espadrilles, Sunday Somewhere ‘Pixie’ sunglasses in black.
