Do you guys remember Mrs. Roper from Three’s Company? I can’t imagine that I was old enough to remember the original Three’s Company airing (according to Wikipedia, it was on TV from 1977-1984, and I was born in 1977). However, I must have watched re-runs because Mrs. Roper and her crazy sense of style lives somewhere in my brain.
Well, consider me to be embracing my inner Mrs. Roper because when I recently read an article about summer caftans, it led me down an Etsy rabbit hole and that is how I found a shop called StylePark1. They have a whole shop full of hand tie dyed clothing, including caftans, kimonos, dresses and pants. They operate out of Denpasar, Indonesia and create each item with love before sending it out into the world. And the prices are reasonable too!
I decided to treat myself and picked two items to order. I placed my order on June 25th and was shocked that the DHL Express package came all the way from Indonesia on July 1st! It was so quick that I can’t even leave feedback on my purchase until 7/11, because they didn’t expect it to be here so fast.
Caftan, $39 (find it here)
I was originally planning to post a side-by-side comparison of their model and me, but their website specifically says not to use their photos. So, if you want to check out their version, click through the link above. This caftan is what initially sucked me in.
It can be used as a beach cover up, house dress, or just all-around comfy dress out in the world. It comes with a matching fabric belt, so if you don’t want to wear it like a Mrs. Roper muumuu, you can cinch the waist, OR cinch it and then blouse it out a bit.
Oh and I got all fancy and styled it with a beach hat and bag, so you can use your imagination and pretend I’m hanging in the sand rather than just on my front porch.
The caftan is one-size-fits-all and according to the listing fits from a small to a 3XL. Each dress is hand cut and sewn, so no two are exactly alike. The tie dye is really beautiful and the lightweight fabric is perfect for throwing on over a swimsuit or just lazing around when it’s so hot you don’t want to leave the house.
I think it is the most flattering with the waist defined by the belt, but to be honest wearing a caftan is not about it being flattering… it’s about all the comfort! What do you think — is it best unbelted, belted, or belted and poofed out?
Kimono, $35 (find it here)
I saw this kimono and it was exactly what I wanted without knowing I wanted it, if you know what I mean. I love the look of an open kimono over a t-shirt and shorts, and the beautiful red tie dye of this one grabbed me in an instant. I threw it on over a black tank top and jean shorts, but it would look just as fantastic over a pair of boyfriend jeans and a graphic tee. There is also a slit up each side, so it really flows around when you are walking. I mean, I’m basically wearing a robe and feel fancy as heck!
And now I look even fancier because I added a hat:
Like I said, I was planning to do a comparison photo between me and their gorgeous model. And she wore a hat… so I wore a hat.
I love both of the items I ordered and am still in shock at how quickly they arrived from halfway around the world. There are many, many more beautiful items on their website, so you too can wear a fancy house dress and lounge around waiting for someone to feed you grapes!
Disclaimer: This post was not sponsored at all.
I like it belted, better. Really cute. You could even grab the material by the hem, and knot it. The red kimona is cute! It looks good no matter what you do with it. Just sort of free, and flowy.
I remember Mrs. Roper. I always thought she could do better than Mr. Roper. Wasn’t there a show called ”The Ropers”? It had to be pretty bad! Anyway, have a wonderful day.