An honest review of two warm-weather ready styles from ABLE: the Maria Boxy Tee and Jules Tennis Dress
The calendar may currently say it’s Spring, but the daytime temperatures in Charlotte have made it clear:
Summer is here.
The temps are rising, the air is thick with humidity, and I am shedding long sleeves and applying an extra layer of sunscreen earlier than expected.
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Coming from Florida, I have managed to construct a wardrobe of basic tanks and shorts to get me through the unbearably hot days, but I recently added a few pieces that elevate my warm weather wear on those not-so-miserable days.
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Two new garments that have found their way into my wardrobe are from ABLE, a brand I’ve long admired for their commitment to people and planet. Today I’m sharing a review of the brand’s Maria Boxy Tee and Jules Tennis Dress, both designed with longevity in mind:
MARIA BOXY TEE
Maria Boxy Tee℅ Color | Midnight/Cream Stripe Size | Small Material | 100% Organic Cotton Jersey Also wearing | Wide-leg Pants | Belt | Sneakers℅ | Sunglasses | Hoop Earrings | Stud Earrings | Bracelet
It really doesn’t get any more classic than this.
The Maria Boxy Tee is a gorgeous heavyweight cotton tee with timeless cream and navy stripes. It’s hard to update a classic garment like this, but ABLE has elevated the humble tee by choosing a substantial fabric and changing up the hemline. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed how sheer clothing has gotten lately; it has been ages since I tried on a light-colored tee that didn’t leave me feeling exposed. Well, this one ended my streak – I can even wear a black bra underneath without it showing through (!).
The proportions are spot-on with the slightly-cropped length and stepped hem. It’s just long enough to tuck into my high-waisted pants, but not too long that I feel bulky trying to tuck in all the fabric. I think it would look lovely untucked to highlight the high-low hem if that’s your jam, but I’m not really wearing anything untucked these days. For this top (and on my frame in general), I prefer a lived-in French tuck.
The tee does live up to its boxy name – so if you’re on the hunt for something sturdy and skintight, you’ll need to keep up your search. But I find this tee makes for a happy conundrum of classic and contemporary and will be gladly tossing it on for easy wear.
JULES TENNIS DRESS
Jules Tennis Dress℅ Color | Baked Clay/Desert Sand Size | Small Material | 100% Cotton Jacquard Interlock Also wearing | Sneakers℅ | Sunglasses | Chain Necklace* | Hoop Earrings | Stud Earrings
I may not know much about tennis, but I love this dress.
With the quarter-zip polo collar, the Jules Tennis Dress is a little sportier than my usual style – but the attention to cut and fabric and the ease of styling makes it right up my alley.
Like the Maria Boxy Tee, the Jules Tennis Dress is also cut from a dense fabric (though I understand the Fern version is slightly thinner). I prefer a thicker fabric in body-hugging dresses for that hold-me-in fit and camouflaging underwear lines. This does both and offers eye-catching princess seams that offer lovely tailoring.
From a distance, the color looks like a soft salmon – but up close, you can see it actually has a herringbone pattern. This one-and-done dress offers little opportunity for styling, but that’s kind of the beauty of it. It’s the sort of dress that travels well, only needing a simple pair of sandals or sneakers to feel “dressed.” Need something a little extra? Try a cardigan tied at the shoulders, a denim jacket, or an oversized button-down to fight any overzealous air conditioning.
A note about care: file this dress under the “do not tumble dry” category. Better yet, zip it up in a mesh bag before you toss it in the wash as a reminder (plus, it’ll help protect your other clothing from potentially snagging on the zipper).
*this product is no longer available and a similar item is linked
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ABLE is a Nashville brand with a mission to empower women through fashion by paying their majority-female staff a living wage while ensuring their practices are not at the expense of the environment. You can read more about ABLE’s workplace culture here and their sustainability efforts here.
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Questions for you
Have you ever moved to a place with a different climate?
What warm-weather pieces are you most excited to wear this season?
These are both such great pieces, I love the color of the dress!
It’s definitely getting warmer up here in CT too, time to break out all the Summer pieces!
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