As soon as the weather starts to turn chilly and the golden brown leaves start leaving a blanket cover over a lawn, it is time for us cottage core girls to don our linen and run through a glen. Cottage core is a romanticised idea of slow living and pays homage to land workers, cottage living and life at a very cozy and calm pace. As someone who works in a very stressful field, I value my peace and serenity so I tend to lean towards cottage core in the cooler months and then yearning for simple living. If cottage core had a signature style it would be long linen dresses in earthy tones and lots and lots of layering. It’s a style I’ve always worn but never really shared too much so I thought it’s about time I share a little of my love for cottage core style garments.
If you yourself love linen dresses inspired by vintage times that romantize the process of making home made bread and running in slow motion through a field; you probably already heard of the brand v. Linennaive is a vintage inspired ‘slow living’ style clothing company who creates, designs and sells unique vintage inspired cottage core garments. I’m not sure where this brand is originally from as there’s no details on their website and honestly it’s been a little while since I’ve bought myself new clothes from them so I don’t remember the address from the parcel. I will note however that on their Etsy store, their shipping location is located in China. Although I can’t confirm from the company itself, after a fair bit of review reading I was able to find that all returns are sent to China so I have a hunch they are based and made all in China.
Linennaive however pride themselves on their ethics as they strive to curate, find and use the finest quality materials for their products. According to their own website, they spend much time looking for the best sources of linen and cashmere before purchasing directly from the fabric manufacturers. This helps keep the cost down of their garments which is always a plus for consumers. They strive to create unique and well made garment pieces of high quality that are designed to stay in your wardrobe for years to come. They attempt to reject the notion of fast fashion and encourage the high quality of single garment pieces. I have shopped with Linennaive for a little while and have a handful of pieces, one of my favourite being the Phoenix dress which I am so excited to review for you today.
The Phoenix dress is described on the Linennaive website as drawing “inspiration from Regency-era art and design. Equal parts elegantly feminine and cool, this linen dress will surely make a sophisticated addition to your wardrobe”. The Phoenix dress absolutely gives off Regency era vibes but can also be something seen worn for Ren-Fairs and other such events. The Phoenix dress is an absolute statement piece. It is crafted from soft linen and features a smocked bodice and working buttons for closured and added texture. The dress is cut to an empire line silhouette that is framed with puff sleeves and a delicate sweetheart neckline. I am also a big fan of the elasticated shoulders and sleeves as you can wear them pulled down for more romantic vibes. The sleeves themselves have an elasticated centre section which adds to the regency tones of the dress and they also have pleats and tie up lace cuffs.
This dress is not lined so for anyone who finds linen a little rough on the skin, it may be worth getting a slip for under the dress or perhaps adding in your own lining. Although the linen on my dress was relatively soft, I understand if linen is uncomfortable for some wearers. For anyone who doesn’t mind linen on the skin, this dress is not see through and the quality of the linen is really nice. I love the richness of the colour and think the rusty orange tones that I got are perfect for all the Jane Austen fantasies I want to reenact when I go down south for the weekend.
When Linennaive wanted to create a romantic garment full of vintage excellence, they certainly achieved it with this piece. I love how this dress comes in a small range of colours and I personally would love to have it in a soft cream tone. I purchased the rusty orange which I believe is now referred to as ‘coral’ but it can also be purchased in lilac and striped grey. The dress also comes in a wide range of sizes and can be purchased in anything from an XS to a 3XL which is very exciting.
As for sizing, I ordered the size Medium as I am a size 10 Australian. The Phoenix dress has no zip or any means of ‘opening’. To put the dress on you must loosen the back lacing and slip the dress over your head before tying up the lacing to give it a better fit. This is certainly not a dress to put on if you are in a hurry. The lace loops are sewn very tightly which can make feeding the cords through a little difficult. Being laced up in the back may also be a struggle for those who are getting dressed along and are unfamiliar with how to lace up something on your own back. To add another element of challenge, the Phoenix dress also has sleeve cuffs that need to be laced up as well. This can be a little difficult of you’re on your own as you only have one hand to lace up each cuff and with the loops being quite tight, it’s not the easiest of tasks. I would not recommend this dress if you are getting dressed in a hurry or if you have any mobility issues especially with your arms and hands.
This dress has a magical property about it. When worn, you really do feel like a main character in a story; it has so many romantic elements about it that as soon as I put in on, I have to run through a field. Although I’ve had this dress for a while and have worn it countless times, when taking the photos used for this review, my husband and I had a lot of fun frolicking around outside. It was a nice experience to dance and run through a field bare footand we may have gotten carried away amongst the daisies. For anyone who has been wanting to get a solid cottage core garment, the Phoenix dress would be a great addition to your growing wardrobe as it can be worn in so many ways.
The phoenix dress can be worn on its own as it’s quite the statement piece. However, it can absolutely be layer with pieces underneath it such as collared blouses, or layered with items over the top such as more skirts, aprons and wraps. With the deep burnt orange tones, you can add creams, browns and pops of soft colour to give a unified romantic look. For my own styling I wore it as is with all the jewellery I was already wearing that day. I honestly think this dress is so forgiving that it can be worn however you wish. I do wish I had a straw hat with me but I forgot it on the trip I took with my husband.
As said above, this dress is really romantic and dreamy. I have worn it several times since my initial purchase and I’m excited to be sharing it with you today. The Phoenix dress retails for $245 AUD which is quite pricey but I think for the quality, design and craftsmanship put into this dress, it’s quite well priced. As someone who sews, I know that to make this dress myself, the fabric alone would cost well over $150 especially if you are going for high quality. There is a fair amount of construction in this dress and having worn it a fair amount, it still looks great and I haven’t noticed anything coming loose or falling apart. Linenaive strives to be an ethical brand that denounces fast fashion instead creating unique stand out pieces which can live in your wardrobe for years to come. A classic piece is timeless and can be enjoyed no matter the era or current trends. Although the romanticisation of cottage core fashion is calming down, some of these well made pieces will always stand the test of time.
As it stands, I would recommend Linennaive to anyone wanting to find a unique piece on their own. I personally haven’t had any problems with their garments, customer service or anything like that. I know not all shopping experiences are the same but for me, I have no real issues to share and I am not sponsored or affiliated with the brand. With Linenaive specialising in linen, cashmere and wool, I do plan on sharing a review of one of my wool pieces from the brand so that will be coming out in the next few weeks. Please be sure to check back in then.
The phoenix dress from Linnenaive is a really lovely design. It’s cool, comfortable and really awakens the senses to living out some romantic Regency era scenes. Let’s face it, I want to be running through a flower field in this dress and I know that I am not alone in this. If you have been thinking about shopping with Linennaive, I’d say go ahead and do so but please also read other reviews as I did find some that weren’t as happy with their items. I wanted to be honest about my piece and say I haven’t had any issues with this company or their items so far and I will personally still shop with them for the time being.
Wishing you a lovely late afternoon of field frolicking.
Note: This is not a sponsored post. All opinions and thoughts expressed are solely my own and not influenced in any way. There are no affiliate links and I do not benefit from any link clicks or purchases made.