I first discovered Lela Rose clothing last spring when I was looking for a dress to wear to my daughter’s wedding! The only one I even tried on was one from Lela Rose! It fit perfectly and was just what I was looking for…elegant, tea length, unexpected and so well made! After that…I became a huge fan of Lela Rose clothing, but didn’t know very much about the designer herself!

A little while ago, I was scrolling through Amazon (one of my favorite pastimes), and saw that Lela had published two books on entertaining! I immediately purchased her latest…Fresh Air Affairs and have poured over it! She is an expert entertainer and party planner and shares endless ideas to copy, not to mention she wears the most fabulous outfits that coordinate with the decor of the party or dinner she’s throwing! I am so inspired by her designs and have truly enjoyed her book!

Not long ago, I was at a local boutique that carried Lela Rose and I couldn’t help but splurge on this fabulous dress as an early birthday present to myself! I love everything about it! It fits as if it were made for me and is going to be perfect for so many occasions over the summer!

I’m currently sitting in my bed in a hotel room in Lexington Kentucky writing this post. I’m here because I’ll be speaking at a Hat Tea on Saturday and this is the dress I brought to wear! I wanted something comfortable, but also something that had a little bit of a wow factor (a hand painted, huge pink flower) and looked ladylike! This dress checks all the boxes and I’m so excited to share pictures from the event!

I styled the dress with my pink patent leather shoes in these pictures, but after, decided it would look better with espadrilles. Luckily, I found some that are just the right color pink and will wear those to the tea. Pink shoes have definitely been catching my eye this season!

I thought the white cat-eye sunglasses added the perfect, fun and somewhat reto 1950’s finishing touch!

Be sure to check out the Lela Rose website to see all of her fabulous designs. These clothes, at least for me, are for very special events (like my daughter’s wedding and my 60th birthday), but I would love to own more of her pieces!

Also, just ordered Lela’s first book called Pret-a-Party, Great Ideas for Good Times and Creative Entertaining! I’m sure I’ll love it and it should be waiting for me when I get home from Kentucky!

Here are a few dresses I’m loving at a lower price point. They’re all from Tuckernuck and so cute! If you’re looking for a summer dress, this website has something for every occasion!