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Transported in Reversible KFLY Dress

Collage of photos of a reversible floral Katy Flynn Seattle KFLY Dress with navy HUE leggings, tobacco Clarks heels, and Goorin Bros. woven sun hat.

Cue up the Out of Africa soundtrack. We’re going on a safari.

I don’t remember much about the plot of Out of Africa but I remember everything about how the costumes and the music made me feel. The tailored elegance and exquisite fashion filled my artistic soul. It etched in me a desire to dress just like Meryl Streep’s character and sip tea in the middle of the grass while listening to Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto on gramophone.

Reversible floral Katy Flynn Seattle KFLY Dress with navy HUE leggings, tobacco Clarks heels, and Goorin Bros. woven sun hat.
Original background photo by AJ Robbie of Unsplash.com. Photoshopped by me.

Katy Flynn of Seattle’s KFLY design has created a stunning, reversible dress that somehow manages to flatter every body type. The magic of it is in the fabric and Katy’s thoughtful, artistic engineering. Thanks to KFLY, all of us can feel like we just stepped out of a Meryl Streep movie.

Out of Africa movie poster with parody version of Petite Over 40 in reversible Katy Flynn Seattle KFLY dress, HUE leggings, Clarks shoes, and Goorin Bros. hat.

Our Safari Begins with Fabric

Feeling elegant often begins with the fabric of a garment. My KFLY dress is made of a poly-silk blend that is whisper soft against my skin. It drapes like a dream. Somehow all the parts of me I normally worry about disappear in this dress. I feel totally me and naturally beautiful.

Reversible floral Katy Flynn Seattle KFLY Dress with navy HUE leggings, tobacco Clarks heels, and Goorin Bros. woven sun hat.
Original background photo of elephant by AJ Robbie of Unsplash.com. Photoshopped by me.

Next Stop: Design

Of course, worrisome parts don’t just disappear because of fabric. The real magic is in Katy’s clever design.

Katy’s design philosophy is to create styles for women of all shapes and sizes. Being a curvy gal, her initial inspiration was to design styles for ladies with curvalicious bods. Before she was done, though, that artistic engineering mind of hers crafted something that flatters all women.

Reversible floral Katy Flynn Seattle KFLY Dress with navy HUE leggings, tobacco Clarks heels, and Goorin Bros. woven sun hat.
Original background photo by Sergey Pesterev of Unsplash.com. Photoshopped by me.

I bought this dress at KFLY’s Spring Showcase earlier this month. During that event, there was a moment when I stood outside the dressing room next to a woman wearing the same style dress but she had a completely different body type. Our eyes brightened with confidence as we looked at ourselves and each other. We giggled the way people do when they’re delighted. In that moment, my fellow KFLY fan and I saw our bodies just as they were–and we liked what we saw.

It occurred to me then that this dress is the most feminist garment I have ever worn. It equals everything out and allows us to be (and maybe even love?) who we are.

That’s magic.

Let’s Make a U-Turn to the Back

I’m no fashion engineer but it seems like one of the elements that makes this style so magical is that it’s reversible. See in the photo below how it drapes in the back? Well, I can flip it around and wear the drape in the front.

Reversible floral Katy Flynn Seattle KFLY Dress with navy HUE leggings, tobacco Clarks heels, and Goorin Bros. woven sun hat.
Original background photo by Vincent van Zalinge at Unsplash.com. Photoshopped by me.

Here’s how it looks worn in reverse:

Reversible floral Katy Flynn Seattle KFLY Dress with navy HUE leggings, tobacco Clarks heels, and Goorin Bros. woven sun hat.
Background photo by Harshil Gudka at Unsplash.com. Photoshopped by me.

For ladies with larger assets in the chest area, that drape creates room for a flattering fit. For those of us with smaller assets, the cowl gently sweeps down to create the look of a fuller bust, which for me also feels flattering.

But Wait, There’s More!

Wearing the dress with the drape in the front feels slightly dressier than the reverse. Because of that, this design is perfect for travel. It folds down into a thimble (not really, but close!) and I can dress it up or down, depending on the situation.

Since my lifestyle is more casual than fancy, I tend to wear my KFLY with the drape in the back. But notice in the picture below how I tied a knot at the knee. Katy taught me that trick. It gives the dress even more shape and makes it more playful. Imagine wearing this on a beach somewhere without the jacket or tights and with a pair of sandals.

I’m never going anywhere without my KFLY.

Reversible floral Katy Flynn Seattle KFLY Dress with navy HUE leggings, Kut from the Kloth denim jacket, tobacco Clarks heels, and Goorin Bros. woven sun hat.
Background photo by Howling Red of Unsplash.com. Photoshopped by me.

Last Stop?

Look, I know I’ve been gushing about this dress, but I can’t help it. It is rare for me to find something that feels so much like me. Which is why I’ll be gushing again in a couple of weeks when I share the other KFLY pieces I bought at Katy’s showcase, so buckle your seatbelt and prepare for another fashion safari. 🙂

Outfit Details

Dress by KFLY – Katy Flynn Seattle
More about Katy and her designs here.
Similar styles here.

Leggings by HUE
Available here.

Shoes by Clarks
Similar here.

Hat by Goorin Bros.
Similar here.

Denim jacket by Kut from the Kloth
Available here.

Pearl necklace from my great-grandmother
Featured in another post.
Similar here.

Vintage cinch belt from eBay
Similar here.


Linking to the lovely Patti’s Visible Monday at NotDeadYetStyle.com.


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About Author

Freelance writer about food and fashion. Obsessed genealogist and history nerd. New to sewing. Love all dogs and one hubby. Seattle

(20) Comments

  1. I loved the use of florals in your dress.

    1. Thank you, Chhavi! Katy, the designer, finds the most beautiful fabrics to work with and this dress is no exception. I just love it! 💕

  2. Bonnie Gough says:

    Love this look!!

    1. Thank you, Bonnie! 💕 It’s become a staple in my wardrobe!

  3. Wow! What a statement about a dress! From film to feminism! And let’s not forget about supporting local, female entrepreneurs! And I just wanted to say that you have really warmed my heart this week. I wanted to make sure you knew how much I appreciate your insight and kind words that you left on my page. It was actually hard to read in one sitting because you were so kind and I felt so touched I couldn’t stand it! I had to slam the computer shut and take a break! Not used to all that mushy stuff! But, seriously, you made some excellent points that I already knew (like letting nature be a balm) but needed to be reminded. I actually feel better and your comment is one of the reasons why and yes when you come to Michigan and I come to Seattle we are not only going out for coffee we’re also going out dancing! So bring your dancing shoes and your Kfly dress! xx Julia

  4. It’s so creative how you’ve managed to make a story out of the dress with the addition of photos.

    Out of Africa is one of my favourite movies of all time. Doesn’t get much more romantic than that. The scenery…the clothes…the time in history. I love all of it.

    The dress is wonderful. So cool that you can wear it reversed. I guess I’ll be seeing it soon : )

    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

    1. I remember loving Out of Africa when it came out. Meryl Streep has always been a favorite actress of mine since seeing her in that movie. But it has been so long that all I can remember about the plot is that her character’s husband had syphilis (right?) and Robert Redford washed her hair, which was so touching and lovely.

      The music and costumes stayed with me all this time, though. I had the soundtrack on cassette when the movie first came out and listening to it now on Spotify, it still moves me deeply. The dress I’m wearing for this post just seems to fit all of it–the romance, the beauty, the backdrop.

      And yes–you will be seeing it in a few days! I can’t wait to see you!

      – Sherry

  5. sandypatti says:

    Simply fabulous: your creative photo editing and even more, YOU in that great dress. Are you bringing it to Van??? If so, keep it under lock and key. I will borrow some of your privacy language, thank you, as that law’s been eating my lunch as well. Even my geek husband isn’t sure what we HAVE to do. See you sooooo soon, xox

    -Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

    1. Ha ha! Thank you, Patti! I am bringing this dress to Van, along with potentially another KFLY dress.

      You are most welcome to use any of the privacy language I’ve posted on my privacy page. When the geek spouses can’t figure it out, it may be time for the creators of such laws to go back to the drawing board and make it easier to understand!

      Can’t wait to see you in just a couple of days!!

      – Sherry

  6. Oh this was fun! You totally crack me up but I love this dress! How you introduce us to it is so original! The only thing I remember of that movie was that Robert Redford washed her hair in the river/pond. How luxurious to have the man you’re in love with wash your hair! If there are any men reading this take this as a big insight into how to catch a woman!

    1. Oh yes, Julia! That scene with Redford and the hair–My Oh My!!!

      As for the dress, I was thinking of you when I was at the event. These dresses were originally designed for women with “girls that rule,” so your girls would be very much at home in a KFLY dress! 🙂

      – Sherry

  7. Marilee Gramith says:

    You have access to some very creative designers there in Seattle and your romantic interpretation of this dress is completely charming and inspirational. I love the unpredictable nature of your blog presentations. Your styling and the way you invest yourself in what you wear is quite rare because you seem to make a deeper commitment. I know that you’re very socially and environmentally conscientious about your fashion choices but I’m sensing something more…
    This reminds me… Weren’t you MAKING/ DESIGNING a dress? Tell me about that.

    1. My romantic interpretation–I love that phrase! Thank you, Jude, for always understanding where I come from with my posts. If I’m not getting something creative out of the process, I just can’t do it. I appreciate you sticking with me as my styles and ideas shift and change with the tides. 🙂

      Hugs,
      Sherry

  8. That’s a fabulous dress, Sherry. I’m also interested in your approach to the “Privacy Policy” thing. Did you also install a “cookies” pop-up? That whole GDPR thing has been a pain. And whatever Google/Blogger has done to comply has interrupted my comment notifications e-mails. I’m beginning to wish I had gone with WordPress when I first started blogging:)

    1. Oh, Susan, that GDPR thing is eating my lunch! I have no idea if I did it right. WordPress offers “suggested text” so after I wrote my post with the GDPR blurb at the bottom, I created a whole page devoted to privacy issues using WordPress’s guidelines. I still don’t know if I did it correctly and whether I need to send out an email to subscribers about it. Did something pop up for you about cookies when you visited my site?

      You’re welcome to take a look at my privacy page near the top of my blog near Home, About, etc. and use whatever you like from it. I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that since my blog is peanuts compared to most that I won’t come under fire for any irregularities with the law.

      Sending you luck on this GDPR journey!

      – Sherry

  9. WOW…you are so clever with photoshop! Your pics are amazing!

    The dress is indeed brilliant and I love it best styled with the denim jacket. And…your hat and shoes are perfect bookmarks. They really make those roses pop!

    1. Thank you, Sue! I’m not brave enough to go out on my own with a tripod as my only companion, so editing backgrounds into my photos is the next best thing. Ha ha!

      You’ll be seeing this dress up close in a few days, though I’m leaving the hat at home. I’m so excited to see you!

      – Sherry

      1. ME TOO! ME TOO!

  10. Jodie says:

    I love how you made this dress even more unique by tying the ends!! That’s such a brilliant trick and I always forget it!!
    I can’t wait to see what else you have in store for us!!
    XOXO
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

    1. Katy taught me to knot the skirt on the side when I was at the shop trying on this dress–she gets all the credit for how good this dress fits and looks! She has other styles that can be knotted twice, depending on the look you want to go for. I’ll give that a try on my next post about KFLY!

      Hugs,
      Sherry

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