If you can't go to Italy, bring Italy where you are…

That was the thought that crossed my mind when I saw this shirt dress for the first time… If it doesn’t transport you to somewhere in Italy, I don’t know what will… I mean this figuratively, of course… Wouldn’t it be nice if clothes actually did that? Anyway…

I, for one am in no rush to “fight” the massive influx of tourists Italy is experiencing after the pandemic, even if I would love nothing more than to find myself there. Until I’m ready to restart travel plans, I will add Italian vibes into my wardrobe, home, and kitchen.

It’s no secret that I’ve been into tile and mosaic prints for a while now (and proof of that is here, here, and here), so when I saw another mosaic print dress, I sighed and told myself that I needed to have this one, too. Yup, I may have a problem, or perhaps, I’m just building a collection, you decide...

I think with this particular dress, I liked the contrasting green more than anything, which was a bit of a departure from my default choice of blue. The overall color combination works great and makes things exciting and yes, Italy-worthy.

As with the other dresses I have by Dalia MacPhee, this one doesn’t fall short of beauty and quality. The fabric is airy and the dress is perfectly light and flowy to keep comfortable for the hot season ahead. As far as fit, the dress runs true to size and is not see-through.

The belt is removable, so I plan on replacing it at times with a straw or a raffia belt. As far as shoes, this time I chose to pair this shirt dress with espadrilles for a relaxed and vacation-ready look. Note: my lace-up espadrilles are J.Crew Factory’s last year version; this year they come with straps. If you want a lace-up option, check these out.

Here are a few more tile/mosaic print dress choices: