Jumelle

My friend Meg and I were taking a post-brunch stroll when we spotted
chicly eye-catching dresses in the window of a shop called Jumelle. With
summer, of course, often comes a wave of wedding invitations; and I had
a feeling this store would come through strongly for gals in need of a
party dress.

Inside, summery, garage-y rock flowed from the speakers and women
excitedly scanned the racks; shop owner Candice Waldron, a former
journalist, has a wonderful eye for artistic design. The dresses and the
separates here are lovely--and yes, many would be just right for a wedding,
garden party, or other summertime soiree. What's more, there's a sale on.
(Prices are in the process of being reduced, so those listed here may
soon be lower.) I especially loved a sleeveless grey silk dress from
Mociun, hand-silkscreened in a darker grey pattern ($325); a blue silk
blouse, also from Mociun, in blue with a dark blue sklikscreened bird
pattern ($156); an indigo blouse with a dramatic built-in shawl, from bi la
li ($245); a simply ruffled dress in coral from a.p.c. ($197); a black
sundress with a cheerful but sophisticated daisy pattern from fashion
legend Sonia Rykiel ($245); a camisole in sweet-but-not-sugary pink and
blue floral from Tsesay ($134); and a Mooka Kinney sundress with bold
and festive bands of blue, yellow, red, and white ($298). Candice says
she buys designs that she can easily imagine suiting her friends and
herself; and if the crowd in the shop is an indication, she has a good
sense of what women who love style are looking for right now.
(Apparently, fashion here is a family affair; "Jumelle" means "twin" in French,
and Candice's twin sister Carla is the shop's manager.)

It was easy to see that Jumelle has great wedding-guest outfits; but a
discovery of Meg's surprised us both. A simple but beautiful
embroidered-cotton knee-length dress in white, from Lyel ($308), suited her
exactly, was gorgeously made, and seemed as perfect a dress as any in which
to *get* married. Not that Meg has immediate wedding plans--but if she
did, she'd be set; and brides-to-be who aren't sold on the
poofy-skirt-and-train idea would do well to check this out. A dress that's lovely
enough to get married in but practical and classic enough to wear for
other parties, year after year? Now that's a fashion find.