I'm 59, and I have a closet full of dresses I don't wear.
Not because they're ugly. Most of them looked lovely on the hanger. Some even looked lovely on me — for about an hour. Then I'd sit down at lunch, or bend over to pick up a grandbaby, and spend the rest of the day tugging at something.
You know the Thursday-morning routine. You put on the nice thing. You take it off. You put on the comfortable thing, and then sit through lunch feeling a little frumpy next to your friends.
Somewhere after fifty, dresses seem to come in two kinds.
The first kind is made for a woman who never sits down. Fitted, fussy, a zipper you need help with. You look dressed, and you feel every minute of it.
The second kind is soft and easy and, if I'm honest, looks like you've stopped trying. Fine for the house. Not for lunch on Main Street.
What I wanted was simple: something I could put on in two minutes, that looked like I'd made an effort, and that I'd forget I was wearing by the afternoon.
Meet the Elyon
That's how I landed on a dress called the Elyon, from The Nantucket Aunties.
I'll be straight with you: I write these letters with the Nantucket Aunties team. When we sat down to pick one dress for fall, this is the one we kept coming back to. Here's why.
A collar that does the work for you.
The Elyon has a raised collar with three tortoiseshell-style buttons at the neckline. It's a small detail, but it's why the dress looks finished without a necklace or a scarf. A plain dress plus one good detail. That's the whole trick.
A loose, straight cut.
It falls straight from the shoulders instead of grabbing at the middle. Feminine, not restrictive. Long lunches, a toddler on the floor, a drive out to 'Sconset — no rearranging required.
A midi length.
It sits below the knee, so you feel covered without being swallowed up. Easy with boots now, easy with flats in spring.
Sneakers on Tuesday, boots on Sunday.
The same dress goes casual with white sneakers or dressier with ankle boots and a coat. One dress, a lot of different days.
It holds its shape and it's easy care.
It's made to keep its shape and to be simple to look after. That's what you want from the dress you'll reach for every week: no fuss, no dry cleaner.
It comes in seven colors — black, beige, brown, green, red, orange and yellow — in sizes S through 3XL, all at the same price.
Four ways I'd wear it
Lunch with the girls
Brown or black, loafers, a small crossbody bag, pearl studs. The collar does the rest.
Family gatherings
Green or red with ankle boots and a cardigan you can slip off when the kitchen warms up.
Errands & easy outings
Beige with white sneakers and a canvas tote.
A cool fall day
Black with tights, tall boots and a camel coat over the top.
What I wanted vs. what I kept finding
- Fitted dresses that pull when you sit
- Plain dresses with nothing to them
- A neckline that needs a necklace
- One way to wear it
- Sizes that stop too soon
- A loose, straight cut that isn't restrictive
- A raised collar with three buttons
- A detail that works on its own
- Sneakers or boots, lunch or errands
- S to 3XL, one price
Before you order — the plain facts
- Price
- $59.95
- Shipping
- Free across the US. Orders are processed in 2–3 business days and usually arrive within 8–15 business days in total, so order early if you need it for a date.
- Returns
- 30-day money-back guarantee. Email info@thenantucketaunties.com within 30 days of receiving your order. On change-of-mind or size returns you pay return shipping and a $10 processing fee; damaged or wrong items are covered in full. Full policy
- Bundle
- Extra 10% off 2 items, 15% off 3, 20% off 4 or more — applied automatically at checkout.
- Sizing
- S to 3XL. Between sizes? The store suggests going one size up.
The Nantucket Aunties
Elyon | Sophisticated Dress
Black · Beige · Brown · Green · Red · Orange · Yellow
- Raised collar with three tortoiseshell-style buttons
- Loose, straight midi cut — feminine, not restrictive
- Sizes S to 3XL, one price
- Free US shipping & 30-day money-back guarantee
Opens the Elyon page at The Nantucket Aunties
One last thing
I'm not going to tell you a dress will change your life. It won't.
But there's something nice about opening the closet on a Thursday morning and not having to think. Put on one thing, button the collar, and head out the door feeling like yourself.
If that sounds good, take a look. Pick your color, check the size chart, and give yourself an easy fall.
With love from Nantucket,
Nancy