If you’re planning on going somewhere hot in the near future, the ExOfficio Sol Cool Dress is just the thing to take along. It is insanely versatile, has a secret pocket, will keep you cool and dry, protects you from the sun, resists wrinkles—and it’s figure flattering!
Insanely Versatile
Given the simple design, I found I could style this dress for any occasion by simply changing an accessory or two. Yay, packing light! I wore it with scarves, sweaters, various hats, leggings and ankle boots, flats, sandals, sneakers. With the style of the seams and texture of the fabric, the dress is naturally pretty sporty, but I was surprised how many different directions I felt I could bend it with a subtle nudge. As it says on the ExOfficio site, this dress will take you from the “beach to the museum, and everywhere in between.” Did I mention I have worn this every day since it arrived? Well, I have. (In case you’re worried, I haven’t had it too long.)
Since I’m wearing it daily, why bother to put it away? It’s been on the floor. While I don’t encourage this practice, I believe it serves as a sort of unplanned wrinkle resistance test. It passed! You’ll be able to shove it into your suitcase any old way, and even after months of travel, I imagine it will be perfectly wearable.
Another thing that makes this dress great for packing is the fact that it’s so lightweight—about the weight of a dress slip.
Regarding the fit, I typically wear a small, and I was satisfied with the fit of this small, but it’s on the big side, so if you’re on the fence, size down.
Now, about that secret security pocket. This is a fantastic feature. It would fit a key, credit card and ID—not much more without bulging noticeably. In the picture above I stuck my hand into the pocket as far as I could without stretching it. As you can see, it isn’t very deep. I saw one picture with the model putting a phone in it. Since the pocket is stretchy, I was able to fit an iPhone 5; however, the shape of it showed clearly through the thin fabric.
Technology Used
This dress uses Icefil® treated fabric. A compound found in birch trees called Xylitol is bound to the fibers of the fabric to cool you off by up to five degrees as it wicks moisture away from the skin. It is also rated UPF 50, so you’ll be protected from the sun. I thought that was nifty.
Since this fabric is so light and moisture wicking, it also dries very quickly. I like this feature, as I often long to jump into any body of water I may come upon. I wouldn’t hesitate to jump in the river wearing this dress. I’d be dry in no time.
One of my least favorite things about synthetic fabrics is their tendency to hang on to odor. While I haven’t done a ton of sweating in this dress yet, I was glad to see that it’s classified as odor resistant.
All in All
It’s rare enough to find something that you can wear and enjoy for days on end, but add to that all the great warm weather features packed into the ExOfficio Sol Cool Dress and you’ve got yourself one fantastic travel garment.
Buy the ExOfficio Sol Cool Dress here.
Go in style,
Jacquelyn
Photo Credit: Ty Barnes (my husband)
I received this item for review purposes, but all opinions expressed are my own.