This post was sponsored by Sololu, who sent me an item for review. All opinions and editorial decisions are my own.

A large part of living a minimalist lifestyle and scaling down usually involves evaluating our items, deciding to only hold onto that which adds value or is useful to our life. When it comes to a minimalist wardrobes that value can both beauty or added practicality. With Sololu, it’s both.

Sololu is a lifestyle brand and online store specialising in seasonless women’s clothing that’s designed in Canada and ethically handmade in Bali, Indonesia. Their designs are created to be lightweight, comfortable and stylish, blending a boho-chic aesthetic with considerations of durability and versatility to create pieces that are perfect for both our daily lives and adventures further afield.

But Sololu hasn’t just designed pieces that are great for more than one context, some of their designs are two outfits in one. Their reversible maxi-dress is a perfect flexible combo; with a high neckline, low back and side slit this can be a not-so-L BD, but turn it inside out and you’ve get a statement red dress instead, perfect for going subtle or splashing out in colour.

This dress is made with rayon which, while a better alternative to conventional materials, is not perfect. Rosanne, Sololu founder, herself became aware of the issues surrounding the material, and chatted to me about it in a really intelligent, considered and articulate way. Whilst developing this line, Sololu‘s first, she wanted to stay away from synthetics and plastics, leading her to cotton and rayon as they’re derived from natural sources and biodegradable. At the same time rayon is less than ideal when it comes to chemical use and issues of deforestation. Moving forwards Rosanne is looking at alternative sustainable options such as hemp, tencel, and organic cotton for future collections. This actually made me admire Rosanne more; in our conversations she was incredibly transparent both about how she had learned of rayon’s issues, but also the struggle that comes with trying to be as eco-friendly as possible when there are no 100% perfect solutions. I personally believe her commitment to transparency and improving is much better than denying environmental problems at all and following the conventional fast fashion route, or turning to greenwashing and insisting there’s no problems with the material. We’re all on a journey, and I’d much rather support others who are open and honest about that over those who pretend to be perfect.

So let’s talk about this dress a little more. I brought it to Australia with me! It folds up really small, making it ideal for travel as I got two outfits for the packing space of one. I’ve worn this both as a day dress with trainers and as an outfit to a wedding, meaning that not only does it add value by being two outfits, its also incredibly flexible within that. If you’re into capsule wardrobes, is there a more ideal option than this? It’s also super breathable, keeping me cool in this crazy summer heat. I love it. It’s a perfect day dress, night dress, any time dress! Its straps are adjustable, meaning that as our bodies naturally change it can adjust alongside us (yay for body positivity), and it’s so incredibly comfortable. I’m not a person that wears a lot of maxi dresses in the daytime, being small means they can often be a huge faff, but that’s not the case with this Sololu dress. The leg slit means you can still see I’m a person in there, and its designed in a more flattering manner that doesn’t completely shroud me in fabric. We took photos on a particularly windy day so it’s a little hard to tell, but the dress does actually hang really nicely on the body. At the same time, it’s so light and breezy that I’ve been perfectly fine cruising round in the sun. It keeps me covered, cool and calm. And if I want a new look next week, I just have to turn it inside out!

If you’re looking for a life hack, this dress is it. If you’re looking for a boho chic company that’s working its hardest to be ethical and is committed to improving, Sololu is it.

Until next time, stay magic y’all.

Photos by Saturao Studio