Shades of Peacock

As I consider the merits of the versatile, volatile silk Aunt Judy dresses by Heidi Merrick, two thoughts fold together as naturally as the chiffon petals on the ruffle front these two exquisite dresses have in common. One, I am certain that whoever Aunt Judy is, she doesn’t spend much time knitting socks or rolling out dough for apple turnover. Two, it is difficult to imagine a pair of dresses anywhere that more effectively blends the virtues of latent sensuality, feathery elegance, and post-Stepford girl power as Merrick’s form-celebrating duo.

While the Aunt Judy Krinkle Chiffon could probably find limitless applications depending on accessories and styling, there is something about this particular shade of peacock that calls for a brassy, classy lipstick—think coral or perhaps amaranth—and a joie de vivre on the part of the wearer that outpaces the wonderful maturity of the color itself. Its less complex counterpart, the powder blue Aunt Judy Crepe de Chine, achieves a similar grace of adaptability, yet succeeds in a way that says “lady” as surely as the Chiffon purrs “woman,” the one seditious note in the former’s constitution being a hemline that stops well above the knee.

Boardroom or boardwalk, one can’t go wrong bringing Aunt Judy along. Props to Heidi Merrick for reminding all of us that “cute” and cultured really can be the best of friends.