my quest for the perfect summer dress
once upon a time, in a galaxy far far away, we would regularly go to movie theaters. it was a favorite pastime as a child that lasted all through my teens, twenties, thirties, and beyond. there was nothing more than mr. style and i loved to do on date night than head to the movies. many times we would grab a bite to eat before or after the movie. when we lived in San Francisco we loved to walk to the Kabuki theater which was a good two to three miles from our apartment. then saunter back home taking our time deciding which restaurant to frequent that night. so, we’re going to do something fun this week: the gang here at style at certain age are going to bring you our favorite summer blockbusters. (don’t worry, we’re still going to talk fashion. in fact, we’re continuing my quest for the perfect summer dress today!)
my favorite summer blockbuster
my favorite movie memories seem to revolve around those blockbuster movies that were released come summer. way back in the day summer was not only a time to get your swimsuit bod in shape to lounge around the pool during the day soaking up those rays. but once dusk set in it was time to gussy up and head to the movie theater. so i thought it would be fun to visit memory lane this week and revisit a few of our favorites. movies that is. maybe we can’t drive to the theater purchase a ticket, popcorn, and a drink. but we can stream movies, rustle up our favorite snack and plop in a comfy chair for the evening. heck, i’m looking forward to watching the blockbuster musical Hamilton that’s now playing on Disney!
anyone remember what they were doing June 20, 1975? well, that was the premiere of a little movie that went by the name of Jaws. okay, okay it turned into a blockbuster movie that catapulted its director Steven Spielberg then twenty-six years old into the stratosphere of hollywood. but no one could have predicted that at the time. in fact, the crew on the set of Jaws nicknamed the movie Flaws for good reason. the movie was based on a popular book by Peter Benchley about a man-eating shark that terrorized a small summer beach town.
production commenced May 2, 1974 and was immediately plagued with problems. it was the first major movie production to be shot on the ocean. mechanical sharks were designed and created specifically for the movie but the prop sharks frequently malfunctioned causing delays. but there were other problems on set like the weather, sailboats drifting into scenes, and cameras getting soaked. original principal photography was scheduled for 55 days but in the end, the movie wrapped on day 159. Spielberg thought his fledgling career was over as no director had taken a movie 100 days over production.
the quest for the perfect summer dress
on my quest for summer dresses, i discovered this cute little number from J.Crew. the ribbon dress has pockets and also comes in black. it looks perfect on its own but the hot pink jacket also from J.Crew looks casually chic thrown over your shoulders.
dress | blazer | sandals | similar handbag here and here | similar earrings here and here | lip shade stimulant
anyone remembers attending Jaws in the summer of 1975? the movie came out the summer between my junior and senior year of high school and i went to the movie with my parents and my high school sweetheart. it was a tense two-hour experience that left me and millions of others deathly afraid of swimming in the ocean. and who could forget that screen score by John Williams? to this day da da. da da. da da da dum strikes fear in me.
a one-shoulder dress requires a strapless bra. summer outfits always need special lingerie so i stock up on nude or black racerback bras and strapless bras.
dress | blazer | sandals | similar handbag here and here | similar earrings here and here | lip shade stimulant
thanks for walking down memory lane with me today. and stay tuned all week long as all the members of Style at a Certain Age will share their blockbuster picks. and let me know what your favorite summer blockbuster is. wishing you a very happy Monday!
As soon as you said “summer blockbuster”, Jaws popped into my head. Perfect teen date night movie because holding hands during the scary parts was required.
one of the best summer blockbusters – ever! and you’re absolutely right about holding hands through the scary parts.
Love the dress on you and love your hair.
this is the kind of dress to twirl in!
Summer of ‘42, released in 1971. I saw it with my high school sweetheart. I remember the romance to be palpable on the screen and between the two of us. Ah young love, it’s the best.
that was a good coming of age story. thanks for reminding me!
Hi Beth,
I was 11 that summer. My mom invited my grandmother to go with her, my brother and me to see Jaws. The theater was packed so my grandmother sat in the row behind my mom. At one point she was startled and leapt forward, grabbing my mom around the neck. Afterward she said, “I thought we were going to see a nature film.” Thanks for reminding me of a funny story about my granny. She was the best!
can you imagine thinking that you’re going to watch a nature film then the great white shark appears?! what a good sport.
Love your dress Beth. As for Jaws, well my sister and I went to see it. I was even afraid to swim in our pool after watching that movie. One thing I remembered, was during a scene I noticed a falling star streaking right across the sky, I watched it again when it came on the TV, and I was right. Did anyone else notice that.
well i was landlocked in nebraska but i was still terrified! when i rewatch this movie i’m looking for the falling star!
Alien, my boyfriend and his room mate met me after my summer job during the summer before my senior year in college. The fiends grabbed my arms at a high drama moment and I let out a high pitched screech! Luckily many in the audience laughed! They took me out for dinner as an apology! Loved those two!
that was a scary one! you sit on the edge of your seat the entire movie. but what a great memory! thanks for sharing.
Love that dress on you Beth! Such summery colors, bliss:) Thank you for your lovely posts I always enjoy them. Keep safe, keep sane:)
thanks so much for stopping by, francesca!
I totally remember going to see Jaws with 5 of my girlfriends. My best friend Judy was so scared she dug her fingernails into my arm! I on the other hand, could not wait to go scuba diving! I got certified at 16 and finally 3 years ago went diving with great white sharks off Guadalupe Island in Mexico. Best week ever! Love your site and visit everyday!
wow! you are fearless. so happy you were able to dive with the great whites. now that’s a memory!
I love that dress! Wasn’t sure the first time you wore it, but am hooked now – just enough uniqueness but not over the top. Your hair, with it’s natural wave is perfect in that style- fresh and uniquely you.
Thank you for going back to mentioning your lip shades🌷 I actually just went back to an old fav which is the same. It doesn’t feather or bleed and lasts. For those gals that might not want to pay for Tom Ford, mine is a Norwegian brand, Face, shade Ansver. It looks darker in the tube. Like yours, would probably suit everyone. Your joyful nature makes this a safe haven in uncharted waters – stay safe 🥂
i always forget to include the lipshade. but i’m trying to get better.
There’s no better summer movie than Jaws!!! We watch it every year – and I still shudder when a piece of seaweed brushes by me in the water!! Did you know the lady who played Alex Kintner’s mom in Jaws just died (apparently due to coronavirus complications)…she was 91. She was the one who slapped Chief Brody after Alex’s watery demise.
what a classic movie! loved it then and love it now.
precioso (gorgeous)
I love everything (dress, sandals, handbag)
the sandals are my new summer favorite! comfy and chic. the best combination.
Yes, Jaws was scary!!! Not so sure about a 1 shoulder dress on a gal the same age as you. I would pass. I like the skirt part.
first Jaws, then Star Wars and best of all Indiana Jones. they just knew how to make movies.
The whole outfit is absolutely darling! It’s a favorite of mine among your summer fashion posts along with the fun yellow shorts outfit!
aren’t those yellow shorts adorable?! just love Ann Taylor’s summer collection.
My husband newly minted, loved that movie. We also saw the sequel which wasn’t as good and I couldn’t eat fried fish for a while.
Such a pretty dress, I wish I could wear it but my arms and shoulders are best kept under wraps. The cardigan is such a beautiful color.
Jaws just set the bar high for summer blockbusters!
I really don’t care for this dress on you. I’m sorry but in my opion it makes you look thick through the middle. The first thing I noticed was the red stripe around your waist. Sorry not one of my favorite looks on you.
so no favorite movie?
I watched Jaws again this summer. It has held up very well. Still a good movie. I watched a personal favorite a few nights ago. Not a summer blockbuster but a cute, sweet, funny movie–Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation. None better than Jimmy Stewart and Maureen O’Hara. Perfect little summer movie. (Remember teen idol, Fabian. He’s cute in it.)
p.s. You look fabulous in the dress.
who didn’t love jimmy stuart? what a fantastic actor. i faguely remember that movie. I’ll have to check it out!
I have loved this dress at JCrew and the many different fabrics they have shown. Beautiful!
I can tell you what I remember about the movie Jaws. I was on my first date ever and the guy had just put his arm around my shoulders which made me very nervous. Then the shark popped out of the water with those huge fangs and I almost jumped out of my seat banging my right elbow. It really hurt. Thanks for the funny memory.
movies and clothes have a way of stirring up good memories. even funny ones!
Thanks for the memories! Jaws was an epic film! It was the summer between my junior and senior year also! That dress is adorbs, like colored candies!
Very pretty dress. so summery and classic. I remember when the book Jaws first came out and we all headed to the beach. EVERYONE was reading it on the sand. So funny…that summer, there were jellyfish all over the place for some reason. I remember my brother, who was a teen at the time, looking around at all of them reading and he announced “I’m going to write a book, and I’m going to call it ‘Jellies.'”