I've Dressed Women for 12 Years. The Ivy Is the Midi Dress I Always Wanted for Myself, and Could Never Find.
On the six things I insisted on when I designed our rose-cuff floral midi dress, how it compares to the dresses flooding your feed, and why it's clearing as we simplify the collection.
The Ivy, in the pink floral I still reach for first.
I'm Monroe, and I started Wells & Monroe here in Charleston twelve years ago, above a little tailor's shop that smelled like starch and orange blossom. In that time I've sewn, sourced, and second-guessed a great many dresses. The Ivy is the one I reach for when I want to feel put-together without spending ten minutes deciding what that means.
It's the dress I put on when the day has no clear plan — brunch that might turn into errands, a walk that might turn into dinner. And of everything in the closet as we pare the collection down to what's truly worth keeping, it's the piece I most wanted to write to you about.
For years I watched the same thing happen to the women who came into my fitting room. The "effortless" midi dresses were all the same two disappointments. The first looked beautiful in the photo and clung in every wrong place the moment you sat down. The second was loose and forgiving, but plain enough that nobody at the table noticed you'd made an effort. I never accepted that a woman had to choose between feeling comfortable and feeling put-together. The Ivy is my answer, and I fought for six things when I made it — usually with a factory that wanted to do the cheaper version instead.
Stays comfortable for hours, not just the first ten minutes.
Most dresses look great walking out the door and start working against you the moment you sit down. The Ivy's relaxed A-line moves with you instead — through a long lunch, a walk that turns into errands, an afternoon that turns into evening plans — without a single adjustment.
"I wore it from a work lunch straight into dinner plans and never once had to fix it or feel like I needed to change."
Rose-cuff sleeves, sculpted by hand, not printed on.
Every rose is folded and set into the cuff itself — dimensional, soft to the touch, unmistakably not a pattern. It's the detail that turns a simple silhouette into the one people actually stop you to ask about.
"Three separate women asked about the sleeves before I even sat down. I've never had a dress do that."
Real pockets, because you deserve them.
Deep enough for your phone and your keys, sewn into the side seam where they belong. On the days I wear the Ivy I leave the handbag on the hook by the door.
"I put my phone and my keys in the pockets and left the handbag at home. Such a small thing, and I love it."
A floral print that reads elegant, not costume.
Soft, watercolor-toned blooms set against a quiet ground color — chosen to look considered from across the room, not loud up close. It's the kind of print you can wear to a wedding or a Tuesday.
"It's the first floral dress I've owned that doesn't feel like I'm wearing the curtains. Genuinely elegant."
A midi length that works day to night.
Long enough to feel covered and easy, short enough that it never drags. Dress it down with sandals for the afternoon, or add heels and jewelry and it's ready for dinner in seconds.
"I wore it to the office with flats, then just changed shoes for date night. One dress, two completely different looks."
Six colors, and every one of them looks expensive.
From soft pink florals to solid black, white, beige, navy, and olive — each shade chosen to sit quietly with what's already in your closet, so the Ivy earns its place from the very first wear.
"I started with the pink floral and went back for the black within the week. They photograph beautifully and go with everything I own."
The Ivy, against the midi dresses you've been buying
Most $70 Midi Dresses
- Comfortable for ten minutes, then not
- Cuffs that are printed or glued on
- No pockets, or fake ones sewn shut
- Florals that look cheap up close
- Clings the moment you sit down
- Looks tired after one wash
The Ivy
- Stays comfortable morning to night
- Rose-cuff sleeves, sculpted and hand-set
- Real side pockets you can actually use
- A print that reads elegant up close
- Skims, and moves with you
- Holds its shape, wear after wear
I refuse to make a dress that asks a woman to choose between looking put-together and feeling like herself. That's the whole reason the Ivy exists.
Why the Ivy is clearing now
We're simplifying the Wells & Monroe collection down to the pieces our customers actually reach for, and the Ivy is being cleared with it. It's now $69.95, down from $175.00, and when you take more than one the discount stacks further — up to 70% on top.
I'll be plain about it. At this price we're barely covering the craftsmanship and the hand-set cuffs. I'm telling you because it's true, and because once this clearance run sells through, this price goes with it. There's no promise it comes back at $69.95.
If twelve years running this little label have taught me anything, it's that a woman who tries the Ivy once usually orders a second color. That's the quiet bet I'm placing by writing you this letter today.
"I now own the pink floral and the navy. Between the two I've barely reached for anything else since June. Put-together, comfortable, and I always get asked about it."
It's the midi dress I'm proudest of in twelve years of doing this. I'd rather it go to women who will actually wear it than sit folded in a stockroom.
The reviews say the same things I do, over and over. 4.8 stars across 1,100+ women. If you've ever wanted a dress that does the work for you — comfortable enough for real life, polished enough that you never have to explain the effort — this is the one I'd put in your hands myself, while the colors are still in stock.
— Monroe
Ivy | Floral Midi Dress with Rose-Cuff Sleeves
- All-day comfort, from morning to night
- Sculpted rose-cuff sleeves and real side pockets
- Free UPS shipping & 30-day money-back guarantee
About the writer. Monroe is the founder of Wells & Monroe, started in Charleston, South Carolina. Twelve years in, she still signs off on every detail and every cuff before it ships.
This is a personal letter from the founder of Wells & Monroe. Prices and availability are accurate while stock lasts during the clearance.