Vacation Tamim is inspiring — she goes to operas on a whim and isn’t (that) afraid of cliff jumps into the ocean. These things aren’t practical to emulate now that I’ve returned to real life, but the sartorial lessons are. I’m continuing to wear the white, floral, and ultra-feminine dresses that defined my style while traversing through Tuscany and Puglia. I looked cute AF, and the Italian women thought so too because I kept being stopped by them motioning at my dresses and saying “bellissima” — which I learned means “very beautiful.” 

The three dresses that garnered this praise were all from the celebrity-loved brand For Love and Lemons. The list of fans, according to the brand, is so incredibly long, but it includes Sza, Millie Bobby Brown, Paris Hilton, and Selena Gomez. I am a long-time fan of the brand because it’s are one of the few of this caliber to have extended sizes. 

The exact dresses that outfitted my trip are the Tanya Dress, the Magnolia Dress, and the Serafina Dress. They’re a little bit pricey but well worth the investment. And because I truly need to share my adoration of them with as many people as possible, InStyle readers can shop my three loved styles at 15 percent off with the code INSTYLEMINIS

The Tanya Dress

For Love & Lemons

Shop now: $97 with code INSTYLEMINIS (Originally $225); forloveandlemons.com

I wear a 1XL in For Love and Lemons sizing and I was nervous about how my boobs would cooperate in this essentially backless dress. I will never be comfortable not wearing a bra so I opted for a white strapless bra, but the under-chest ruching is supportive enough that you could go bra-free. 

The plastic flower accouterments on the strap are such a novel and fun touch. They don’t feel overpowering because they’re ultimately clear on the skin. Though the dress is white, I did not find it to be see-through in the slightest. The two-tiered skirt is cute, flirty, and well tailored,so it didn’t make my caboose look excessively large. 

Right now it’s on sale but the INSTYLEMINIS code still applies which brings the cost down from $225 to $97. 

The Magnolia Mini Dress

For Love & Lemons

Shop now: $237 with code INSTYLEMINIS (Originally $279); forloveandlemons.com 

We have all seen those very viral Selkie dresses, right? In theory, they’re fun and light and feminine. In reality, for me at least, the puff dress was a disaster. I looked like a spool of cotton candy. The Magnolia Mini Dress is everything I wished the puff dress was. 

It’s flouncy and maximalist, but not overbearing (thanks to the color palette), and it has volume and dimension without swallowing your physique. While on vacation, I wore this to an opera in a medieval church, to a waterfront lunch, and window shopping a riviera. I was nervous about its transition back to my New York City life, but I’ve already worn it to brunch and for a park hang out. 

The Serafina Mini Dress

For Love & Lemons

Shop now: $196 with code INSTYLEMINIS (Originally $230); forloveandlemons.com 

When I think of ogling ceramics in the Sicilian sun and drinking Aperol spritzes, the lemon print of the Serafina Dress is the outfit that comes to mind. The empire waist style is ideal for dressing in the hottest summer heat you can imagine. 

This dress is a little bit on the short side so I sometimes wore it with a lace slip skirt underneath. I also wore it with jean shorts which I found to be cuter than I even thought possible. 

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