Venice Midi Dress: Two Ways to Tie It
The Venice is one dress with two necklines, and switching between them takes about thirty seconds. Its rouleau straps — narrow rounded cords — tie either on top of the shoulder or at the back, and each choice changes what the dress is for. Here is how to use both.
Tied on the shoulder
Knot the straps at the top of the shoulder and the Venice wears like a classic sundress. The ties sit visibly on the shoulder as a small detail of their own, and the neckline stays higher and more covered. This is the daytime setting: errands, lunch outside, an afternoon where you want the dress on and forgotten. Because the knot is on top of your shoulder, adjusting mid-day takes one hand.
Tied at the back
Re-route the same straps behind you and the geometry changes. The lines now run from the front of the bodice over the shoulder and down, the neckline pulls subtly wider, and the back of the dress gains the detail instead of the shoulder. This is the evening setting — it reads more deliberate, more dressed — and it also happens to sit better under a shawl or light jacket, since there is no knot on the shoulder to make a lump.
Setting the length either way
Both routes use the same ties, so the length is always yours to set: shorter ties lift the whole bodice, longer ones drop it. Tie a proper double knot once you find your setting — rouleau cord is smooth, and a single bow can work loose over a long day.
The bodice underneath the straps
What lets one dress serve two necklines is the gathered elastic bodice. The elastic holds the dress against you regardless of where the straps run, so the straps are steering, not doing the structural work. It also makes the fit forgiving: the Venice runs XS to XL, US 0 through 18, and the gathering flexes across each size band. If you sit between sizes, the elastic makes the larger one an easy call.
Fabric and the rest
The Venice is cotton and silk, block printed, soft and light in the hand, fully lined in cotton, and made in India. The silk is what makes the red drape rather than stand away; the lining is what keeps a light fabric opaque. It is a midi — the mid-calf length that works for most occasions without a second thought — and it is $44.99. The Venice Midi Dress in red page photographs the bodice and both strap routes clearly.
One dress, counted twice
If you think of your wardrobe in outfits rather than garments, the Venice counts as two. That arithmetic is the honest reason to own it — and if the two-way idea appeals in other colours, more of our midi dresses use tied and adjustable straps in the same five sizes.