METTE

A LETTER FROM AMELIA

At 50, I finally found a dress THAT FEELS LIKE ME AGAIN

Amelia Bennett

Perth · 2 October 2026

I’ve never written anything like this before, and I almost didn’t. But after the third friend asked me where my dress was from, it seemed easier to just write it all down.

Turning fifty did something strange to my wardrobe. Somewhere along the way it filled up with sensible things: plain tops, dark jeans, dresses chosen because they were safe rather than because I loved them. I used to be the one in the colourful, floaty dresses. I just didn’t know where that woman had gone.

You don’t stop being yourself at fifty. You just stop finding clothes that remind you who that is.

And Perth is made for dresses. Long sunny weekends, the markets, a sundowner by the river. There’s always somewhere you’d want to wear one, if you could only find one that felt right.

Ready for a long Perth weekend.

THEN I FOUND THE METTE

It didn’t look like anything I’d bought in years. A bright, multicoloured print with that easy, bohemian feel I used to love, in a fabric that felt soft the moment I touched it. It looked like a dress you’d wear to a market on a Saturday, and somehow still smart enough for the office.

It’s the Mette, from a small boutique called Willow Stitch, and it’s part of a whole collection of boho dresses. I ordered it that evening, before I could talk myself out of it.

The day it arrived. Even more colourful in person.

See The Mette Dress →

WHAT MY DAUGHTER SAID

I wore it for the first time to the Fremantle markets on a Saturday morning.

My daughter, who is twenty-four and has opinions about everything I wear, took one look at me and said, “Mum, you look like you again.” I didn’t realise how much I’d been waiting to hear that.

It’s barely been in the wardrobe since. The office, the markets, a sundowner by the river. I wear it with sneakers during the day and dress it up with sandals and a light jacket at night, and it never makes me look older than I am.

When I went back to the Willow Stitch website, I realised the Mette is just one of a whole collection of boho dresses. I’ve already got my eye on the next one.

THREE THINGS I’VE LEARNED SINCE

One. One dress, two looks. With sneakers it’s perfect for errands and the markets. With sandals, a bit of jewellery and a light jacket, it’s ready for dinner. I’ve stopped changing outfits halfway through the day.

Two. Comfort shouldn’t be a compromise. The fabric is soft against the skin, and it’s the kind of dress you forget you’re wearing, even after a long day.

Three. Colour changes how you feel. I didn’t realise how much I’d missed wearing something bright. People smile at you more, and you find yourself smiling back.

A few of the boho dresses I’ve got my eye on next.

ABOUT THE PRICE

I’ll be honest, the price made me more suspicious than anything. The Mette is $59.95, and my first thought was that there had to be a catch. A dress this soft and this well made usually costs a great deal more.

There’s no catch that I’ve found. Willow Stitch is a small boutique that sells directly, without a shop or a middleman in between, and they’re running a closing sale.

I read the reviews before I ordered, the way you probably are now. Willow Stitch has more than 8,600 of them, sitting at 4.7 stars, and the same things kept coming up: the comfort, the colours, the quality. That’s what decided it for me.

WHAT I’D TELL YOU OVER A CUPPA

If you and I were sitting down for a cuppa and you asked me, this is what I’d say. If your wardrobe has slowly filled up with “sensible” clothes and you can’t remember the last time you wore something just because you loved it, it’s worth ten minutes of an evening to have a look at the Mette.

Not because a dress changes your life. It doesn’t. But catching sight of yourself in a shop window and recognising the woman looking back is a small thing I’d stopped expecting. I’d rather you didn’t stop expecting it too.

Go for the one that makes you smile. That’s what I did, and I haven’t reached for my plain black dresses since.

Amelia Bennett

METTE | Day Dress

★★★★★ 4.7 from 8,600+ Willow Stitch reviews

$̶2̶0̶0̶.̶0̶0̶

$59.95

✓ Bright multicoloured boho print
✓ Soft, comfortable fabric for all-day wear
✓ Dress it down with sneakers or up

with sandals
✓ From the office to the markets to dinner
✓ Sizes AU 8 to 20
✓ Free shipping · 30-day returns

See The Mette Dress →

Closing sale on now. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Amelia Bennett is 50 and lives in Perth. She’s a Willow Stitch customer, not a fashion writer, and kindly let us share her story.

Willow Stitch · Free shipping across Australia · 30-day returns.

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