A letter from the sisters
The prettiest dress in your closet should not be waiting for an invitation.
On the six things we looked for before the Bella came into our shop, how it compares to the dresses you may have been buying, and why it is $54.95 during our Retirement Sale.
There is something we have noticed over the years that we keep coming back to. So many women own a dress they truly love and almost never wear it. It hangs at the back of the closet, waiting for a wedding, a birthday dinner, a reason.
We are Margaret, Mary and Martha, three sisters from Aspen, Colorado, and we started this shop believing that a woman should never have to choose between comfort, femininity and confidence. That forgotten dress is exactly where that belief tends to get lost.
Because somewhere along the way, most closets split in two. There is the pretty half, saved for occasions and worn a handful of times a year. And there is the everyday half, which is what we actually live in: practical, plain, picked on the quiet assumption that an ordinary day does not deserve much effort.
Then the occasions come around less often, the everyday half slowly takes over, and one morning a woman realizes the dresses she loves most have spent more years on hangers than on her.
We never believed it had to be that way.
The Bella is the dress we chose because of that belief, that feeling beautifully dressed should not need an invitation. There were six things we looked for.
The print is soft and feminine, never loud.
This is the first thing we look at, because it is the first thing that can go wrong. A print that is too busy ends up wearing the woman instead of the other way around, and one that is too plain simply disappears. The Bella sits in the gentle middle: a delicate, feminine design with enough character to feel special and soft enough that it never shouts. It looks pretty from across the room and still looks considered up close, which is why it feels like a dress you chose rather than one you settled for.
“The first time we unfolded the print, it reminded us of the fabrics our grandmother loved to work with. Soft, pretty, and never trying too hard. That is exactly the feeling we look for.”
Mary · Margaret, Mary & MarthaA V-neck that does the flattering for you
We wanted a neckline that does its work quietly. A V-neck draws the eye up toward the face and gives the neck and shoulders a longer, more graceful line, which is exactly what a high round neck tends to take away. It is open enough to feel feminine and modest enough for church, a lunch in town or a granddaughter's recital without a second thought. Add a pendant or leave it bare, and it looks finished either way.
“I always say: let the neckline do the work. With the Bella I wear a simple pendant or nothing at all, and it already looks finished.”
Martha · Margaret, Mary & MarthaFour colors, one silhouette, so you wear it in the shade that suits you
This was the part we spent the longest on. A woman who loves a dress should not have to love it in a color that does nothing for her. So the Bella comes in four: a fresh green, a calm blue, a rich red and a soft lilac. Same flattering shape, same feminine print, four very different moods. Choose the one that suits your coloring, or simply the one that makes you happy every time you open the closet door.
“We each have our own favorite. Mine is the blue, Mary keeps reaching for the green, and Martha says the lilac is the prettiest thing in the shop. Pick the one that makes you smile and do not overthink it.”
Margaret · Margaret, Mary & MarthaA defined waist, and sizes we are honest about
A flattering fit is not about squeezing a woman into a shape. It is about putting the shape in the right place. The Bella has a defined waist with a skirt that falls easily away from it, so it gives you a waistline without clinging where you would rather it did not, and the midi length naturally lengthens the whole silhouette. It runs from S through 3XL in every color. We do not go beyond 3XL with this dress, and we would rather tell you that here than let you discover it at the size picker.
“Our rule is simple: would we wear this ourselves? With the Bella the answer was yes the moment we felt how the waist sits. Defined, but never tight.”
Mary · Margaret, Mary & MarthaIt dresses up or down with what you already own
That might sound surprising for a printed dress, so let us explain. Because the print is soft and the shape is simple, the Bella takes its cue from whatever you pair it with. With flats and a cardigan it is ready for errands and lunch in town. With heels and a pair of earrings it is ready for a wedding, a ceremony or a birthday dinner. One dress, two very different days, and that is exactly what lets it leave the back of the closet and become something you actually reach for.
“My test for any dress is whether it works for errands in the morning and dinner the same evening. The Bella passes easily. Flats first, then heels and earrings later.”
Martha · Margaret, Mary & MarthaIt covers what you want covered
We will not choose a dress a woman has to manage all day. The long sleeves mean no reaching for a wrap to cover your arms, and the midi length means no tugging at a hem when you sit down, step out of a car or bend to hug a grandchild. It is coverage that feels elegant rather than hidden. And once a dress stops asking anything of you, it stops being saved for later and simply becomes what you wear.
“At our age, comfort and coverage are not up for discussion. Long sleeves and a midi hem mean I can sit, walk and get in and out of the car without tugging at anything all day.”
Margaret · Margaret, Mary & MarthaThe Bella, against the dresses you may have been buying
| The usual "nice" dress | The Bella | |
|---|---|---|
| Bold and trendy, made for a younger shopper | Soft, feminine and timeless | |
| Neckline | Too low, or a high neck that shortens | A flattering V that frames the face |
| Sleeves | Sleeveless, so a cardigan stays on all day | Long sleeves, built in |
| Length | Short enough that you keep tugging at it | Midi, graceful and covered |
| Sizes | Stops at XL, if you are lucky | S through 3XL in every color |
We refuse to ask a woman to choose between feeling comfortable and feeling pretty. That is the whole reason the Bella is in our shop.
Why we are offering it at this price
The Bella was priced at $139.95, which is what a dress like this costs when it is chosen and made with care. But after years of building Margaret, Mary & Martha and sharing our love of timeless fashion with women across America, the three of us are getting ready for a quieter chapter and more time with family. So our remaining collections are being offered at retirement pricing, and the Bella is going out at $54.95.
We would much rather it found its way to you this fall than sat on a shelf. There are only so many of each size in each color, and once the remaining sizes are gone, we cannot promise the Bella will return.
$139.95$54.95
Retirement Sale: up to 70% off storewide
- A soft, feminine print that looks pretty up close
- Flattering V-neck and a defined waist
- Long sleeves and an elegant midi length
- Four colors: Green, Blue, Red and Lilac
- Sizes S through 3XL in every color
- Easy to dress up or down, from ordinary days to occasions
Retirement pricing · while sizes last
We think often about that dress at the back of the closet. It was never really waiting for an occasion. It was waiting for someone to decide that an ordinary morning counts too.
You never needed anyone's permission to wear the pretty dress. If it helps to hear it anyway, here it is, from the three of us.
Have a look at the four colors, and choose the one you find yourself coming back to.
With love, Margaret, Mary & Martha
SHOP THE BELLA, NOW $54.95 →This is a personal letter from the founders of Margaret, Mary & Martha. · Designed by three sisters in Aspen, Colorado · Retirement Sale: up to 70% off storewide.