FASHION: Annetta of Amagansett Makes House Dresses Fashionable

Inspired by the level of mobility and comfort offered by house dresses of many Italian grandmothers, Jennifer Galante Han of Amagansett launched a brand focused on modern house dresses — with an Hamptons inspiration.

Annetta of Amagansett was created for women who are juggling the roles of working from home, being a mom and living a social lifestyle.

“I realized I need something comfortable but appropriate for work, that I could wear with ease,” said Han.

Annetta was inspired by Han’s grandmother, who wore house dresses frequently. While Han always thought her grandmother lacked fashion because of her dresses, once she began to experience life focused on the home, she saw the comfort presented by these dresses and instantly adopted her grandmother’s style.

Han launched the brand in 2021 with 10 styles, and in the second summer has grown.

The line releases a collection in the summer, since most of the fabrics are linen and meant to be worn in the warmer months.

The styles include tunics, wrap dresses and shirt dresses, in muted shades of green, blue and white. To keep the brand timeless, the styles come in stripes, eyelet lace and tie dye.

“I’m always inspired by the summer months,” said Han, who hand dyes the linen fabrics herself.

Some styles feature a drawstring waist to be worn from day to night by cinching the waist to be form fitted while still being comfortable.

The boldest style is a bright yellow mini dress that is perfect for Hamptons brunches. “It’s timeless and classic,” Han said.

She noted that her line is meant to be something that can be worn by women of any age, for season after season.

Han said she was inspired by her own Hamptons lifestyle, living in Amagansett, and describes the brand as “beach to town,” letting women be comfortable and confident in one dress.

The entire brand is produced by female seamstresses in New York, something important to Han, as the business is female founded.

“I hope it’s clothing women can love and wear for years,” Han said. The line is not meant to be trendy, but to fit into the timeless and niche aesthetic of the Hamptons, and is meant for women and girls looking for timeless pieces.

Newly released this summer, Annetta now features three pieces for little girls, a linen romper, a polka dot dress and a striped dress.

The kids line is meant to be timeless and classic as well, while keeping the little girls comfortable. Since kids grow so fast, the dress can be worn as a dress or pulled down and tied at the waist to be worn as a skirt.

Annetta’s looks are undoubtedly “coastal grandmother” chic, featuring shades inspired by nature surrounding visitors to the South Fork.

In addition to house dresses, the line features linen shorts and shirts, and a straw bag for a go-to accessory. Style any of Annetta’s dresses with a straw hat and a pair of flat sandals and their straw bag for a look that will go from grocery shopping to window shopping to dinner.

“There’s just this way that Italian women dress, and European women, where there is less clothing with quality pieces that can be worn once or twice a week, and they can keep them for many years,” Han said.