The Best Day Dresses You Need To Own
I had every intention of doing a Christmas party dress edit this week, but I realised before we get frocked up, we need to sort out our day-wear. I’m a 41 year old mum of two, and I will say the easiest thing for me to wear in summer, whether it be to an event or at home or shopping for groceries, is a slightly voluminous cotton dress. I’m a die-hard advocate for having a selection of day-dresses on hand for easy dressing — nothing restrictive, no annoying straps, no tight and short silhouettes — just a selection of breezy dresses that look effortlessly chic no matter the occasion.
When I went to get dressed the other day I noticed all I wanted was a throw-on dress that looked sharp but was comfortable enough to wear all day. I’ve accumulated a few goodies over the years, from designers and chain stores, and now know exactly what to look out for when adding to my selection. Here are my tips on buying forever day dresses…
Fabric is everything. My preference is cotton poplin but linen is obviously having a moment, too. When searching chain-stores such as H&M and Zara, always type preferred fabrics into the search bar to eliminate all the polyester stuff, e.g. “cotton dress, linen dress, silk dress” —it will save you hours of searching, I promise.
Shirt-dresses are an absolute wardrobe staple and come in a medley of different styles — long, short, breezy, tailored, short-sleeve, long-sleeve. I love them all and swear by this style for maximum chicness (is that a word?) with minimum effort.
Colours such as beige, black and white are no-brainers, but don’t be afraid of more trend-based colours, too — cobalt, marigold, fuchsia all work well and always look fresh.
Stripes in every iteration will be relevant for years to come, but florals and bold prints have their place, too. Don’t be afraid of making a statement, it is summer after all.
If you’re afraid of volume, belts work with most of these styles so definitely invest in a black and tan option for when you’re feeling it. I recommend pretty simple styles in leather with a ring or tie buckle.
A great pair of sandals will elevate this entire look — chunky or minimal, whatever you prefer. I’d buy an unexpected-but-still-neutral-colour this season such as burgundy or khaki.
Let’s do this!
