Ah the daily summer clothing. You may recall the outcry over the demise of the summer print gown, when women of all ages screamed” Hands Off Our Important Dresses!” and it endured a more difficult battle.
We love a pull-on-and-go dress — a floppy, loose fit, yet flattering everyday dress — and if we can get away with it, we don’t want to wear much else when the temperature rises.
If your older regular summer dress is looking a bit frustrated and you’re in need of a replacement, now’s the time to future proof your regular dress: step away from the florals and try a vivid, maybe monochrome print otherwise. It won’t just look more contemporary; it will also appear younger (stripes and plains beat florals in the heat) and be much more adaptable in the various seasons.
Then, if you’re sticking to your favorite summer backup, there a couple simple tweaks that will make it seem brand new.
An aged floral print clothing can be made up with plain color by combining it with a cloth jacket or four-pocket coat.
Black and white are good bets, depending on the background of the print, and Jaeger for Marks & Spencer does a cotton, stretch, cropped blazer in both (£99, marksandspencer.com). Immediately that’s a sleek over and instantly sharpened-up floral print dress.
Additionally, pick a different type of print. You’ve heard this a million times, but ditsy decorative designs have run their course. They are not prohibited; they simply don’t appear as new as the more recent options, which are more botanical than herbaceous.
Alternately, Boden’s Flo cotton midi shirt dress in a green and white maze print ( £135 ) has a graphic design. co. uk ). As with most regular garments, this one has a few levels at the hem.
If the skirt is long much, not too complete, and there is little meeting so you can hardly tell what the tiers are, they will work. When they’re appropriate they break up a scarf well and offer it activity.
Marks & Spencer’s soft brown, stripe, V-neck tiered midi is a case in point ( £39.50 ). This has a slightly gathered panel under the bust ( sounds off-putting, but it’s surprisingly flattering ) and puff sleeves ( not too puffy and almost to elbow length, so perfectly manageable for Us ).
Go for flat color or monochrome. The summertime color of blue is amazingly useful, and it looks great with black, white, or yellow equipment. With a white or black belt and sandals, Marks and Spencer’s easy-to-smart black tiered dress ( £45 ) has a softly cinched tie waist.
White dresses are more difficult to carry around ( for me, it’s my holiday just choice right now ), but dresses with black prints on white or cream are wearable for work or in the evening. This is my go-to summer dress for the summer ($195, meandem.com), and Me+Em does a black on cream daisy print cotton midi in the new high-waisted V neck style ( the tent dress was last July ).
I also like Marks & Spencer’s linen mix, black and white striped midaxi dress with three-quarter sleeves, and striped belt ( £45 ). Only the thing for heated holidays, too.
Usually, a dress in a single, bright color is a no-brainer for the summer, and the more vibrant the color, the more appropriate it is for dressing up. Head to Aspiga’s website for cornflower blue or hot pink styles ( £140, aspiga.com ).
Clothes with small arms now appear a little out of date. Wear them with a short, cuffless coat or look for sleeves that are volume-filled, finishing near the neck or bracelet length. Sleeveless is an alternative to, of course, although I find arms keep you cool. If you’re ready for no sleeves try John Lewis’s crinkle cotton dress ( £29.50, johnlewis.com ). Once more it has that empire line and a bristly waistline panel, but the result is a light and airy effect.
Change your boots. The best way to update a dress this summer and give it a chic city edge are a pair of smooth black or yellow leather sandals with soft padded footbeds. Longer midis may look frumpy with trainers or lean flats, and unbalanced with high heels like wedges. Try Marks & Spencer’s ankle strap style in metallic black ( £59 ) or, if you want a bit of a heel and a smarter look for work, Per Una’s mid-height block heels with a gold ring detail in brown ( £51.75 ). They’ll come with anything.