As we’ve had some beautiful sunny days on and off in the last couple of weeks (temperatures were up and down a bit, but the change in season is definitely happening) I thought I’d feature some of the best summer dresses I’ve seen so far this year.
I’ve picked my five favourite dress styles (all of which I own one or more of), shown you how I’ve styled mine, and suggested ones you can shop that are currently available online. So if you’re a fan of shirt dresses, slip dresses, classic yellow dresses, wrap dresses or gingham dresses then it’s your lucky day! I’ve found so many I love that I now want to go out and add to my already-heaving collection of summer dresses.
That’s not good when a) you live in wet and dreary England, and b) you have an A LOT of summer dresses already. However last year in Blighty we had the longest, most glorious summer ever [by British standards] and I got a lot of wear out of my summer dresses, so you never know: we might have another long, hot summer! And pigs might fly, etc. etc…
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means if you click through and buy I may receive a small commission at no cost to you (click here for my full disclosure). Any items listed as* were gifted within the last 12 months.
SHOP ALTERNATIVE DRESSES TO THE EDIT ABOVE:
Hopefully this post is a nice antidote to the masculine chic look I featured last week. It’s time to start buffing, and fake tanning, and toenail painting, and waxing and all those other things which occasionally slide over the winter months.
(If you’re one of those people who does all those things all year round – even in the dead of winter – then all I can say is GOOD GRIEF… you’re superhuman!! Kudos to you!)
Do add your outfits to this week’s link up – and if you’ve added a link to here or my button to your post you may be featured in my bi-monthly Women Who Wear What They Like post!
LET ME KNOW WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE STYLE SUMMER DRESS IN THE COMMENTS…!
The shirt dress is probably the one style dress I’d choose if I could only choose one dress forever and ever. The full skirt is comfy, the collar and buttons give it structure, and it has a touch of the retro about it. I also bought this same SS18 dress in yellow in the sale last year and didn’t get a chance to wear it, so look out for that this summer on the blog. And talking of yellow dresses, wait till you see the next style…
SHIRT DRESSES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
If a shirt dress is my favourite style dress, then yellow is my favourite colour for a summer dress. I have several yellow dresses, and every year I find myself looking at what yellow dresses all the shops are selling in their New In sections. I think it stems from my love of the dress Sandy wore to the diner in Grease – my mother made a dress that was almost identical as I loved it so much. I even remember the yellow sundress I owned aged about four – it had a little bear transfer mum ironed onto the front for me… GAWD I loved that dress! Over 40 years later and my love for a yellow sundress is still strong.
CLASSIC YELLOW DRESSES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
I’ll be honest here: I wouldn’t say I’m generally a fan of a wrap dress. But normally “wrap dress” makes me think of a bodycon style, with long tight sleeves and a knee-length, tight skirt… that style looks TERRIBLE on me, and it’s not my style at all (plus dare I say it… it’s a bit old fashioned now?) But last year I bought two Hotsquash cooling fabric wrap dresses (grey is still available in a few sizes, as is pink) and they were a godsend in the heat. With the shorter sleeves and maxi length they were nothing like the cliché wrap dress I mentioned. So I’ve picked more unusual style dresses for this section; wrap dresses yes, just nothing run-of-the-mill.
WRAP DRESSES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
The slip dress is a style I thought I’d NEVER wear again, let alone styled the 90s way with a plain white t-shirt underneath. But two years ago I ate my words and got this rainbow ikat-print dress with straps, and wore it with a white tee I did. The style is still going strong for 2019 it seems, and it can be worn alfresco for very hot days or with the white tee I mentioned for a more covered-up look. A belt to cinch in the waist: optional.
SLIP DRESSES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
EVERY year gingham dresses are popular, especially black and white gingham. I honestly don’t think this print will ever really date (Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, anyone?), so a really fabulous B&W gingham check dress is a summer investment in my eyes. My Hobbs gingham dress is about four years old and every year I can always find one that’s almost exactly the same (like this one from Hobbs and this one from Karen Millen). I’ve got my eye on a gingham jumpsuit this year…!
GINGHAM DRESSES (& A COUPLE OF JUMPSUITS) YOU MIGHT LIKE:
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Thank you for joining the #iwillwearwhatilike link up! This started as a campaign on Instagram in August 2015 where women over 30 wore everything on a journalist’s list of “inappropriate” items for 30+ women (including leopard print, short dresses and oversized sunglasses. Yes, really). It was so popular that I decided to carry it on weekly where women of all ages link up their fabulous style, never mind what anyone tells them not to wear!
The link up goes live every Tuesday at around 3pm UK time and will stay open for a week. Whilst the original article was of course aimed at the 30+, you can be ANY age to link up. The only prerequisite is that you’re wearing whatever you damn well like!
CLICK HERE to read the rules of linking up (and to grab the #iwillwearwhatilike button). Basically it’s just good manners to link back to here – to leave a comment is even nicer!
Click here to enter
PLEASE NOTE: This is for linking up WHAT YOU’VE BEEN WEARING ONLY. Non-outfit links will be removed and you might be blocked if you turn out to be a repeat “offender” (and no one wants that, do they…)!
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