How to dress like a grown-up: Stop wearing summer dresses that are tired and unflattering – and avoid these patterns
Ah, the everyday summer dress. You all remember the outcry over the death of the summer print dress when women of all ages stood up and shouted “Hands Off Our Useful Dresses!” and lived to fight another day.
We love dresses that we can just throw on and wear, a loose but flattering dress for every day. And if possible, we don’t want to wear much else when the temperature rises.
If your old everyday summer dress is looking a little tired and you’re ready for a replacement, now’s the time to future-proof your everyday dress: ditch the florals and try a graphic, possibly monochrome print instead. Not only will it look more modern, it’ll also look fresher (stripes and solids are better than florals in the heat) and it’ll be much more versatile between seasons.
If you’re sticking with your trusty summer outfit, there are a few simple adjustments that can make it look brand new again.
A black print dress on white or cream is versatile enough to wear to work or evening, as seen on Sarah Jessica Parker
Opt for something graphic, like Boden’s Flo cotton midi dress in a green and white maze print (£135, boden.co.uk)
The best way to freshen up an old floral print dress is to pair it with a solid color and add a cotton blazer or a four-pocket jacket.
Black and white are good choices, depending on the background of the print, and Jaeger for Marks & Spencer makes a cotton, stretch, cropped blazer in both (£99, marksandspencer.com). Suddenly it’s an understated yet honed floral dress.
Or choose a different style of print. You’ve heard this a million times, but ditsy florals have had their day. They’re not outlawed, they just don’t look as fresh as the new options that are more botanical than herbaceous border.
The alternative is something graphic, like Boden’s Flo cotton midi shirt dress in a green and white maze print (£135, boden.co.uk). This has a few layers at the hem, like many everyday dresses.
Layers can be tricky, but they work if the skirt is long enough and not too full, and if there are minimal pleats so that you barely notice them. When they fit well, they break up a skirt nicely and add movement.
Marks & Spencer’s tan striped v-neck tiered midi is one example (£39.50). It has a gently gathered panel under the bust (sounds off-putting but is surprisingly flattering) and puff sleeves (not too puffy and almost elbow-length, so perfectly manageable for us).
Go for a solid or monochrome. Plain black is a surprisingly workable colour for summer and looks great with black, white or brown accessories. The easy-textured black tiered dress from Marks and Spencer (£45) has a soft tie waist that you can easily dress up with a white or black belt and sandals.
Marks and Spencer’s easy, textured black layered dress (£45) features a soft tie waist
Lady Starmer wears an elegant white dress while in Washington DC with her husband Sir Keir
A white dress is trickier to pull off (for me, it’s currently only an option for the festive season), but a black-on-white or cream print dress is versatile enough to wear to work or out of the house. Me+Em has a black-on-cream daisy-print cotton midi in the new high-waisted v-neck style which is to summer 2024 what the tent dress was to last July, and is my everyday dress buy for summer (£195, meandem.com).
I also really like the linen mix black and white striped belted midi dress with 3/4 sleeves from Marks & Spencer (£45). Also perfect for warm festive times.
Otherwise, a dress in one solid bright colour is a no-brainer for summer, and the stronger the colour, the more suitable it is for dressing up. Go to Aspiga’s website for cornflower blue or hot pink styles (£140, aspiga.com).
Narrow sleeves on dresses are looking a little dated these days. Hide them with a light jacket or look for sleeves with volume, ending at elbow or bracelet length. Sleeveless is an option too, of course, although I find sleeves keep you cooler. If you’re ready for no sleeves, try the John Lewis crinkled cotton dress (£29.50, johnlewis.com ). Again, it has that empire waist — and a crinkled fitted panel — but the effect is light and airy.
Switch shoes. A flat black or brown leather sandal with a softly padded footbed is the best way to freshen up a dress this summer and give it a smart city edge. Longer midis can look dated with narrow flats or trainers, and unbalanced with higher heels like wedges. Try Marks & Spencer’s ankle-strap style in metallic black (£59) or, for a bit of a heel and a smarter work look, Per Una’s mid-height block heels with gold ring detail in brown (£51.75). They go with everything.