Ah, the everyday summer dress. Of course, you all remember the furor over the death of the printed summer dress, when women of all ages stood up and shouted “Don’t touch our useful dresses!” and the dress survived to fight another day.
We love dresses that are easy to put on and take off, loose but flattering for everyday, and if we can wear them, we don’t want to wear much else when the temperature rises.
If your old everyday summer dress is looking a little worn and needs a replacement, now is the time to future-proof it: move away from floral prints and try a graphic, possibly monochrome print. Not only will it look more current, but it will look fresher (stripes and solids outperform florals in the heat) and will be much more versatile between seasons.
Otherwise, if you’re sticking with your trusty summer go-to, there are a few simple tweaks that will make it look brand new.
A black print dress on a white or cream background is versatile enough to wear to work or out to night, as seen on Sarah Jessica Parker.
Go for something graphic like Boden’s Flo cotton midi shirt dress in green and white maze print (£135, boden.co.uk)
The way to refresh a vintage floral print dress is to break away from a solid color and wear it with a cotton blazer or four-pocket jacket.
Black and white are both good options, depending on the background of the print, and Jaeger for Marks & Spencer presents a cropped stretch cotton blazer in both shades (£99, marksandspencer.com). Suddenly, this is a softer, yet more sophisticated floral print dress.
Another option is to choose a different style of print. You’ve probably heard it a million times, but tiny floral prints aren’t as popular anymore. They’re not banned, but they don’t look as fresh as the newer options, which are more botanical than herbaceous.
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 couple of tiers at the hem, like many everyday dresses.
Tiers can be tricky, but they work if the skirt is long enough and not too full, and as long as there is minimal gathering so they are barely noticeable. When done right, they break up the skirt nicely and give it movement.
A good example is Marks & Spencer’s soft brown striped V-neck tiered midi dress (£39.50). It has a slightly gathered panel under the bust (sounds gross, but is surprisingly flattering) and puffed sleeves (not too puffy and almost elbow-length, so perfectly manageable for us).
Opt for a solid or monochrome colour. Solid black is a surprisingly useful colour for summer and looks great with black, white or tan accessories. Marks and Spencer’s textured layered black dress (£45) has a slightly cinched waist that you can easily dress up with a black or white belt and sandals.
Marks and Spencer’s textured black layered dress (£45) has a gently cinched tie waist.
Lady Starmer sports an elegant white dress while in Washington DC with her husband Sir Keir
A white dress is harder to pull off (for me it’s now a holiday-only option), but a black-on-white or cream print dress is versatile enough to wear to work or in the evening. Me+Em has a black-on-cream daisy print cotton midi dress in the new high-waisted V-neck style that is to summer 2024 what the campaign dress was to last July and this is my go-to summer dress (£195, meandem.com).
I also like the black and white striped linen belted midi dress with three-quarter sleeves from Marks & Spencer (£45). Ideal for warmer holidays too.
Otherwise, a bold single-colour dress is an obvious choice for summer, and the richer the colour, the more suitable it will be for a dressier look. Check out Aspiga’s website for styles in cornflower blue or hot pink (£140, aspiga.com).
Narrow dress sleeves are looking a little dated. Dress them up with a light jacket, or go for fuller sleeves, ending near the elbow or at wrist height. Sleeves are also an option, of course, although I find sleeves keep you cooler. If you’re ready to go sleeveless, try John Lewis’s crinkle cotton dress (£29.50, johnlewis.com). Again, it’s got that empire cut (and a crinkled panel at the waist), but the effect is light and breezy.
Change up your footwear. A flat sandal in black or brown leather with a soft padded footbed is the best way to freshen up a dress this summer and give it a chic street-chic edge. Long midi shoes can be worn sloppy with ballet flats or slim trainers and off-kilter with higher heels such as wedges. Try Marks & Spencer’s ankle-strap style in metallic black (£59) or, for a bit of a heel and a more smart work look, Per Una’s mid-height block heels with gold hoop detail in brown (£51.75). They go with everything.