Grown up summer clothes?

[WildBillfemale]

I went shopping yesterday to buy some new spring summer clothes and nearly all the places I usually shop for these seasons (white stuff, fat face monsoon and similar) were full of full skirted tie waisted little girl style party dresses, I honestly thought I was in the childrens section in one shop.
Where can you buy stylish adult summer clothes in lovely fabrics.

I don't want to wear skater dresses or full skirted above the knee embroiderie dresses...........

I think Gap has some lovely dresses at the moment. I really like this: www.gap.co.uk/browse/product.do?cid=1028512&vid=1&pid=000227386

I also got this for an upcoming holiday: www.gap.co.uk/browse/product.do?cid=1028512&vid=1&pid=000226262

I find dressing for summer / holidays / warm weather the hardest challenge too.

I am 45, very pale skinned (think bluey white, pink undertones, freckles - I long for even toned sallow skin as I reckon my life would be transforned of I had it) have a vein in the middle of my right calf since pregnancy 9 years ago, 5ft 9" and size 12 (mostly)

SO SO many things are ruled out (by me), I feel i can't wear shorts / dresses / skirts due to pale skin and vein on leg. I hate the faff of fake tan but detest the natural hue of my skin without it.

I seem to spend all summer huffing about totally overdresses and envious of gorgeous women wafting about in sun dresses & flip flops.

I actually wish I could dress like Nicole Kidman in Australia - I love that slightly edwardian / victorian safari look with lots of wide legged linen trousers (I have 34" legs and can carry them off). Years ago when I was in my 20's Jigsaw had a great range of this stuff and I had lots of it and was very stylish. But I guess fashions change and body shape changes and am 20 years older,

I feel lost most summers.

I feel pretty stylish (imo) in autumn and winter.

I struggle with summer. Help!

Ps sorry for hijacking your thread!

It's not you that's changed Kitekit, it's Jigsaw. It used to be ace. Now it sells shapeless dowdy dresses in sludgey frumpy prints. Gah.

I'm 44 and I live in dresses in the summer. LK Bennett, Joseph, J Crew, Phase Eight, Ted Baker, Warehouse, Zara...

MaxMara and DvF do great dresses - you can pick them up on ebay if you know your size.

Thanks twinklestein I think you are right and Jigsaw changed direction and I no longer fitted the profile or target demographic. Same with Whistles (though they are a bit better recently)

I can do dresses with opaques in cooler months and love doing so, but due to pale skin and unsightly vein I am less inclined in summer.

About 5 years ago there was a nice (at the time) look of short dresses / tunics with leggings and sandals and I loved that. But that looks dated to me now. And I don't know what to replace it with.

I would love a grown up (not frumpy) summer look

Try White Company, they have lovely maxi dresses most summers and lovely, stylish clothes. Hunt for 20% off.
They start getting their summer range in in April

Well Amaxapax thanks for enabling me... Just ordered that second dress! Very happy that it is cotton.

Any time, Tea! I felt the exact same about the fabric, and I love the length.