Pretty Summer Dresses

[Sumer20]

Every year I try to find these!
I want pretty, floral cotton dresses. (Ideally tea dress style and above knee). For daily wear, casual and work.
I should find this easy, 5 7, size 8. Mid 30s. Thin frame but not petite. Blond hair, blue eyed, fair colouring (so nothing too light).
Ideally around £30 a dress, unless perfect.
Please help, I've been trawling websites during lockdown and can't find anything!
Thank you

Maybe the titles a bit pathetic 😊
But anyone? (would love someone to say they've seen a nice summer dress :)

Have you tried Boden?
www.boden.co.uk/en-gb/womens-dresses?pid=W0559-W0559-G_00000003355&page=1

I think £30 is quite cheap for a 'nice' summer dress in cotton. I'd be looking to spending at least double that or more, otherwise it'll be viscose, and cut skimpily.. I prefer a fuller skirt so it hangs better and doesn't look 'cheap', ditto a better quality/weight of fabric so it's not see-through and swishes crisply as opposed to hangs like a rag when you move.

Try Seasalt - lovely organic cotton jersey with a little elastane for stretch from about £55 eg www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk/clothing/dresses-tunics/organic-cotton-jersey-fit-flare-pier-view-dress-daisy-stem-watson-green.htm

If you've more of a budget I love Palava, made in UK and a nice linen/cotton fabric palava.co/collections/womens-dresses

My favourite label is Made590 from Australia. Best dresses ever! I absolutely love them. They're going into autumn/winter now, but still have loads of gorgeous things on their website: www.made590.com.au/

Try Joe Browns. And don’t be automatically put off by Viscose, which is largely a natural fabric too.

I like Mountain warehouse, they do nice, casual dresses and often have discounts and they aren't particularly outdoorsy.

I think that’s too cheap tbh unless you want man made fibres. Why don’t you up the budget but buy less?

Sea salt and people tree spring to mind.

Ooh thanks @HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime, have just managed to bag a couple in the sale! Their summer stuff isn't bad at all is it? :)

Job for depop

@wouldyouadamandeveit no its a good price and it washes well. Perfect if you don't have a seasalt budget and want something to relax in the garden in.

Can’t help with recommendations on that budget (sorry) but you should definitely look into what different fabrics are made of and their qualities. For years I wrongly assumed that viscose was a cheap fabric, much like polyester...in fact it isn’t. Might help you decide what is worth spending on and what isn’t.

It's worth looking in Tu at Sainsbury's. A couple of times in the last few years I've come across gorgeous pure cotton ( and lined!) summer dresses for about £25. I have one sleeveless shirt style in red gingham and one in white broderie and get lots of nice remarks about them.

If you look up palava on eBay there is a lovely used one called Poppy on a buy it now for £19.50 - its a size S.

The problem with viscose I find is it often hasn't the weight of cotton so tends to look less 'quality' as it doesn't hang right.

I have a couple of viscose (one from Joe Brown) that I wear a slip underneath. M&S Cool Comfort, they make the dresses hang nicely.

I’ve just found a Seasalt dress on eBay. It’s new and £30 whereas it was £60 last summer in Seasalt. Might be worth a look.

Dorothy Perkins have some nice dresses in
www.dorothyperkins.com/en/dpuk/category/dresses-5699972/womens-dresses-5686813?currentPage=2

And Wallis
www.wallis.co.uk/en/wluk/category/new-in-265972/new-dresses-265982

This is lovely imo.

@HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime - those Mountain Warehouse dresses are gorgeous. Love the orchid one for only £20. I'd never even heard of that brand and wouldn't have guessed from their name that they did anything other than sportswear.

What's your taste OP? The dresses suggested are too girly for my tastes, that's not to say I don't like feminine. Smock dresses are having a moment, you should look good in one as you're tall enough and slim. I would look on ASOS personally, as well as Monki for something quite trendy and within your budget. Cos is classic but quite expensive, &OtherStories is a bit more out there. The latter two are in the same family as H&M. Lastly, you're a good shape for Zara, try there for a budget friendly but fashion forward option.

I've had a few made for me by Vintagestyleme on Instagram. You can choose your lengths, fabric etc

@ellanwood yes, Ive ordered the orchid one in a couple of colours. They even have the holy grail.... Side pockets.

www.theprettydresscompany.com/shop-c1/dresses-c2/the-pretty-dress-company-hourglass-sicily-swing-dress-p390#attribute%5B1%5D=58 this?

I'd look at Zara, you can search for 'cotton dress' and get lots of choices very cheaply.