So what are we wearing instead of floral midi dress and white trainers this Spring?

[KrabiBeach]

Like many 35-55yo women I've been wearing a floral midi dress with trainers every Spring/Summer for the past few years. I always buy dresses with pockets and love the comfort, practicality and coolness (temperature-wise) on a sunny day. Easy to layer under a denim jacket, biker or blazer and wear with any white trainers or converse etc.

It was inevitable that such an easy outfit would become so ubiquitous that the fashion world declared it "dead".

I'm gutted but I am a follower of style. So yes, I know it's shallow but this is the Style board so.... What other outfits fit the brief?

One journalist in the Sunday papers suggested trouser suits are the new floral midi dress and trainers. But I don't think a trouser suit would work in a hot day like a flowery dress would, no matter how much you keep it casual with a t-shirt and trainers - it's still too hot surely?

If you're a follower of trends, what will you be wearing instead of floral midi from now on?

(Article for reference: amp.theguardian.com/fashion/2023/feb/10/john-lewis-declares-death-of-the-floral-midi-dress)

I think the trainers are the take away from all this.

What did we wear before? I adore trainers tbh. But I don't work in a formal environment.

Trainers with a dress feels contemporary. Maybe the trainers aren't white. Maybe the dress changes and isn't floral.

Things don't shift overnight but there are gradual changes.

Vintage /2nd fashion is the thing.

I'm quite enjoying wide leg trousers at the moment and when the weather warms up I think I will wear wide leg linen or cotton trousers with a button down shirt, or a vest top. I have massive chunky platform sandals from last year that are brilliant with wide legs. I just bought a khaki denim jacket that is quite cropped so again good with the wider leg trousers.

Definitely!

Being low grade hoarders has worked well for my family. I have often dug out my parents old gear to wear when it comes around again, and got so many compliments. I save my own stuff and often it can be worn again, if I ditch something I inevitably regret it.

Somethings don't work because the style doesn't return in exactly the same way, but lots do. The problem is fitting in the stuff, I have some 501s that are bang on trend if only I could fasten the bastards.

Chunky dad type sandals I wore in my 20s and more recently the summer before the pandemic - 2019 when they were more of a micro trend. Now they're all over the high street, I won't be wearing them, ditto linen wide legged trousers or colour block trouser suits, the latter of which remind me of things daytime tv presenters wore years ago. And hasn't Trinny Woodall been wearing this look for a decade now? Again, it's not so new - by the time a style trend tends to be talked about on MN, they're usually no longer vanguard.

It can only be a good thing if John Lewis and M&S are no longer selling floral dresses en mass as over-saturation of something is never a good thing. However, both are still wall-to-wall with these items, so the floral dress is going nowhere fast. Indeed, the 2023 colour block trouser suit will date far more quickly.

Dresses aren’t going anywhere. They’re never truly out of fashion because they’re easy to wear and femininely flattering if you have curves like many women. I’ve only worn mine with trainers in transitional weather. I prefer boots in winter and sandals in summer as I think trainers make me look a bit dumpy.
I’m seeing loads of 70s styling in cut of dresses and also in the prints. I think the basic ditsy floral was/is getting very tired but the general look can be updated with more colour, bolder prints and different shoes.

https://www.nobodyschild.com/eu/scattered-spot-print-satin-slip-mila-skirt.html

I've been wearing this with fitted crew neck graphic t-shirts (on hols in hot weather) - and trainers. For me it has a similar feminine/scruffy juxtaposition and I really love the skirt.

I think Ooolaaaala makes a very good point - the underlying trend is unlikely juxtaposition and it's been a thing for yonks, in fact some of the pairings have been, gone and come back again: blazer with cargo trousers or joggers / graphic T shirt under a blazer / hoody under a blazer / slip dress over a T shirt / dr martens with a tea dress etc etc.

It's more a case of what the next juxtaposition will be. Or better still, think up your own using things you've already got in your wardrobe.

I never did trainers with dresses, instead wear loafers or boat shoes

Yes I think this is spot on. The trainers / floral dress combo was once edgy and is now universal.

@Iwantthepenthouse I think you misunderstood that post. There have been lots of posters rejecting the notion of style / fashion altogether, which is absolutely valid, but not what you expect to see on a dedicated Style board.

A bit like someone going on the What We're Reading board to say they never read books anymore.

A bit like someone going on the What We're Reading board to say they never read books anymore.

Yep, see that every time a fashiony question is asked.

There will be suggestions and then the inevitable "Oh I take no notice" or the " wear what you want" one.

Ok Great. 👍🏻

But so not relevant.

That was how I read your post KrabiBeach. Possibly the poster who singled it out might have seen it out of context, but I think it was fine, and made a very good point.

Ah ok, apologies. It read differently to be but my mistake.

Ohh loving the idea of 70s dresses - thinking Margot from The Good Life etc - do you have any links

What about crocs and dodgy stripy socks to replace the white trainers with something quirky

Where are you getting your cargo trousers? Links would be great.

@Fancylike it’s this one

https://www.monki.com/en_gbp/clothing/dresses/midi-dresses/product.cotton-midi-dress-black.0868710029.html

I initially got the black and white, then bought the tan, then the orange. I wear them with Adidas Astir or Ozelia chunky trainers, or Birkenstock Boston clogs.

It's always people who are wearing dated trends who claim to 'have their own style'. They are late adopters of trends and are to let them go but think they are not trend led and that they wear their own style

You don't have to be trend-led to have your own style. There's nothing wrong with being a late adopter of a particular style or fashion.
And not everyone can afford to update their entire wardrobe every time the winds of fashion change direction 🙄

Thank you! Sadly the round neckline won’t get on with my chest, but my sister literally just ordered the tan and white off your recommendation.

Ohh loving the idea of 70s dresses - thinking Margot from The Good Life etc - do you have any links
I've not got links but all of mine are old Monsoon dresses that I've picked up thrifting.
Margot's clothes are amazing.

I will be wearing dresses which are neither floral nor midi, and DM sandals or Adidas Gazelles/Sambas in varying colours depending on the temperature (I would wear white trainers only if I was wearing a white dress).

To be fair, that's what I wore last year, the year before and the year before that 😀

Joanie Clothing has lots of retro styles

As the great Miranda Priestly said "Florals, for spring. Groundbreaking"

Saying that, I'll be wearing flowery sundresses or maxi dresses with Rocket Dog pumps in the spring/summer til the day I die. I am however terminally unstylish and own a cracking collection of Radley bags so probably best not to listen to me.

@highfidelity

*Am 47. There have been variations of this look for decades - I was wearing this 10 years ago, and 10 years before than, and in my late teens when grunge was all the rage - there is always some version of a floral dress, jacket and trainers. (In my late teens, I wore floral dresses with biker boots.) I have pictures of my mother wearing Laura Ashley floral dresses albeit with espadrilles or clogs in the 70s. Skip back further, floral dresses were worn in each and every decade. Floral dress are nothing new, and a timeless classic. As for colour block dresses, again, these have been around forever too.

The only thing that really changes is the cut of the dress. Fashion trends work in cycles, but there will always be staples that are adapted and reworked to look fresh.*

So do you have pictures of decades ago of the combination floral midi dress with bright white trainers? Because if you're just focussing on some kind of floral dress then yes, they are classic. But it's the combination that is quite new.