Essentials Guardian Style

[Denimrules]

I'm especially gobsmacked at the expensive t shirt dress

www.theguardian.com/thefilter/2025/jul/01/ultimate-holiday-capsule-wardrobe

Why, though?

It’s a newspaper article giving suggestions. She’s saying a versatile t shirt dress would be a useful thing to pack. You don’t have to choose that one - you could probably find one at Sainsbury’s.

Most of the items are inexpensive - and a good wardrobe needs a balance of high and low to have some individuality and swagger. (Aka style.)

(For myself, I dislike buying things just for one event, like a brief holiday, so I’d want a t shirt dress good enough to wear in everyday life once returned. Far better one decent one than half a dozen £14.99 versions that would lurk around my wardrobe never being worn further than the garden for the rest of the summer. Though I should say I’ve never bought anything from Sezanne as it’s not my style.)

(Sezane!)

I'm gobsmacked at £304 for a dress that makes you look like a pinata!

Well I think that was a flight of fancy! I’m pretty sure she doesn’t expect everyone to rush out and buy.

But on the other hand designers should be free to design. I don’t want to live in a world where we’re all clothed in the same grey boilersuit deemed most efficient by AI.

😂

I love that the article calls these 'essentials'.

The earrings set off my tryphphobia.

There is a fair bit of middle ground between grey boiler suit and chased by children trying to hit you with sticks everywhere you go.

'chuck on over a swimmy' 🤢

There's some middle ground between a three figure sum and £14.99. If I spend £££ for an occasion dress it kinda makes sense, but only the rich or foolish spend over £100 on a t shirt dress.

Many of the other recomendations are for rather dull things. Not so much wardrobe staples as in a sea of interesting stuff I'll buy this safe thing

I should have done a poll to find out if anyone uses the term 'swimmy'

Had to have the earrings beautiful

I'm playing devil's advocate here but wouldn't it make more sense really to spend more money on the everyday dress (maybe 70 wears per lifetime), and less on the occasion dress (maybe 4-6 wears per lifetime)? Unless you have a hell of a lot more occasions than me...in which case I guess it becomes an everyday dress...

Tbh I'm not usually a JC-M fan - 20+yrs ago I remember seeing her whilst out for lunch in Knightsbridge Wagamama with a colleague, who knew her, and the superiority cloaked in a condescending smile could be felt from miles away 😳

"chuck on over a swimmy" should require prison time though.

I love the sezane dress though it is pricy. I got a similar one in navy in the sale in Hush and the way it ties at the side makes it incredibly flattering

Is this the same segment that did the wedding guest dress edition recently?

I see that, but then we really have to concede no dress is really worth over £100.

Some of the ugly rubbish in John Lewis with huge price tags beggars belief

I really like her Hush one in navy but it's sold out everywhere at sale price, sadly. I love a good t-shirt dress!

Er….some dresses are worth £100, some much more. I have bras that cost that. That’s the beauty of fashion. There’s something for every taste and every budget.

I dont even know what dress this is referring to, is it the stripy ruffle dress or the red dress?

The Guardian is read mainly by people that are very well off so its not much of a surprise.

Oh I love sezane and that dress would be a perfect addition to my wardrobe!
I could see myself wearing it on holiday and to work, I think it’s quite versatile and I find Sezane clothes tend to be well cut and designed for my frame.

The sandals need throwing on a bonfire immediately and the piñata dress is clearly dreadful 😂

on the whole though, the idea is that it would give inspiration, say you thought oh I like the piñata dress but the neckline/length doesn’t work for me so i’ll look for something similar/in my budget etc. no one seriously just clicks ‘add all to basket’ on these things!

While I wouldn't buy anything from that particular edit I really like Jess Cartner-Morley's fashion writing. I love reading those selections and like looking up new brands. Often get ideas from her articles. The pinata dress is clearly a tongue in cheek entrant!

Yep 2m of £25.00 per m fabric plus a few hours wages (to cover not just the cutting and sewing but everyone involved in manufacture, design, supply chain etc) and a few quid for the other expenses (premises etc). it's really easy to rack up over £100 in cost before seeing a profit. The prevalence of clothes made of cheap fabric by a work force being paid slave labour wages has slewed our view of what things 'should' cost.

No, Guardian readers are not known for being well off

It's just another advertorial. Is the writing usually so 'I'm talking to you, honest, I definitely haven't bunged this through ChatGPT with an instruction to try to sound friendly when these items are only here because the brand has paid for it'?

I think the majority of their demographics are ABC1s from what I recall, more likely than not to be ok to splash the cash.

Ahh I really don't think we splash the cash. That ain't how you keep it. Your average Guardian reader would not be buying many clothes and if spending slightly more on purchases they would be sustainable ones.

You will be telling me next that I'm rich because I work for a uni