Summer dresses

[Gettingbysomehow]

Ive been looking for a beautiful dress for weeks with no luck.
Why are dresses so hideous this year?
Horrible patterns.
Gaudy colours.
Ruching, tiers, frills on everything.
I finally found two nice dresses in Monsoon and Boden but the reviews said they were see through. I cant wear a transparent dress at 64.
The others ones that were ok were either linen which I hate because of the creasing, backless which is a no or a big baggy mess with yards of material in it.
Im a size 10. How hard can it be to find a nice dress?
Baukjen have some nice dresses but Im not spending £200 on a basic summer dress.

Seasalt is my go to usually, it’s a balance between practical, price, cut, natural fibres etc. yes there’s “better” brands but at £££ the price.

I love Seasalt dresses. Cotton and cotton lined and a decent leangth for me. It's as if people feel like they need to like everything in a shop in order to buy a couple of items. Odd.

I love Seasalt dresses (wearing one right now) - nothing clingy and loads of cotton that washes well. I’m less of a fan of the tops and the blouses, but the dresses are chef’s kiss for me.

The problem with Seasalt is that there are so few physical stores and i forget they exist.

I wouldn’t associate this brand with elegant dresses, but i bought this silk dress last year for a graduation though and it was lovely (not me in the pic).

I visit the shop when I travel to see my mum in Horsham, West Sussex. I always find something lovely in there. My last purchase was a gorgeous deep blue skirt and matching jumper.

I’m mid 40’s and like sea salt dresses. Some are rather old-lady and unflattering, but equally, they do some lovely, well cut, comfortable, flattering dresses with nice prints and shapes.

They seem to now do a handful of tall or petite dresses which I didn’t know. Thirteen dresses in tall so might be a style you like.

www.seasaltcornwall.com/clothing/dresses?fit_clothing=16582

im currently browsing as really need some new dresses and I might resort to a newer very basic sundress I have from them .I was never that keen when I bought the couple I have but wash fine still fit and at least fitted. it looks entirely different on me as I’m an 18. If anyone else is an unusual shape 18 top half 12 bottoms then this dress might work for you as well. I’m not that keen on any of the designs but might try the red and there will be different ones next season.
https://www.seasaltcornwall.com/sun-gleam-jersey-midi-dress

I love that red one. That style really suirs me.

I don’t like see through dresses either. I always wear a strappy pure cotton shift / chemise underneath summer dresses. I often buy a two pack black and white from Next.

So they do! Except (bar a linen one & another couple of plain ones I'm not that keen on) they're all those damn jersey print ones that I dislike!!!!

At least they've made a start in adding some tall options - maybe I'll harass petition them to do their other linen dresses in a Tall!.

I have been having the same issue. I am quite fussy and I am short so I find most of the styles look wrong in me or at too long. I have just ordered a dress from Uniqlo, I also liked the look of one from Boden.
most of the dresses seem to be long or slightly above ankle or they are flowery which isn’t for me.

I don’t often wear dresses, I guess I am a tomboy and I live in men’s shorts and T-shirts but after the heat wave I realised I would feel better in a dress, I prefer plain rather than flowery. So I went for simple.

https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/products/E482983-001/00?colorDisplayCode=36&sizeDisplayCode=003

I’ve been looking at this one for a while and even saw it in the wild recently! Still deciding whether to get it.

I don’t get the obsession with Boden and Seasalt on here. So… safe and uninspiring in my opinion!
I’d look at Sosander https://www.sosandar.com/winter-sun/holiday-dresses/ or River Island or Girl In Mind

Because they do natural fibres, unlike most on the highstreet.I can't and won't wear polyester in a 37 C heatwave!
Those Sosander dresses all look flammable.

Those are pretty much all polyester or viscose. I don't mind viscose but I wouldn't pay those prices for it. Also those dresses are IMO ...safe and uninspiring....

Mountain Warehouse are great for dresses. I have 4 from there and always hanker after more whenever I'm in there.

I got a lovely dress recently from Crew Clothing. I haven't had anything from there before and I really like it. Fatface is also good for natural fabrics and I love the dresses from Roman, you might have to filter by fabric but I have a lovely denim one from there that's cotton. I also have my eye on this from Uniqlo. They have a few nice ones on there.

www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/products/E483823-000/00?colorDisplayCode=16&sizeDisplayCode=003

I also have a lovely Maxi Dress from Apricot. I got it from Vinted so don't know who stocks them but definitely worth a look.

I agree about the neckline and the length. A lot of the skirts seem to be really full, too. Those Palava dresses (above) don't seem to give the material. I found a v. expensive summer dress in Hobbs for a special occasion in silk. Great. But they've lined it in polyester!

Yes, polyester lining beneath a natural fabric is SO annoying! It could at least be cotton voile or even fine viscose.

The Palava dresses are all natural fabrics - underneath the "Add to Cart" button there's a little cross beside Fabric Details, which if you click on it gives it for that particular dress. They all seem to be cotton (sometimes organic), linen, or a blend of both.

They look like cute dresses, but I have the opposite problem - they are too short for my taste! Definitely good for shorter women though!

mine has just arrived and it’s gorgeous! So pleased to have finally found a good summer dress. I’m five foot two, and a size 12 petite. It’s not quite maxi length so I would say if you want it maxi then buy standard but if you want midi buy petite. Also it’s nowhere near as loose on me as the models!

Right thanks I’m going for it!

I like the Boden dresses this year. Lots of them are classic linen shirt style (I don’t buy jersey, to short/to long, never with a „drop shoulder” or sleeveless, no funny childish patterns or in bright colours etc. Not for me. Only classic styles in muted colours. Linen or cotton. However linen is the type of fabric that will crease and this is totally normal, it’s the only fabric that is „allowed” to do this and nobody should make a fuss.

You do seem fussy but I’m not surprised! I wouldn’t spend £200 on a single summer dress. No way!

But I recommend ordering a few and see how they really are. I find lots of reviews don’t really reflect the true features of items, some people are more cautious/fuss about some stuff, some are less. The returning system (at Boden at least) is easy and free and so I pay with ClearPay and in case of returning something I don’t like enough to keep I didn’t ”freeze” the money since I only paid a quarter of the price.

Sorry - didn’t see this. I’m 5ft 1 or 2 and I got regular and it’s a nice maxi length on me. Just ankle grazing but not enough to stand on.

Does anyone else feel that linen isn’t actually cool to wear? I’ve got a couple of expensive ‘good’ linen dresses and a pair of trousers and I find them unbearably hot when it’s humid, they really make me sweat whereas I have slightly cheaper viscose/ jersey dresses that I always feel cooler in.