The six dresses of summer 2019
Whether you’re after an SLD or a Forties nightie, Caroline Leaper has all you need to know about dressing up this summer
It is officially the summer of The Dress. Everywhere you look – on trains, at the tennis, at supper or in the supermarket – everyone’s wearing one. The day styles that are dominating have several factors in common; they’re all pretty, breezy and cool to wear when it’s hot outside. You can get ready mindlessly, in less than three minutes, because all you need to do is put on shoes – trainers, even – and you’ll look as though you’ve made a considerable effort. The compliments come in fast; everyone registers that you look glorious when you’re in a glorious dress.
Thankfully, there are thousands to choose from across the high street. Marks & Spencer has 255 options on its website; H&M has 826; Net-a-porter has 2,130. The Duchess of Sussex has debuted two new dresses so far this month (a Jason Wu little black dress at the premiere of The Lion
King and a Shapeless Linen Dress, an SLD, which we shall come to in a moment), while the Duchess of Cambridge has introduced four, including a Suzannah shirt-dress and an LK Bennett floral midaxi. One particularly versatile Zara polka-dot style has “gone viral”, selling out several times over and prompting 8,000 people to sign up to a fan account on Instagram, @Hot4thespot, which posts pictures of women of all ages, shapes and sizes looking fabulous for its less-than-£40 price tag.
I thought I wasn’t really a dress person. Ha! I’ve now got several in rotation for work and weekends. The beauty of having a flood of new designs to choose from is that there truly is a dress for everybody – even those who were previously frockphobic. The challenge now, though, is not only to decipher which style is most flattering for your figure, but also which variation of the trends best suits your personality and needs. Is it OK to do a sudden sartorial U-turn and adopt a prairie look overnight? Questions like these are entirely valid.
Here are the six key dress trends of this summer so far and, for the uninitiated, some advice on how to ease your way into them…
The SLD, or Shapeless Linen Dress, is little more than two rectangular sheets of luxury flax tacked together, leaving holes for the arms and head. But it’s a Look. And a chic, wafty one at that. The Duchess of Sussex wore her khaki Lisa Marie Fernandez SLD to watch her husband play polo last week, leaving its optional waist tie at home to allow for maximum aeration. The SLD creases like no other, but that’s part of the appeal to those seeking this particular type of authentic, slightly earthy boho minimalism. Because of the lack of silhouette, you could shop for a coordinating belt and get two looks for the price of one.
Loveshackfancy, a current Itlabel in the world of dresses, has spawned an entire new genre of Extremely Girly Dresses (EGDS). Part milkmaid, part prairie, they typically contain broderie anglaise, puff sleeves, flower embroideries and linen ruffles shirred together into a single frock (see actress Sophie Porley at Henley, right). On Instagram, influencers dreamily dance through lavender fields wearing their EGDS and carrying little wicker bags. In reality, I wore mine to Sainsbury’s and felt pretty good about it.
V-neck midi, £335 (rixo.co.uk)
Spliced prints, patchworked in linear panels, have also formed a new category of their own. The London label Rixo has had a big impact. Its busy dresses, which mash together florals, geometrics, animal prints and other artsy splodges, can now be seen everywhere from red carpet parties to the school run. Claire Foy’s Polo Ralph Lauren splice, below, is a little more understated, as the contrasting print can only be seen in the skirt’s godets.
It is worth considering this application if you’re not yet ready to brave a full clash.
Cotton-poplin wrap, £470, Tory Burch (net-a-porter. com)
The wrap dress is considered curve-flattering, thanks to its ability to pull in any waist, but it was looking a bit dated for a while. In new, woven incarnations, rather than its traditional suck-in thick jersey, the silhouette feels more relaxed and easy, less Seventies boardroom. Carole Middleton, below, wore a Scotch
& Soda wrap dress in a light green geometric print to Wimbledon, which looked comfortable and glamorous.
Luella dress, £120 (ghost.co.uk)
The return of the Nineties slip dress in 2017 had, for me, one fundamental flaw; no sleeves. For summer 2019, though, there is a better boudoir staple on offer: a silk sheath dress with delicately puffed sleeves and slight bust detailing that looks a bit like a Forties nightgown. Joely Richardson is the poster girl for it in this pink, polka dot Olivia Rubin version, below. You don’t have to be lean and tall to pull it off – unlike with the unforgiving slip, a well-chosen neckline and quality satin fabric will make it suit all.
Floral tiered midaxi, £49 (topshop.com)
There is a flattering new length to note; the midaxi. Hitting about an inch above the ankle (between where traditional midi and maxi hems would lie), it cuts at the part where most people’s legs are at their slimmest. It looks best rendered in full florals – the cut seems to offset the heaviness of the print, stopping it from drowning shorter frames or overwhelming larger busts. Phoebe Wallerbridge, right, wore a particularly fancy midaxi to Wimbledon.