What better way to celebrate spring and its fabulous fashion than the wonders of a delightful summer dress?
Every woman needs a range of summer dresses to suit a variety of occasions. Including casual day dresses, party dresses and special occasion dresses. A summer dress takes little planning or preparation, you simply need to take a look at the fashions and trends for the season but most importantly consider what shapes and styles of summer dresses will suit your body shape the best. They need to look great on you and be practical for your lifestyle. There’s no point in you investing in a sheer or silky luxurious fabric that’s dry-clean only when sticky little fingers are ominous!
Another deliberation is your summer holiday, which summer dresses will be most appropriate for you and how easily will they pack into your suitcase, taking up as little room and weight as possible? Whilst not creasing like the wrinkles on a Shar Pei dogs face! (cute on the dog, not on you!)
Still wondering where to start? Here are some of the styles of summer dresses that you quite simply can’t go wrong with for spring summer 2011:
Starting with my favourite we have the Maxi Dress. This is the perfect choice for both
day, party or evening dress in the summer. It can also be used as an alternative to a traditional bridesmaid dress. One of the biggest influences for 2011 spring summer fashion trends is the seventies, a decade of long flowing skirts and decadent glamour. Maxi dresses will be a key part of this trend as will colourful floral dresses, jumpsuits and flared trousers
It’s long flowing skirt covers a multitude of sins, (I’ve got legs like shapeless tree trunks!) so I am forever in them. Depending on the style of the dress and how it is accessorised, I like mine to look elegant and chic rather than Boho. But it’s important for YOU to choose YOUR style. Once you have figured out what your style is, shopping is so much easier, trust me.
For a hot summer’s daytime outfit, look for plain jersey or patterned dresses. Prints include florals, stripes and animal skin. Printed maxi dresses are incredibly eye catching and will work for daytime or parties during the summer months. By choosing a floral maxi dress, inspired by the seventies, you are becoming a complete fashionista and gaining three trends in one!
When it comes to versatility, there is nothing quite like a simple black maxi dress. Perfect for taking on holiday, it really earns it space in the suitcase by taking you effortlessly from the beach to the bar with the simple addition of a few key accessories. Wear with some jewelled sandals and bangles for the daytime, and then team it with a pair of high wedges and a chunky statement necklace for the evening.
Embellished and luxurious fabric maxi dresses work well for parties and special occasions. For those of you that are petite and think that you cannot get away with wearing a maxi dress, you are wrong! Just make sure there is not too much volume in the skirt which will drown your frame, you can also try the slightly more wearable ¾ midi length.
The Floral Shift Dress is one of the handiest and on trend pieces of clothing for spring summer 2011. It is the perfect choice for occasion wear but can also work well as a ladies day dress for lunch with the girls or team with patent accessories and a little tailored jacket for a colourful work outfit.
A shift dress is a classical piece of clothing that will flatter a variety of body shapes. It will be a worthy edition to your wardrobe as it will never go out of fashion and is a timeless investment piece. It is also a great way to add some colour to your wardrobe. From bold and bright to pretty and delicate, there is definitely a floral print to suit everyone.
Then we have the ‘Little Black Dress’ of the summer: the little White Dress. This has always been a bit of a summer wardrobe staple, cool, crisp, fresh and versatile. They can be dressed up or down according to the occasion. It may be minimalist, such as simple cotton or romantic sheer fabric, or detailed in the form of pleated fabric creating interesting textures. They also look fantastic with a sun tan!
If white is a little unpractical and not for you, then why not go for the other end of the scale and choose a summer dress in a bright and bold colour. Whether you decide on full-on bright colours or just a pop of colour, one thing is for sure, bright colours are seriously big news and look amazing in the summer sunshine.
The most featured colours on the catwalk were electric royal blue and bright tangerine orange. The most flattering look is to pick one vibrant shade and wear it top to bottom. If the head-to-toe look is too bold for you then introduce colour as an accent. Go with what you like and what suits your skin tone.
