To prove my point about dresses being surprisingly versatile, I decided to wear a different one every day this week. Harder than it sounds when the weather refuses to cooperate — I genuinely thought warmer days were finally here, but we somehow had three different seasons in a single afternoon. But still, your girl committed to the cause — and here’s the result. Hopefully it inspires you to look at a dress you already own and think, “wait… maybe I should wear that again.”.
Monday
Starting strong this Monday after waking up ridiculously early for the gym and somehow managing to do half my life admin before 10 a.m. Success.
I wore my white Rixo dress — one of those pieces that instantly makes me feel cute, but also isn’t the easiest to style in different ways. I filmed a little Instagram video trying a few options, but I think the one below ended up being my favourite.
The dress naturally leans very feminine — almost slightly trad-wife-adjacent — so I always feel the need to pull it back into a more “me” direction. This time I layered a few necklaces, added pointy mules, and wore another necklace as an anklet because I liked the slightly boho feel it gave the outfit.
I even went to the dentist dressed like this and came out without a speck of blood on it!
Tuesday
I have a weird relationship with this dress. I absolutely love it, but sometimes the second I put it on, I instantly feel huge. Which, to be fair, makes sense — it’s the shape, not my body.
Quick note to the reader: next time you feel huge in something, please don’t EVER blame yourself. Blame the piece of clothing — it has no feelings. Your body is fine.
I bought it fully aware that it wasn’t the most flattering thing in the world, but I still loved the robust denim fabric and playful silhouette. Although maybe I started turning against it after wearing it in London last year and having someone offer me their seat on the tube.
I knew I wanted to layer something underneath, partly for warmth and partly to break up the shape a bit. I started with a white T-shirt, but it made me look about five years old, so I swapped it for a mesh knit instead — and actually ended up really liking those two textures together.
Then I added a scarf around my waist, then swap for a shirt, partly for styling purposes and partly to reassure both myself and the general public that I wasn’t pregnant.
I still wasn’t 100 per cent convinced by this look, though. I have a feeling this dress might end up on Vinted soon.
Wednesday
This is a good dress. I bought it from COS a few years ago, and it’s one of those pieces that always works. It’s simple and comfortable, but somehow still feels like you’ve made an effort.
The open back and the silhouette make me feel good in my body — and that’s reason enough to love a piece of clothing, honestly. Even if I occasionally have to wrestle with the side zip to get into it.
I also love that it is navy instead of black — it feels a bit softer for summer, and I have recently realised how good navy looks with pinks and purples.
I ended up wearing my husband’s navy shacket with a pink cardi tied around my waist, and the colourful necklace was exactly what the dress needed in that moment. Also finally gave my crossbody Chloé bag some love after neglecting it for far too long.
That morning I watched a great video by Rachel styling a gorgeous red dress in tons of amazing ways, and it completely reminded me how important the right inspiration can be. I ended up trying loads of different styling combinations with this dress and realised I’m probably going to wear it constantly this summer.
Which is usually the sign of a very good purchase.
Thursday
I was feeling very lazy today, so I threw on a white slip dress — this one is from the Marks & Spencer x Sienna Miller collaboration — and wore it all day with a mesh jumper over the top while working from home.
By late afternoon, I decided I needed to make a bit more of an effort and remembered Sogole’s article about Good Outfit Energy, which basically inspired me to dress according to the mood I needed instead of the mood I had.
So I added a touch of earth and a touch of fire — earthy textures, woven accessories and this coral necklace from Zara that I bought years ago and never wear enough.
It completely changed the energy of the outfit. Funny how one accessory can suddenly make you feel much more alive.
Friday
I was very tired today and had approximately five minutes to get ready after the gym, so I went for a reliable black dress.
This one is from a friend’s boutique and has a knitted top with a poplin skirt — incredibly comfortable and exactly the kind of thing I reach for when I’m uninspired but still want to feel put together.
To stop it feeling too cute, I added black loafers and cat-eye sunglasses, then brought in a bit of warmth with gold jewellery and the gold woven bag. Otherwise, it starts feeling a little too polished and not entirely like me.
I did cheat later in the evening and changed into jeans with a gorgeous new top from Zara… but honestly, after five dress days in a row, I think I deserved it.
Saturday
I was hungover for most of the day after a red wine session with friends on Friday, but I had a festival to go to, so another black dress came to the rescue.
I threw on my new Desigual shirt, a denim jacket, Sambas with socks, and somehow ended up feeling both extremely comfortable and quite cute.
Unfortunately, this confidence was based on a massive miscalculation because the festival was right by the sea and it became freezing the second the sun disappeared.
A gentle reminder from me to myself: always check the weather app before dressing for a coastal evening.
Dresses On My Radar Right Now
How I Make Dresses Feel Like Me Right Now
First of all, it’s almost always about the shoes for me. I usually need something to shift the energy of the dress a bit.
I love adding black minimal sandals, mules, fisherman sandals or even cowboy boots — anything that makes the outfit feel a little more grounded and a bit less “perfect”. I’ve realised that when a dress feels too feminine on me — which can happen quite easily because I’m naturally curvy — what I’m usually missing is contrast somewhere in the outfit.
That contrast can come from anywhere really: black cat-eye sunglasses, a chunky necklace, a woven bag, a shirt tied around the waist, slightly messy hair, or layering pieces that make the dress feel more relaxed and lived-in.
I also think texture makes a huge difference. I love mixing romantic or floaty dresses with things that feel more structured or tactile — denim, mesh knits, leather accessories, woven fabrics, heavier jewellery. It stops the outfit from feeling too precious.
But honestly, the warmer it gets, the less I want to do. In summer, my ideal outfit is usually just a good dress, flat sandals, gold hoops and a hopefully a tan.
So next time you put on a dress and something feels slightly wrong, here are a few questions I’d ask myself:
Is it the dress… or the styling around it?
What would make this feel more like me?
Do I need contrast somewhere?
Would I style this differently if I wasn’t worried about looking “too much”?
Would I actually want to wear this all day?
Below, I’m sharing what I actually look for before buying a dress now — from fabrics and shapes to the little details that make the difference between something I wear twice and something I reach for every summer.
Honestly, a pretty good time to join the paid club if you ask me.
