What to wear this weekend: FEMAIL picks out the best ‘it’ dresses for effortless style this season
- Dinah Van Tulleken shares advice for styling this winter’s distinctive ‘it’ dress
- Recommends adding sparkle with earrings and highlighting the waist with a belt
- British style editor reveals a selection of retailers currently stocking the trend
A NEW ICON
This winter’s ‘it’ dress has a very distinctive look: the structured shoulders, the nipped-in waist, the A-line skirt and a gathered hem. We have the ludicrously talented Susie Cave and her label The Vampire’s Wife to thank for creating a universally flattering, sophisticated piece that can be worn anywhere from family Christmas to a work meeting.
LUXE BUT WEARABLE
Everyone from Alexa Chung to Keira Knightley and Holly Willoughby to Kate Middleton has been seen in Cave’s ‘Festival’ design. Hers are available in iridescent silk (£1,595), floral print chiffon (£1,450) and lush velvet (£1,350), but it’s the more wearable corduroy version (£795) that has spawned affordable iterations everywhere; if you haven’t invested in one, now is the time.
Dinah Van Tulleken shares advice for styling this winter’s distinctive ‘it’ dress. Pictured: Corduroy dress, £220, aspiga.com; earrings, £24.99, tkmaxx.com; court shoes, £140, johnlewis.com
CORDUROY IS NOW COOL
It ’s a fabric I normally avoid because it adds bulk – and frankly my dad was the only one in our house who ever wore corduroy – but I’ve been forced to think again. The gorgeous navy-black (it’s not quite black, which I love) corduroy design I’m wearing here is from sustainable brand Aspiga and it’s made of organic cotton needle cord.
ONE FOR EVERY BUDGET
I’m wearing mine as I write this and I’ll be wearing it on Christmas Day and again for New Year’s Eve. Then I’ll be wearing it to the office in January and probably most weekends, too. I may need to buy two. And there are plenty of lower-priced choices, such as Iris’s deep fuchsia pink version and Warehouse’s in navy (both pictured below).
NOW SHOP THE TREND…
