Seventeen years ago I found the summer dress of my dreams on a Topshop sale rail. Geranium red cotton with loose short sleeves. Crochet lace surrounded the deep V-neck and swirled into the full midi-skirt.
I called it my ‘summer style bomb’ and it came with me everywhere – particularly to the tiny Greek island we visited every summer. ‘Did you pack the red dress?’ became the pre-trip question. My friends would spot the dot of red from the ferry and know, without question, that I was waiting for them on the pier. Eventually, it became more than a dress; it was a time, a place, a feeling. Until a few too many of the lace details unravelled, the buttonhole disintegrated and, with a big sigh, I popped it into an Oxfam recycling bin.
I’ve been looking for a replacement ever since. Not just a red dress, but the red dress. One worthy enough to build new summer memories with and feel the main character energy I always get from wearing red. And, at long last, I’ve found it.
This spring is, it turns out, excellent for bright red summer dresses, and after looking through dozens of them, two brilliant British-designed dresses emerged that fulfilled my exacting brief to the letter.
The first is the Lia from Nobody’s Child. In bright geranium red, it has the V-neck, short sleeves and generously cut tiered midi-length I’m looking for – and it’s machine-washable. Made from eco-friendly viscose, it also fulfils my sustainability requirements.
Nobody's Child Red Tie Front Tiered Lia Midi Dress
The other is the Viola by Aspiga, a brand that majors on summer holiday clothes. It features a deep V-neck, lace cuffs on the sleeves and a tiered skirt with pretty detailing – all boxes ticked — plus it’s 100% organic cotton and machine-washable.
Both dresses deliver exactly what I’m looking for, though, Lia’s adjustable tie-details, which can be loosened to make the dress more carefree, give it more playfulness – and summer for me is always playtime. So my quest is, at long last, complete. Now let the fun of wearing it begin.
