About

How We Approach Dress Advice

Most dress advice falls into one of two traps: it is either a list of strict rules that ignore how people actually live, or it is so vague that it never helps you decide between two options hanging in front of you. We try to sit in the useful middle. Every guide starts with a practical question, such as what a dress code really asks of you, which neckline balances a particular shoulder line, or whether a fabric will crease badly after an hour in a car, and works towards an answer you can act on.

What you will find here

• Occasion guides that explain dress codes in plain language, from black tie to garden parties. Our guide on how to choose a dress for a wedding is a good place to begin.
• Fit and silhouette notes covering how A-line, sheath, wrap, slip and fit-and-flare shapes sit on different bodies, and what to check in a fitting room before you commit.
• Fabric and care advice on how cotton, linen, silk, viscose, crepe and wool blends behave in heat, cold and on the dance floor, and how to keep them looking good afterwards.
• Seasonal styling, including layering, colour and accessories for warm-weather celebrations and colder months alike.

Our principles

We believe a good dress is one you forget you are wearing because it simply works: it fits, it suits the setting and it lets you move, sit and eat comfortably. That is why we pay as much attention to lining, seam placement and fabric weight as we do to colour and trend. We also encourage re-wearing. A well-chosen dress can serve several occasions with a change of shoes, a jacket or different jewellery, and we often suggest ways to do exactly that.

We are an independent guide rather than a shop, so our aim is to help you shop more confidently wherever you buy. If you have a question we have not yet covered, or an occasion you are struggling to dress for, you are welcome to get in touch through our contact page. Reader questions regularly shape the topics we write about next.