Occasion season is fast approaching which means many of us are on the lookout for a new dress to wear to weddings, races, proms and events this summer. And since I’m still carrying some lockdown weight, I wanted to find something that made me both comfortable and confident with my new body shape.
When I spotted Donna Mulligan wearing this classy red Karen Millen dress on Ladies Day at Aintree at the start of the month, I knew it was ‘the one’.
The caped number helped the 39-year-old beat hundreds of competitors and take the coveted Style Award title at the Grand National Festival 2022, and it’s easy to see why.
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Donna styled the dress with heels from Holly Willoughby favourite LK Bennett and a hat she’d brought only two days before the big event, and looked absolutely stunning in her get up.
The cost of the dress was more than covered with Donna’s £5,000 cash prize money, alongside a £500 Never Fully Dressed/£300 House of Cavani voucher, a spa break and more.
At the time, Donna told Liverpool Echo: "I didn't think there was any chance of winning, [I] just loved getting a nice dress and a nice hat and [dressing] up for the occasion and enjoy the racing so this is just unbelievable."
I wore the £325 dress to the opening night of Bat Out Of Hell the Musical at The Regent Theatre, in Stoke-on-Trent, and while a little overdressed, I felt like a million dollars.
The Karen Millen number comes in a vibrant red shade, or black for a slightly more subtle but equally striking look, and is currently on sale for £228 - almost a third off the retail price.
The maxi dress comes to the ankle with heels, and features an in-built cape that felt very fitting for the ‘bat’ part of the musical. The V-neckline is somewhat daring but modest, with a split hem to show a little, but not too much, leg.
I styled my dress with some more affordable suedette heels from Primark, a glittery black clutch I’ve had for a decade, and some gold jewellery, including a name necklace from Love Islander Olivia Bowen’s Abbott Lyon collection.
Made with viscose and elastane, it has a polyester lining and has quite a bit of weight to it. It is dry clean only, so I only hoped I didn’t spill a glass of wine down myself in the bar.
As I walked past more than 40 Harley Davidson motorcycles onto the orange carpet, I felt like a celebrity at a movie premiere, or like I was a guest at the Oscars.
The cape element of the dress looks incredible in photos, and really makes a statement. It comes over the shoulders to offer just a glimpse of the arms, but a ‘hand on hip’ pose really adds some drama to the look.
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Stairs can be a little tricky with the cape, as can slipping past people in a row of chairs to get to your seat. You definitely need a partner or a friend to give you a hand, as it’s quite easy to stand on and trip yourself up, which isn’t quite as elegant as simply standing in the chic Karen Millen number.
The shapes this dress can create, though - with thanks to the flexible cape - is dazzling. And despite being quite bold, it’s a versatile piece that would lend itself perfectly as a wedding guest outfit, leaver’s ball, graduation or, like Donna, a day at the races.
This sultry dress is on sale in both red and black for £228 on the Karen Millen website here.
