As we prepare to peel off our jogging bottoms and tentatively reintroduce our lower halves to the world, retailers are betting on the big bright dress as the look of the socially distanced summer.
“Breezeable”, “voluminous” and “forgiving” are some of the terms designers are using for the loose, midi-length style, which is omnipresent in current collections.
This week Marks & Spencer launched a range of patterned midi-dresses in collaboration with Ghost. Next week, John Lewis and the independent brand Kemi Telford will team up for a collection of roomy, bright patterned dresses. At & Other Stories, the current crop includes a marigold silk dress with a Bridgerton-inspired neckline, made in collaboration with Rejina Pyo.
The global fashion shopping platform Lyst reports an 87% increase in searches for “voluminous dresses” year on year. At eBay, year-on-year searches for “tiered midi dress” are up 158%, and “puff-sleeve maxi dress” up 130%.
The peer-to-peer rental app By Rotation reports a 600% increase in bookings since the lockdown roadmap was announced, with dresses making up 70% of that.
“We are all used to prioritising comfort above all, having spent much of this past year in loungewear, so these types of flowing, breathable dresses are a great in between,” said its founder, Eshita Kabra-Davies.
“The mood has undoubtedly changed when it comes to everyday dressing,” said Jo Bennett, the head of womenswear at John Lewis,which reports an 89% increase in dress sales year on year. “We feel the ‘breezeable dress’ is the perfect transition piece, offering great style without compromising on the comfort we’ve been used to.”
Though they may need to be layered over thermals, polo necks, tights, trainers or hiking boots in beer gardens, until the mercury rises, these dresses are in many ways practical, their forgiving proportions rendering moot such pre-Covid preoccupations as depilation, fake tanning and tailoring.
“Crucially, they feel like freedom – loose, lightweight and bright – perfect for dancing in the sunshine, feeling happy and emancipated (or trying to!) after this awful year,” said the dress historian Amber Butchart.
There is also an echo of the shift in dress that occurred in the roaring 20s.
“While these styles don’t directly reference a 1920s aesthetic, there is certainly a parallel in terms of some 1920s evening wear that could feature loose or low waistlines, and light fabrics with an emphasis on movement that helps for dancing,she said.
“Maybe we will be charlestoning our way through this summer.”
