Chic separates might be on trend for the new season, but the allure of a great dress hasn’t waned.
Just ask Victoria Beckham. The Spice Girl-turned-designer recently reported a 52 percent uptick in sales at her eponymous fashion brand, with annual revenue growing from £59 million to £89 million. It marks the third consecutive year of growth for the luxury label, which became profitable in 2022 for the first time since it launched in 2008.
The reason for Beckham’s financial boost? It was credited as being in no small part down to an £850 dress.
Dubbed the ‘Bella’ on account of it first being worn by supermodel Bella Hadid on Beckham’s SS23 catwalk, the dress features a ruched waist, tulip sleeve and midi-length hem, and reportedly accounted for one in every ten sales online.
Since its Paris Fashion week debut, it has been worn by a roster of stylish women including It girl Kendall Jenner and Queen Letizia of Spain. The Royal wore it in the now sold-out ‘parrot green’ to a reception at Buckingham Palace on the eve of King Charles’s Coronation.
The dress is currently available in seven colourways, including burgundy and a sophisticated black and red floral. Consider both your 9-5 look and winter wedding outfit sorted.
Speaking of which, versatility is no doubt a contributing factor to the dress’s popularity. Midi length hemlines have long proven to be highly wearable, going with every type of shoe, be it a flat ballet pump or stacked-heeled boot. And despite falling out of high fashion favour a few seasons ago, they have maintained their appeal among shoppers. At Net-a-Porter searches for long sleeve midi dresses have increased 108 per cent over the last month.
Coupled with a cleavage-covering but, thanks to the V-shaped back, not frumpy neckline, the Bella is appropriate for every dress code, formal, relaxed or somewhere in between.
It’s flattering, too. While the gathered waist skims your middle and hips, the split 3/4 sleeve subtly conceals tops of arms, as well as bra straps. It even comes in a V-neck to flatter bigger bust lines.
Beckham is known for her well-cut pieces that are feminine and modern, but with an ageless appeal. The Bella is a case in point having garnered a broad fan base. As well as Jenner (28) and Queen Letizia (51), 37-year-old model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Beckham herself, who turned fifty this year, have been seen wearing it with aplomb.
When the same dress can be worn by multiple generations (if not multiple tax brackets) it’s no wonder it has been flying off shelves.
You don’t need to spend on designer price tags to get a dress worthy of cult status, though.
If you’ve scrolled on social media over the past few months – or been on my North London nursery run – the chances are you’ve come across the £85 Starlight dress from Nobody’s Child. Having sold 100,000 units since it launched two autumns ago, the dress has become the London-based brand’s best-seller. So high is demand, it’s being reissued in new colourways for the season ahead, including of-the-moment plum and indigo denim.
With a cinched-waist, puffed sleeves (choose between half or full-length) and a midi hem, the Starlight has similar flattering design details as Beckham’s dress. What’s more, it looks just as good thrown on with trainers as it does dressed up for dinner with heels.
A universally flattering cut and versatile style is, somewhat unsurprisingly, a formula with proven success when it comes to dresses. In 2019, Zara’s £39.99 long sleeved polka dot midi dress went viral after becoming ubiquitous across the UK, thanks to its ability to suit all ages, body shapes, weathers and occasions. And when it comes to making clever wardrobe investments, cost-per-wear and an effortless style-factor aways stack up, whether you’re spending £80 or £800.
“The appeal of having one hard working item in your wardrobe, that can be worn a multitude of ways, for different occasions and seasons, is one of the main reasons dresses are a go-to for so many” says Sameera Azeem, creative director at Ghost.
To that end, the brand’s most popular style is the Madi (£149) a fit and flare, mid-length tea dress which has been brought back for the last two seasons in both plain colour and print. For AW24 it comes in on-trend polka dot. Style it with Mary Janes for the office, add trainers at the weekend.
Madi, £149, Ghost
The dress label is no stranger to sell-out styles. When The Princess of Wales wore the blue floral Avery dress for a portrait to mark her 10th wedding anniversary with Prince William, it sold out in moments.
Both hit styles tick the boxes of being seasonless shapes and feminine, flattering cuts that Azeem says are priorities for the Ghost customer.
It’s a similar story at Me + Em where the Contrast Stitch Midi Dress (£275) was a best-seller for August. As well as a fit and flare, mid-length silhouette, the dress comes with a collar for added desk-to-dinner smartness. Part of the brand’s signature Travel Tailoring collection, it’s made from ponte-jersey for all-day comfort and has added practically thanks to discreet side pockets.
Contrast Stich Midi Dress, £275, Me + Em
Function and form is at the top of designer Wiggy Hindmarch’s dress wishlist too: “I always prefer a dress with sleeves and pockets, if they don’t disturb the line of the dress. Fabric is key, it needs to be great quality and feel comfortable next to the skin”. Her tie-waist Sarong Shirt Dress (£395) was a summer smash hit, selling out in all three colourways within two days.
For an equally wear-everywhere style that will take you into the colder weather, look to Boden’s Alba (£155). The nipped-waist dress has been a long standing best-seller and launched in a new colourway almost every month.
Sarong shirt dress, £395, Wiggy Kit; Alba dress, £155, Boden
“The Alba is the ultimate versatile dress. It’s feminine, floaty and the long sleeves are perfect for the change in season. Pop a sleeveless knit over the top, a pair of long boots and you’re good to go” says Maz Boutorani, design director at Boden.
Last year’s tartan iteration sold out in two days, but fortunately it has just been relaunched in two new tartans (pink and red check and blue and red check) just in time for Hot Toddy season.
And for back-to-work season, party season, festive season and every other season to come, there’s a does-it-all midi dress to suit every style and budget - even if yours doesn’t stretch to a Posh Spice price tag.
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