8 Thoroughly Modern Tea Dresses
Making a regular appearance in spring/summer collections in one guise or another, tea dresses have become a perennial staple and warm-weather essential. After all, there aren’t many styles you can happily turn to for a day at the office as well as RSVP-only occasions.
But what exactly is a tea dress? The style characterized today by a short-sleeved cut, a fitted waist, and a flared hem debuted as a comfortable alternative to structured corseted dresses in the 19th century but was only ever intended to be worn when entertaining at home. With time, it adapted to one that could be worn to any event in the afternoon or early evening - in other words, when tea was being served - to the point that they formed a key part of women’s wardrobes in the 30s, 40s, and 50s.
Today, they’re steering away from ultra-feminine, ditzy florals and grounding their designs in bold colors, confident prints, and rich textures. They’re a hardworking essential that adds mileage to your wardrobe; they can be styled with low-top sneakers or teetering stilettos, with smart tailoring and off-duty jackets. In short, the world of styling possibilities is your oyster and the humble tea dress is the sun around which it all revolves.
Read on to discover the eight styles we’re celebrating this season.
1: Cotton Jacquard Gardenia Print Fit + Flare Dress
PERFECT FOR PETITES AND UNCLEAR DRESS CODES.
A short length, fit-and-flare shape, a bespoke jacquard design, and contrasting trims to add definition grant this floral dress a works-every-time finish - better yet, the above-the-knee length also complements petite frames. And if you’re wanting to strike a more casual finish, a concealed zip running down the chest (that also works to accommodate all bust sizes) allows you to choose between a neat round neckline and a V-shaped one.
2: Textured Cap Sleeve Midi Dress
THE OFFICE-TO-OCCASIONWEAR SOLUTION.
One style, one fabric, two color options, this midi tea dress allows you to either tap into fashion’s current penchant for all things lime or keep things classic with a white colorway. Easily adaptable for both office and occasion settings, the piece is crafted from textured tailoring and is outlined with a fringe trim to grant the final aesthetic a modern edge.
3: English Garden Print Maxi Dress
THE EVERYDAY + EVERY EVENT SOLUTION.
A more relaxed, everyday solution, this ankle-skimming maxi celebrates a full spectrum of shades through its bespoke English Garden print. With ruffled trims and contrasting piping, this floral tea dress needs little to no additions to address different styling penchants, and can be sported with a V-neckline when a couple of the buttons running down the chest are left undone - your answer to soaking up the sun at your next blue-sky event. For more polished affairs, layer a bright blazer over the top.
4: Ethereal Tulle Shirred Maxi Dress + Belt
THE STATEMENT SOLUTION.
A sartorial head-turner and the answer to every invitation filling up your inbox or piling up on your doormat, this maxi dress boasts layers of frothy tulle and a flattering shirred body that comfortably accommodates all bust sizes while retaining a neat round-neck silhouette. A modern dress with a romantic softness, it’s saturated with a bold electric-blue hue and is accompanied by an optional belt in black to create definition and a directional edge.
5: Cotton Voile Belted Maxi Shirt Dress + Belt
THE HOME-TO-VACATION CHAMELEON.
This maxi shirt dress speaks to hours whiled away on beaches or in sunny patches of grass back at home. In breathable pure cotton and with a button-down front, it can be styled open over swimwear as an easy cover-up or buttoned to the top for a more polished finish with blazers or denim jackets when you’re swapping a sunlounger for an office chair (sigh).
6: Cotton Jacquard Gardenia Print Maxi Dress
THE FAILSAFE CLASSIC.
Traditional with our signature intelligent design details that grant it a contemporary edge, this cotton maxi dress is a failsafe classic celebrating a bespoke jacquard design in a sunshine shade. Neatly structured with a contrasting trim and detailed with a concealed zip running down the chest, this floral tea dress switches from a round to a V-neck silhouette with the added option of creating a keyhole detail thanks to a hook-and-eye fastening.
7: Magnolia Bird Print Maxi Shirt Dress
THE AM-PM ANSWER.
The answer to effortless AM-PM style Monday to Sunday - so now your closet isn’t an excuse to turn down last-minute invites to drinks and dinner - this maxi shirt dress heroes our bespoke Magnolia Bird print and pulls together a combination of influences plucked from different decades. It brings together a bold statement print in bright, eye-catching colors, a classic long-sleeved cut and a shirt-dress design with a fluid, silk-like fabric with 21st-century results.