Apple, pear…banana?! Working out your body ‘type’ can read like a list for the local greengrocers.
In reality, while we may relate to some body shapes more than others (being 5ft 2 vs. 5ft 10 will have a bearing on how you wear clothes, after all), we all have our own unique curves, angles and features we like to highlight or conceal depending on how we feel.
We know each woman is unique. So, on average we fit each piece four times, rigorously testing and honing the fit and fabric for every style. It’s a time-consuming process, but we think you’ll agree it’s worth it when you try on the finished product. We call it ‘intelligent style’: a great deal of thought and detail goes into ensuring each design is flattering and functional, with wear-forever appeal.
To help demystify the topic of dress shapes, we’re going behind the seams of the five bestselling dress silhouettes we return to every season: maxi, midi, short, swing and shirt – decoding the signature intelligent design devices we use to flatter every figure and make you feel your best.
MAXI
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Fitted or tiered, floaty or floral, slipping into a sweeping maxi dress can instantly transform your mood from hard at work to off on holiday. Delivering coverage, comfort and a hit of colour in one fell swoop, all it takes to elevate a maxi from AM to PM is a simple switch of accessories.
MAXI
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Fitted or tiered, floaty or floral, slipping into a sweeping maxi dress can instantly transform your mood from hard at work to off on vacation. Delivering coverage, comfort and a hit of color in one fell swoop, all it takes to elevate a maxi from AM to PM is a simple switch of accessories.
INTELLIGENT DESIGN DETAILS: + Side pockets positioned towards the front of the side seams achieve a bulk-free finish with added functionality. + Our maxi dresses are often signed off with ruffle-trimmed cuffs, waiting to peek out from coats and jackets. + Our necklines featuring hook-and-eye closures, like the one on our Silk-Blend Devoré Confetti Print Maxi Dress, can be styled in various ways for ultimate versatility and to flatter any figure.
FLATTER YOUR FIGURE:
+ Draw attention to slim shoulders and an elegant décolletage by keeping the detail up top – then allow a flowing skirt to skim over your hips.
+ Blessed with curves? Draw the eye to your narrowest part with a shirred bodice topping our Slub Cotton V-Neck Maxi Dress.
INTELLIGENT DESIGN DETAILS: + Side pockets positioned towards the front of the side seams achieve a bulk-free finish with added functionality. + Our maxi dresses are often signed off with ruffle-trimmed cuffs, waiting to peek out from coats and jackets. + Our necklines featuring hook-and-eye closures, like the one on our Silk-Blend Devoré Confetti Print Maxi Dress, can be styled in various ways for ultimate versatility and to flatter any figure.
FLATTER YOUR FIGURE:
+ Draw attention to slim shoulders and an elegant décolletage by keeping the detail up top – then allow a flowing skirt to skim over your hips.
+ Blessed with curves? Draw the eye to your narrowest part with a shirred bodice topping our Slub Cotton V-Neck Maxi Dress.
SWING
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Easy, breezy and relaxed, the swing dress is ideally suited to balmy beach days or summers in the city. With its wonderfully forgiving unstructured waist, this is the piece to pull on for all-you-can-eat buffets, long flights or sticky-hot commutes. Inherently liberating and yet comforting at the same time, this airy number is about freedom to move while maintaining a little mystery.
INTELLIGENT DESIGN DETAILS: + We cut our swing dresses to a length that grazes the knee for the most flattering effect. + Functional pockets are stitched in front of the side seam, adding somewhere to stow your essentials without adding bulk. + Ruffles and frill trims add finesse to an otherwise relaxed aesthetic. + Concealed zip necklines, for example, the one topping our Graphic Jacquard Ponte Swing Dress, accommodate all bust sizes. + On long-sleeved styles, elasticated cuffs allow the sleeves to be pulled up the arm for a more casual feel. + Optional belts switch the silhouette of our swing styles, like our Ginko Leaf Print Short Swing Dress + Belt, to fit-and-flare ones.
FLATTER YOUR FIGURE: + Swing dresses work on most body types due to their universally flattering silhouette. + If you’ve got an athletic figure, add shape with tiers or an exaggerated A-line style. + The wide hem of a swing dress will help balance out bigger shoulders. + If you’re conscious of your tummy, the swing dress will breezily skim the body.
SHIRT
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A by-word for easy-going elegance, the shirt dress is dependable, comforting and empowering. It delivers a feeling of femininity that’s tempered perfectly by classic menswear detailing. Just like the little black dress or the denim jacket, shirt dresses are iconic styles that transcend time and trends. Use them to radiate an air of understated cool and utilitarian sophistication.
INTELLIGENT DESIGN DETAILS: + Removable belts - see the one accompanying our Lace Flower Print Shirt Midi Dress + Belt - allow you to cinch in the waist to accentuate your figure. + Flatteringly proportioned pouf shoulders give minimalist shirt dresses like our Chambray Shirred Maxi Shirt Dress a feminine lift, as do frilled trims at the neckline and deep cuffs. + Practical side pockets bring effortless ease.
FLATTER YOUR FIGURE: + The beauty of shirt dresses is how you can style them to suit your body shape: unbutton the top, roll up the sleeves, keep the bottom open so that you see more leg – the choice is yours. + If you’re on the curvier side, channel Sophia Loren with a nipped-in waist and fuller skirt. + Petite women can look to more structured, fitted styles to avoid figure-swamping. + Statuesque ladies can get away with bohemian tiers, frills and waist ties.
INTELLIGENT DESIGN DETAILS: + Removable belts - see the one accompanying our Lace Flower Print Color Block Shirt Midi Dress + Belt - allow you to cinch in the waist to accentuate your figure. + Flatteringly proportioned pouf shoulders give minimalist shirt dresses like our Chambray Shirred Maxi Shirt Dress a feminine lift, as do frilled trims at the neckline and deep cuffs. + Practical side pockets bring effortless ease.
FLATTER YOUR FIGURE: + The beauty of shirt dresses is how you can style them to suit your body shape: unbutton the top, roll up the sleeves, keep the bottom open so that you see more leg – the choice is yours. + If you’re on the curvier side, channel Sophia Loren with a nipped-in waist and fuller skirt. + Petite women can look to more structured, fitted styles to avoid figure-swamping. + Statuesque ladies can get away with bohemian tiers, frills and waist ties.
MIDI
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We, the dress-adoring women of Britain, have taken the midi dress to our hearts (and closets) as a go-to for all kinds of occasions: weddings, barbecues, workdays, weekend outings. Long enough to look elegant yet not so long that it limits footwear options, the midi dress comes in many guises: from sporty to structured, retro to modern.
INTELLIGENT DESIGN DETAILS: + Our removable belts, found on styles like our Silk Cotton Flower Print Midi Dress + Belt allow you to pull in the fit or go with the flow. + Elasticated cuffs and a signature side stripe add a sporty finish to some of our more feminine midi styles. + Many of our midi dresses come with pockets to make you feel fully at ease. + Keyhole (see our Chambray Relaxed Ruffle Midi Dress’s neckline for reference), deep v, crew, shirt collar: our midis come with an array of necklines to suit every body shape.
FLATTER YOUR FIGURE: + Midi dresses are ultra-versatile and will work on all body shapes thanks to the fact that they highlight the ankles - a flattering look on all women. + Shine a spotlight on an hourglass figure with a fit-and-flare midi style, our Travel Tailoring Boat Neck Midi Dress and Fluid Crepe Cap Sleeve Midi Dress are perfect examples or choose a classic wrap dress. + In cooler months, pairing outerwear with a midi-length dress can be tricky. If in doubt, stick to a coat of at least the same length, or choose a tailored blazer that finishes at your waist like our Cotton-Blend Fringe Trim Crop Jacket that is designed to coordinate with our Cotton-Blend Fringe Trim Midi Dress. + If you’re super-petite, a midi dress may end up as more of a maxi on you. Go with it. Our dresses will never drown you, due to their flattering level hems.
SHORT
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Conjuring the spirit of the Sixties in full swing, the mini dress fizzes with youthful energy. But you don’t have to go uber-short to get the same effect: a hem that finishes just above the knee will still feel carefree. Balance a thigh-grazing hemline with a high neck, long sleeves or extra volume on top – and keep your shoes flat to maintain an air of nonchalance.
INTELLIGENT DESIGN DETAILS: + Found at the sides, practical pockets ensure there’s always somewhere for your phone and cardholder. + Adjustable necklines – think button plackets or invisible zips – easily accommodate different bust sizes. + A curved-hem silhouette keeps you covered without sacrificing the leg-lengthening effect.
FLATTER YOUR FIGURE: + Short shift dresses, for example, our Textured Short Sleeve Shift Dress complement a petite frame and won’t overwhelm your stature. + Choose a floaty or A-line short dress to create a streamlined silhouette if you like your legs but prefer to gloss over your middle. + If you have a straighter body shape, you can afford to add volume with frills and ruffles.