Dresses

Midi, knitted and printed dresses — one decision instead of two, which is most of the appeal.

Length is the thing worth getting right, and the words are not obvious. A midi dress finishes somewhere between the knee and the ankle, usually mid-calf; a maxi reaches the floor; a mini sits above the knee. Mid-calf is the most forgiving of the three across heights, which is why it keeps coming back.

Knitted dresses behave differently from woven ones. They stretch to the shape of whoever is wearing them, so the size on the label matters less than it does with a stiff fabric, but they also hold onto whatever they are hung on — fold them rather than hanging, or the shoulders stretch out over a season.

Supplier sizing runs small and is not UK sizing. Where a measurement chart is given, lay a dress you already own and like flat and compare it against the numbers, rather than trusting the letter on the label.

More in Women’s Fashion: Tops & T-Shirts, Two-Piece Sets, Jumpsuits & Playsuits.