The Summer Dress Edit | Affordable High Street Dresses

Hello, welcome back to my channel and to today's video where I'll be sharing my edit of affordable high street summer dresses. Right, so this first dress is from H&M and is such great value for money at £45 especially given that it's made from only natural fibres, no polyester in sight which when it comes to summer is something that a lot of us just won't tolerate. The fabric composition is 30% linen and 70% viscose which gives the dress this beautiful fluid movement. It's lightweight and breathable. The dress is also lined and the lining is 100% cotton which is quite rare for a high street dress. This double layer of fabric prevents the dress from being see-through although I would still wear nude coloured underwear as I would with any white or light coloured dress. It's a fit and flare style so fitted in at the waist and then flares out with this beautiful full skirt. It has a halter neck so is completely backless which is quite a nice subtle way to show off a little bit of skin in the summer season and it has this beautiful lace trim detail around the bust, neckline and hemline with a coordinating lace insert on the skirt. I wore this dress on a Caribbean cruise back in April and I had so many compliments on it. I actually layered a linen blazer over the top which worked really well for an evening setting going out for dinner but here as you can see I just kept accessories minimal for a more day-to-day look. This dress is from Zara and comes in at £29.99. It's available in three colours and the fabric is a blended fabric with 87% viscose which as you can see gives it that amazing fluid movement that I love so much. For me this is actually a great alternative to a classic slip dress which are normally cut on the bias and can cling to the figure. This dress has more of a looser fit with zero cling whatsoever. It features gathered elasticated straps with a hint of gold detail and a v-neckline. The dress isn't lined but this particular fabric doesn't require lining and that leaves it nice and lightweight and perfect for the summer heat. I mentioned zero cling so once more that extra space adds to not only the comfort factor but also confidence. This linen blend dress is from ASOS and is priced at £28. It's available in seven different colours including some brighter summer options for those of you who unlike me like to embrace colour. The fabric composition is a very summer appropriate 88% cotton and 12% linen. The cotton very much softening that often itchy feel of linen without compromising the linen look which is why I've been recommending that you guys look for linen blend fabrics because they're a more comfortable and more practical option in comparison to 100% linen. I've styled this dress with laid back all black accessories for a day-to-day look but yet again it's versatile so you can merchandise it up or down for different occasions. In terms of comfort this dress has a sheared back panel which is elasticated so that it can accommodate a range of different bust sizes. The square neckline is what makes this dress quite unique as it's not a neckline that's often used. The body is more fitted and goes into a drop waist and then out into that beautiful flared skirt. I've had this dress for a couple of months now and I've already had so much wear out of it because we've had a lovely spring and great start to summer. It's from the Zara women collection at well Zara and is priced at £69.99. The outer fabric of this dress is a textured cheesecloth style fabric with a fibre composition of 94% linen so it's a given that this dress needs to have a lining and the good news the lining is 100% cotton so combined with the loose fit it's a breathable dress for wearing throughout the summer months and perfect for packing in your suitcase for any holidays. I wear this dress without a bra and there's no visibility through those two layers of fabric at all and I love these super skinny straps and V neckline which balance out the dress given the maxi length and the loose billowy fit. The crinkled texture of the fabric means that you don't have to be concerned with any creases because they're easily disguised. This is also one of a few dresses in today's video that features our favourite feature pockets. You guys know I love my basics they work very hard for me and my wardrobe and the same applies to a t-shirt dress because it is just a basic. I think it's such a solid wardrobe staple for summer and even the transitional seasons like spring and autumn. This t-shirt dress is an absolute steal for £19.99 from H&M. It comes in five very wearable and very versatile colours and is made from 75% cotton, 20% viscose and 5% elastane. You can choose the right fit for you looser or tighter fitting by simply choosing a different size. So size up for that looser more forgiving fit, size down for something slightly more fitted or stay true to size for the perfect in-between. I love the longer sleeve length on this t-shirt dress they fall just above the elbow which gives it a more chic look. The overall length of the dress for me personally is a bonus as a taller person because it can be quite hard to find a longer length t-shirt dress being 5'9". It's comfortable and breathable for day-to-day wear and you can inject your own style to this very basic dress using accessories from your wardrobe. This next dress is from Zara and as with all of the dresses in today's video it's quite minimal which gives you the opportunity to dress it up or down with accessories for any occasion. Versatility is what I'm all about when it comes to adding new pieces to my wardrobe. So this dress is £29.99 and it's 100% which is a fibre known for being soft, lightweight, breathable and even durable so it's perfect for a summer dress. It also has this very floaty aesthetic to it and because it's a loose fit it moves beautifully as you walk. It's a maxi length which I am a big fan of but I also appreciate the loose fit which is great if like me you suffer from the occasional bloated tummy. It has a strappy halter neck which then ties at the back and whilst I've dressed it up a little bit here with various accessories it would work equally as well as a beach or a pool dress to just throw on over your swimwear. Okay so I wanted to feature at least one beach or pool cover-up dress and whilst a lot of the dresses featured in this video can be used for that purpose as well as just day-to-day wear this pointelle dress from And Other Stories is definitely something that I would only wear as a swimwear cover-up. They brought out a version of this dress last year and it sold out several times over the season and this year they've released this one which is similar but not identical to last year's. The knitted fabric is 67% cotton and 33% tencel lyocel. Now tencel is just a brand of lyocel, I know some people often think tencel and lyocel are two different things but they're not. So the dress features a delicate pointelle finish which runs in vertical columns creating an elongating and slimming effect and obviously this dress is very see-through which is why I would use it as a swimwear cover-up although you could wear a nude slip dress underneath. It also features a lace-up back which ties at the top with some very long ties and then it also features flared bell sleeves which add to that overall 70s vibe. I'm sure you're all very shocked to see some colour here but blue is one colour that I will happily wear because it's essentially like wearing denim. This dress is another beauty from Zara and is priced at £29.99 and is made from 100% lyocel. Now this dress could definitely pass as a wedding guest dress but works equally as well when paired down with accessories and finishing touches for day-to-day summer wear. The colour is beautiful, the flowing fabric is beautiful, it's just a stunning dress which again is very simple, very elegant and classic with no bells and whistles. The dress features a halter neck with a tie at the back and a slight draping cowl to the neckline. It's backless with a v-shaped cut and a concealed zip for a smooth finish and the top half of the dress is double layered to preserve modesty. Right so this dress is one of my personal favourites because I love the colour, I love the neckline, I love the length, I love the fit, it all just calls to me. This is an ASOS design dress and is priced at a very reasonable £36. It's also available in black and a lime green colour along with this brown shade that they've named bitter chocolate. The fabric is a blend of 80% viscose and 20% flax which gives it a linen feel without the severe creasing. This is definitely a dress that I would wear day-to-day but it's so easy to add some more elevated accessories to dress it up for a summer evening either here at home or on holiday. The dress features a high neckline which turns into a racerback on the back with a button keyhole design. It's a little bit more fitted but without being too clingy and the skirt almost has this beautiful sort of fishtail shape to it and the dress is partially lined featuring a double layer of around the bust. As you may have gathered by now I'm a big fan of viscose, I just think it's a beautiful fabric and you can't beat that fluid movement especially when it comes to a tent style dress like this one from Zara. This dress is 90% viscose, comes in at £35.99 and is available in three versatile colours. It's another dress from today's edit which has a looser fit so it's beneficial in terms of comfort if you suffer from any bloating, perimenopausal or just menopausal tummy, postpartum even or maybe you just like this loose and billowy type of fit. Now of course I have to celebrate the fact that this dress has pockets because us women love a dress that has pockets. You'll also have no bra issues with this dress, a simple t-shirt bra worn underneath will give a nice smooth silhouette and for any fellow long-legged ladies like me this dress is a great length. I have this next dress in both this off-white colour and also in black, it's beautiful. So this dress is from H&M and it has to be said that they are having an exceptional season for dresses so far especially when it comes to their increased usage of fabrics like viscose. This is a blended fabric dress with 82% viscose so again it has that airy movement to it and billows as you walk. I would say this dress is slightly dressier than some of my other options so it would be perfect for any of those summer occasions although in this colour, probably not a wedding guest outfit. It doesn't cling to the tummy area as it has a looser fit and the butterfly sleeves add an extra touch of femininity. This dress has pockets but because it's not lined they are visible in this off-white colour so nude seamless underwear is also needed and I will link my favourites down below. It has a deep slip feature on the back so you may want to opt for one of the many stick-on bra options available these days so that there's no visible bra straps. The dress also has a dipped hemline so that means that it's slightly longer at the back than it is at the front. My next dress from today's edit is this brown gingham number with a bohemian vibe to it from Zara. Priced at £39.99 and being 99% cotton, this dress is perfect for day-to-day wear throughout the summer season because it's lightweight and breathable. There is 1% elastane in the fabric so much like my preferred composition of denim, this does have a slight stretch to it which provides ultimate comfort for movement and busy lives. This fabric also has a texture to it so combined with the small gingham print it's practical in terms of disguising creasing but also dirt and stains. To add to that comfort factor this dress has a smocked chest which allows for a range of bust sizes and also features an elasticated waistband. The straps form a halter neckline and then they cross over at the back exposing a subtle amount of skin. The skirt has two tiers giving it that bohemian feel with the bottom tier having a very slight ruffled effect. Whilst the dress has an overall casual feel you can definitely style it up with accessories to make it your own. I shared this dress in my most recent what's new in my wardrobe for summer video and I had to include it in this roundup because yet again H&M have done an incredible job creating a very minimal and therefore classic piece which is wearable year after year after year. It's elegant, it's simple so you can add your own finishing touches and customise it to suit your personal style with jewellery, shoes and bags. It's priced at £44.99 and is made from a blended fabric that's 86% viscose. It's lined in the areas that you need it to be lined, the bust and top half of the skirt so that you don't need to be concerned what knickers you wear. The dress features a halter neck which as I've previously mentioned I did adjust just to suit my smaller bust and as with most halter neck styles this leaves the back area exposed so you would need to opt for a halter neck backless bra or a stick-on bra or like me no bra at all. Like the first H&M halter dress it has a fit and flare shape with shaping darts at the waist and then a flared full skirt which moves and hangs beautifully thanks to that viscose. This next dress is from Zara and costs £35.99 which is another great value piece for the natural fabric composition which is 52% linen and 48% viscose. I've styled this up for something like a dinner, perhaps an evening whilst on holiday. It's a more figure hugging dress which for me personally makes it something that I wouldn't necessarily wear day to day but because of the linen fabric it's a summer appropriate evening piece. It has a tie halter neck with this beaded horseshoe detail at the bust and whilst the dress isn't fully lined it does have a double layer of fabric on the bust. It's a midi length with a substantial sized vent at the back of the skirt and the gathered fabric underneath the bust means that the dress doesn't cling to the tummy area giving a little bit of extra room for comfort. And there we have it guys this was my edit of affordable high street summer dresses. I've linked all the dresses, shoes, jewellery, accessories down below in the description box along with size information and even my underwear recommendations. If you have a favourite dress from today's edit then let me know down in the comments below and don't forget to give this video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it because that helps me know what you'd like to see more of in the future. But for now that's it from me, thank you as always for watching and I'll see you next time.