Dressing up again: 20 dresses to get you back in the mood

It’s May and most of us are dying to get out of lockdown loungewear (if we haven’t already) and into sunny dresses that lift the spirits and the mood – and in flattering and forgiving shapes. The famous fashion forecaster Li Edelkoort said that, post-lockdown, we’ll want to wear something exotic and romantic, and there’s nothing dreamier or cooler than a long, comfortable summer dress, ideally in a floral or animal print that has that extra bit of swish and flounce, tiers or ruffles. If tired of florals, there are alternatives: stripes, block colours, plaids and ginghams.

Pandemic dressing kept everything functional and rudimentary, from gym gear for home workouts to quilted jackets, woolly hats, leggings and tracksuits for outdoor dressing that often continued inside. Now it’s time to pack all that away, swap function for fun and dress up again. Long dresses can cover a multitude and the more covered-up look prevails, especially in the discreet sexiness of those from The Vampire’s Wife currently so much in vogue and everywhere on the (virtual) red carpet. Balloon, puff sleeves and frilly hems are back, keeping the look a little frivolous.

Floaty maxis offering glamour day or night stalked the international catwalks, tamed with cardigans, cutaway sweaters or hoodies and grounded with tractor soles or stumpy boots for a subversive flourish. A bra top over a long, full skirt was another runway combo displayed with open blazers or jackets, not an easy one for those without a toned body – Roland Mouret,for example, paired bralets with flares. For those who prefer trousers to dresses, sweatpants can be swopped for flares worn stylishly with high heels. But we’ll stick to dresses and here are 20 to get you into a celebratory mood, from nautical prints to stripes, florals and animal metallics, priced from €22.29 upwards.