Simone Reddington

This summer, I have been invited to my friend’s wedding and having cleared out most of my formal and party dresses before Christmas, I have decided that I need a new outfit for it!  I don’t go to a lot of weddings or formal occasions so, rather than splashing out on a brand-new dress that I might only wear once, I went for the more sustainable option and headed to my local charity shops to see if they could offer any hidden treasures.  I came home with three gorgeous dresses to choose from.  

1. Green is my favourite colour, and I absolutely love the shade of this emerald maxi dress.    Originally from Hope & Ivy, whose luxurious dresses are typically in the £90+ price bracket, I have found a bargain by buying it in Sue Ryder for £4.50. I was slightly unsure of the style and how it would look like on, but it fit like a glove, and I felt very comfortable wearing it.  I think it looks very flattering and elegant so I will be keeping it.  If I don’t wear it for the wedding, it will be going in my suitcase for my holiday to Morocco in October. 

2. I also took home another green number from Sue Ryder.  I love the tulip pattern that makes it stand out from the usual floral summer dresses.  The spaghetti straps and longer, flowy skirt makes it feel vintage, when it is actually from ASOS.  I also feel that this dress is more versatile, and I’ll get a lot more wear out of it than the other two.  As well as dressing it up with heels for a formal occasion, it would also look cute with trainers or Doc Martins for a fun Y2K, Lily Allen-esque look. 

3. Would you believe I picked up this mesh bodycon maxi dress for just one pound from the PDSA closing-down sale?  The peach and baby blue colour combination is gorgeous, but I just didn’t feel comfortable in it.  I’m not a fan of wearing skin-tight clothing and I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the wedding without constantly worrying that I’d look bloated. Expect to see it back in a charity shop soon, as it is a lovely dress, but it simply is not my style.