4.5 ★Earthy OrangeVelvet maxi dress
The catalogue flagship: a short-sleeve V-neck velvet maxi carried in seven colourways.
Fabric: Velvet

$34.19
Check price & buyPlainest thing on the shelf, and that is the intention. Black, sleeveless, knee length, fitted through the body and flared below, with nothing printed or embroidered anywhere on it. The maker's claims are about behaviour rather than looks: stretchy, resistant to creasing, breathable, non-sheer, and able to hold its shape through a working day without bunching at the waist. Few reviews so far, though the scores sit at the top of this group.
In stock at our retail partner at the last catalogue check.
Creases are the problem with a dress worn eight hours in a chair. The maker says the fabric resists wrinkling and keeps its shape without bunching, which is the difference between a dress that looks the same at six as it did at nine.
The fabric is described as breathable and not see-through on its own. No lining is mentioned anywhere, which keeps the weight down and makes black the sensible colour to have built the thing in.
Close through the bodice and waist, then released into a flare at the skirt. Bare shoulders leave it open to a blazer or cardigan, which is how a knee-length black dress ends up on office duty and church duty in the same week.
Standard sizing, with the maker asking buyers to use the chart on the product page rather than a generic one, and to order a size up for a looser fit. Stretch in the fabric absorbs small differences. The hem falls at the knee and no closures are described.
4.5 ★Earthy OrangeThe catalogue flagship: a short-sleeve V-neck velvet maxi carried in seven colourways.
Fabric: Velvet
4.3 ★Lake BlueLined chiffon with a fully smocked top and flutter sleeves, in lake blue, pink and a navy leaf print.
Fabric: Chiffon
4.2 ★Navy Blue 2Polyester chiffon in a vintage floral, with flutter sleeves and a smocked waist, cut to long midi.
Fabric: Chiffon
4.4 ★Navy FloralNavy, dusty blue or a yellow and dark green print, with a smocked waist, puff sleeves and pockets.