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

$17.99
Check price & buyOffice-first, and the detailing shows it: a round neck, a fitted bodice with decorative buttons down the front, a defined waist, and an A-line skirt with pockets in the side seams. A back zip handles getting in and out. The maker produces the pattern in seven colours and royal blue is the one carried here, a brighter choice than the navy and black most work dresses default to. The fabric is light, slightly stretchy and described as non-see-through.
In stock at our retail partner at the last catalogue check.
Side-seam pockets on a dress meant for meetings and interviews, where the alternative is holding a phone and a lanyard in one hand all morning. They sit in the skirt seams, so the A-line hides them when they are empty.
The buttons down the bodice are decorative; the actual fastening is a zip at the back. That keeps the front line unbroken and means getting dressed does not involve working through a row of buttonholes before a meeting.
Seven colours exist in the maker's range and this listing carries royal blue. It is the one that does not vanish into a meeting room, which counts for something on a dress otherwise built to be unremarkable.
The bodice is fitted to a defined waist and the skirt flares from there, leaving room through hip and thigh. A back zip is the closure. The fabric is light with a little stretch and a smooth drape, and the maker calls it breathable and not see-through.
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.