My 3 Fave Affordable On-Trend Summer Dresses

I don't know about you but when the weather is lovely and sunny I tend to just live in pretty summer dresses. With so many beautiful styles of dresses trending at the moment I decided to pick my favourite 3 that I own and show you how I style and wear them. I've included the word 'affordable' in the title of this post because I wanted to make the point that you honestly don't have to spend a lot of money to keep up-to-date with the fashion trends...none of these dresses that I own cost more than £14! Fab right?!

#1: The Wrap Dress

In the 70's, Belgian designer, Diane Von Furstenburg, designed the masterpiece that is the wrap dress! Featuring a V-neckline, A-line skirt and tie waist, the wrap dress has managed to do what most other garments can't; suit every body type! For this, Diane is a genius!

The tie waist is extremely flattering as it cinches in the waist and accentuates even the smallest of curves whilst the A-line skirt gives a slimming effect by gracefully falling over the hips. Altogether with the V-neckline, which highlights the bust, this style of dress really does create the loveliest feminine figure. How amazing is it that these 3 simple components, when matched together, create the perfect combination for any body type?! I just think it's so simple yet incredibly clever! 

If I'm being honest, the wrap dress has probably been my favourite style of dress to wear this Summer. I'm particularly in love with this blue floral midi that I got for just £13 in Primark! When people ask where I got it from they're always so shocked to hear that it's from Primark...I reckon it's because it really is lovely quality and quite similar to dresses that can be found from slightly more up-market brands like these from Boden, French Connection and Free People.

I love pairing this dress with my beat-up Converse to create the perfect laid-back girly look for during the day, however if I wanted to dress this up a little more, I would definitely wear a pair of heeled sandals along with a more statement necklace - so versatile and easy! 

#2: The Bardot Dress

Bardot style clothing, or 'off-the-shoulder' clothing as it is sometimes referred to, came to be in the 50's and 60's and has since been re-invented and recreated over the years making it quite a hot trend for the summertime. 

I love bardot style anything and everything to be honest and I actually think that there's something quite flattering about showing off a bit of collar bone and shoulder? Is that weird? Like are those weird parts of the body to find attractive? Haha I'm cringing at myself for saying that but I'm just being honest. 

I think it's because I'm not one to necessarily wear revealing tops or short skirts, so sometimes when I do wanna show off a wee peek of skin the shoulder is a comfortable option for me haha. 

This particular bardot dress of mine is one that I purchased about a month ago from H&M. I had been eyeing it up for quite a while but never went through with purchasing it as it was marked at £19.99 which yes, I know really isn't that pricey for a cute summer dress however, I was being strict with myself and trying to save my money. A few weeks down the line I happen to pass H&M on my way home from work and what do I see? Big red 'Sale' signs right above my yellow dress! In the end I got it for £9 which I didn't think was half bad.

To complete this outfit I added my classy yet understated black tassle earrings from Primark along with my trusty crochet espadrille wedges. My top tip for dressing up bardot style tops and dresses is to definitely tie back your hair - I particulary like the look of a side bun as it gives quite an elegant Spanish feel. Anyone fancy going out dancing? 

#3 The Button-Through Midi Dress

If you read my post about my 'Jumpsuit of Dreams' then you will know how much I am loving the tortoiseshell button trend at the moment! All you need to do is take a wee trip out shopping this Summer and you'll see that these delightfully sophisticated buttons adorn pretty much every item of clothing imaginable giving even the more affordable pieces the illusion of a higher price tag. 

My particular dress of choice with this pretty button decor is this gorgeous pink floral midi from ebay! Again, I was being savvy and instead of paying the full price for a dress in somewhere like Zara or Topshop I opted for a more affordable dupe and actually ended up only paying £7.99. Considering it's from ebay the quality and the fit is actually fab! No complaints from me! Oh...and the best part? It has pockets!! What more could you want?

The midi length of this dress gives it quite a dainty vintage feel but to make it slightly more modern I styled it with my tan lace-up heeled sandals along with some simple rose gold jewellery. If I really wanted to play up the 50's vibe however, then I would definitely add my converse once again for that easy breezy casual look. 

What has been your favourite Summer trend this year?

- S xo