Welcome to Who What Wear UK’s High-Street Week. Stay with us as our dedicated team uncovers the best that the world of affordable fashion has to offer. This is your edited guide to the essential intel behind S/S 18—don’t even consider shopping without us!
Em wearing a Reformation dress.
A dress is a big part of my everyday wardrobe. If I’m not in jeans, you’ll usually find me in a midi dress. It’s become a big part of my staple uniform and tends to work for my lifestyle. If I’m running around town for meetings and press appointments, I team it with trainers and a leather biker jacket; if I’m meeting girlfriends for cocktails, I pair it with boots and a blazer, and if I need a smarter outfit, I add heels.
The high street always seems to have a great selection of everything I look for in a dress. First, they’re often longer (but not so long that you’re soaking up puddles and getting caught in a maxi). Second, you’ll find lots of prints—from polka dots to florals, the high street has an array of stylish, easy-to-wear patterns. And, of course, affordability is the winning factor: As much as I swoon over Preen dresses (and I did get my hands on one in the sale once, which has proved to be the best buy ever), it’s not realistic for me to buy endless designer frocks.
Em’s favourite & Other Stories dress.
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The high street ticks all my boxes when I’m looking for a new dress to add to my collection. My current go-to stores have to be H&M and & Other Stories. Every season, they seem to create so many must-have dresses. My H&M polka dot from last year will make an appearance again this spring, and a classic black & Other Stories sleeveless wrap dress I’ve just found is the perfect dress to turn to in the height of summer. (I wore it so often last year that I invested in the A/W iteration with long sleeves.)
The H&M dress Em loved last year.
Wrap dresses are what I tend to wear during the colder months—and it just so happens that they’re everywhere right now. Thanks to their layering ability, I stay warm, wearing a roll-neck and tights under them or adding a chunky knit. Because of the waist-nipping, this is one dress style you can really experiment with and still feel like it’s flattering. Spring is my favourite season for dress-buying, and I have my eye on a few already… Read on to see and shop my must-have dress edit from the high street.
SHOP MY HIGH-STREET DRESS EDIT
This may have sold out in the regular version, but tall girls out there can still be happy.
Perfectly good to wear with black layers during the winter and then with bare skin come summertime.
Polka dots are everywhere right now.
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Best worn as modelled here with sneaks.
Fantastic for work.
Feeling bold? Skip the ditsy prints and head straight to this.
This dress + red shoes = a very sassy idea.
How chic does this look?
Also very handy for wedding season.
Related: Run, Don't Walk: These 24 High-Street Pieces Are About to Sell Out
If you aren’t into spots, stripes will tick the printed-dress box.
How pretty is this?
Whistles are running a quick 20% discount on dresses—get now or regret later.
A guaranteed compliment generator.
This would look cool over jeans.
See more of Em’s fashion adventures over on A Style Album.
