Women's Summer Dresses

‘Rain Rain Go Away’ – and it has! At least for this week. It’s going to be an absolute scorcher and as such you should plan to look scorching hot too! Ladies, it’s time to get out of your lockdown joggers and shine. Whether you are working from home, home-schooling your kidlets, on furlough and looking for your next activity or running around like a headless chicken holding all of the above together plus more (and clock-watching for 6pm booze o’clock), it is time to look glam as you do it in our ladies summer dresses! Trust me, you’ll feel a whole lot better if you do!

As luck would have it, to aid your mission, we have a fabulous selection of women’s summer dresses for you to choose from in our online clothing boutique (and if you are local to Stockbridge, Hampshire, you can pop in and see them in person). 

I often get asked where I find fashion-style, and how I choose what to stock in the shop. Well, I’ve been lucky enough to live abroad in the past and spent many a year by the sea in Greece, Turkey and the Caribbean. These days I try to get out of the UK as much as possible, not because I don’t love Blighty, but because I’m a happier person in the sun, I’m a Pisces/Aquarius cross so adore the sea, and I love the beach more! One of my best friends lives in Menorca and I love that little island and all it has to offer, including the fashion so try to spend time there each year browsing the shops in the quaint little towns of Fornells, Es Castell and of course Mahon. Taking inspiration from all my travels I am drawn to women’s clothing that has a boho beach vibe and have found my soul-mate brand in Miss June Paris. It’s not for everyone though and that’s why my gorgeous Mama and I make great partners;  she is drawn to comfy, cool, (hide the right bits), glam for the older lady, so between us we know we have a clothing boutique that offers something for most ladies. 

As I mentioned, my absolute favourite summer brand is Miss June. A Parisian design house, and beautifully made in India, their pieces are simply stunning and everyone that walks into our little shop on the high street ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ at their pretty patterns. I love that Miss June is a free-size brand and you’ll have to trust me when I say it is! Now, it won’t fit everyone, but we can certainly help guide you to a piece that you’ll look fabulous in. For smaller ladies, the dresses look stunning with a wide belt and for larger ladies they have pieces that cover the arms and flow freely. The only thing I’d mention when shopping for Miss June is that if you are a 5’5” lady like me (or smaller) you’ll need a good wedge for their full length dresses or hitch it up and run around the beach bare-foot after a couple of Pomadas, (of course I’ve never been seen doing this)!!

Judie’s pick for the season is Foil clothing, a modern fashion brand from New Zealand, who focus on comfort and fit throughout their designs. Their women’s summer dresses are shaped to flatter, and cleverly made to suit smaller or larger silhouettes with pieces you are able to dress up or down taking ladies seamlessly from day to night. The brand is sized and we stock from a 10 to an 18/20.

Other great women’s clothing brands include Pia Rossini, (who target ‘fashion savvy shoppers with a strong attitude and a sense of independence’ – that’s so us ladies), Elizabeth Hurley Beach for the more slender among us who like a bit of celebrity-style, Goose Island (another brilliant free-size brand for a more conservative, yet feminine look) and Happy Few by Terre Rouge, a women’s clothing brand from the south of France with a very riviera feel.

So, there’s no excuse. Just because we are still not able to truly get ‘out there,’ does not mean we can’t pop on our favourite Miss June dress or that stunning Tribe and Fable Kimono (which incidentally I wore to Waitrose the other day over denim shorts, vest top, pair of wedges and awesome ‘Pranella’ bag and racked up a whole 3 compliments) and be the sassy women we are!

We will help you look as hot as the weather. So, whether you are popping into our little clothing boutique in Stockbridge, Hampshire or shopping women’s summer dresses online through our new website we look forward to seeing you, in all your feminine glory – send us a pic to hello@opstockbridge.co.uk or tag us on Instagram @op_stockbridge for a feature on our profile!

Right, I’m off into Winchester to see how the shops are doing there and you know what – I’m going to dress-up for the occasion! Ladies – let’s shine brighter than the sun!

Tiggy x