I tried on the best John Lewis summer dresses, and they're now on sale
Hurry, it's your last chance to get your hands on one of these versatile midis.
With temperatures rising, it's time to start thinking about your new season wardrobe and I’ve got a few style tips to share. Firstly, if you're after a new midi or maxi dress to see you through the warmer months, whether that's an easy to throw-on everyday number, or one fit for a special occasion, John Lewis's new range of own-branded dresses are well worth checking out. Not only are they feminine, flattering, comfortable and breathable, but they're also surprisingly affordable, too.
John Lewis Pleated Midi Dress, Blue Mirage
£40£79Save £39John Lewis Spot Print Linen Blend Dress
£45£75Save £30John Lewis Palm Leaf Dress
£59John Lewis Balloon Sleeve Floral Print Cotton Dress, Bamboo Palm
£33£65Save £32John Lewis Linen Blend V-Neck Dress, Smoke Pine
£41£69Save £28
Merging practicality and function with effortless style, I tried and tested five John Lewis dresses that caught my eye to find out why they're flying off the shelves.
The high street store has a huge selection of options, from flowy linen silhouettes, to bright and bold prints. John Lewis is definitely one of my favourite retailers for frocks this season, particularly due to the fact that plenty have pockets (which we all know, is an added bonus!).
Unlike other clothes shops I favour, such as Zara and River Island, I also find John Lewis dress sizing to be a lot more accurate that most. I’m normally a 10 and these dresses, bar one, fitted perfectly. Plus their size range is very inclusive, going from 8 up to 20.
And the good news is, you don’t have to have deep pockets to buy these dresses as they all usually retail for under £100. However, currently most of them have been reduced even further in John Lewis's summer sale. Don’t hang around long though, as they're selling out fast.
👗 Tried & Tested: John Lewis Pleated Midi Dress, Blue Mirage
In one word: WOW! This pleated midi dress is one of the nicest dresses I have worn in some time and it made me feel very elegant.
It also looks and feels way more expensive than it's, due to the intricate pleat detailing that helps to add dimension to the dress. I wore it to a friend’s 50th birthday party and got so many compliments. The dusty blue colour is gorgeous and makes my blue eyes pop.
Although I don't often wear dresses with no defined shape, the way this material hangs and outlines the curves of your body is actually very flattering. I also absolutely love the balloon sleeves, as I am very conscious of my upper arm batwings, which often show through in some clothes.
What’s more, the sustainability-factor of the dress is another huge bonus, as it's made from 100% recycled polyester, helping to reduce single-use plastics from ending up in landfills.
Featuring full-length sleeves and elegant pleated detailing this dress is versatile and super flattering.
👗 Tried & Tested: Spot Print Linen Blend Dress
This A-line midi spot print dress should definitely be a staple piece in your wardrobe for spring and summer. I’m actually not usually a fan of polka dot designs, but this totally won me over.
Linen is also not my usual go-to when it comes to dress fabrics because I find it often creases, but this dress, to my surprise, was low-maintenance. Even when washed, it only needed a quick iron.
The fabric felt super lightweight and comfortable and I loved the length of the dress, which hit just above my ankles with a nice flare. Often dresses with no definition at the waist can look like a sack on me, but this was totally flattering and a real winner in my eyes.
I wore it out for a weekend walk, paired with trainers, and it felt so gorgeous on. I particularly liked the open neckline and sleeves that have buttoned cuff detail, a nice luxury touch. I know this is a dress I will wear time and time again when the weather really heats up.
This linen blend dress is a classic midi length and has a contemporary twist thanks to its modern spot print.
👗 Tried & Tested: John Lewis Palm Leaf Dress
This sleeveless dress makes an excellent transitional piece, worn alone or with a jacket on top. The pattern is incredibly flattering, with the diagonal design of the leaves creating an illusion of length that elongated my body. This clever design also draws attention away from areas like the tummy, which is my main problem area.
I love the versatility of this A-line dress with its all-over leaf print, I wore it both with white trainers and dressed up with heels and felt extremely comfortable in it.
Although it's described as a midi dress, at 5ft 3 inches, I found it actually hit my ankles. The cotton-blend material gave it a breathable feel and I particularly liked the neckline, which lay flat and helped the dress hang on my body perfectly, cinching in a bit at the waist.
This A-line dress is made from a cotton-blend that is super light and breathable.
👗 Tried & Tested: Balloon Sleeve Floral Print Cotton Dress, Bamboo Palm
This A-line cotton midi dress has a beautiful watercolour tropical print and is the perfect transitional dress for spring. I love the low V-neck and balloon sleeves, both of which give it a fresh and summery feel.
The only aspect I wasn't fond of was the self-tie belt, which I was conscious made my stomach look a bit large from the side due to the flare of the skirt. My suggestion would be to opt for a regular belt instead for a more flattering fit.
The material did swamp me a tiny bit, so I would also suggest you size down in this one. I am a huge fan of dresses with pockets and this has them sewn in at the sides. In terms of length, it was more like a maxi dress on me. While I paired it with sandals, a brown pair of heeled boots would be the ideal footwear to elevate it throughout the year.
This statement dress features striking balloon-sleeves and self-tie belted waist.
👗 Tried & Tested: Linen Blend V-Neck Dress, Smoke Pine
As a shorter woman with curves, this type of smock dress doesn't usually do anything for me. However, I surprisingly loved this dress, as the fabric (55% linen, 45% viscose) is designed to have a fluid and flattering shape, so I liked the way it hung on my body.
For me, the best part of the dress is the colour, as the smoke pine green is quite different to other shades I have in my wardrobe and made a nice change.
This dress sat a bit above my ankle and has slits at both sides, which helped give it an airy feel. Again, I normally pass on linen garments due to their crease factor, but this material barely needed an iron after washing and the fabric was super comfortable.
And it has pockets! Large ones that gave the dress an extra cool vibe and meant I could go hands-free, putting my phone in my pocket when I went out.
If you are slightly bigger in the bust area you may find the top of the dress pulls, so I’d suggest you go up a size. I wore a size 10 and have a 34C bust and it did feel a tiny bit stretchy across the bra area but nothing too obvious or uncomfortable. This is a really easy go-to dress that is perfect for summer evenings or to chuck over a swimsuit on holiday.
Designed for hot sunny days, this linen blend dress has a fuss-free, loose fit ideal for keeping cool.
