I Thought My Friend's Summer Dresses Were Designer—Actually, She Relies On These 3 High Street Brands
I searched for the most elegant high street dresses. Zara, Nobody's Child, and J.Crew hit the brief.
As we enter our latest heatwave, only one thing is on my mind: dresses. Over the past few sweltering months, this wardrobe staple has been a saving grace on bright days, seeing me through work meetings, weekend plans and evening catch-ups with ease, and that keyword of ease is set to be my mantra for the rest of August. Looking ahead to the rest of the summer days, I plan to fully embrace the relaxed mood of the season and, in turn, rely on one-and-done dresses to do the heavy lifting.
Whilst chatting to one of my most stylish friends, she told me that the elegant dresses in her summer wardrobe that I'd always assumed were designer were actually affordable styles from three high street brands. Now, 9 standout dresses fill my wish list, and they're all expensive-looking styles from Zara, Nobody's Child and J.Crew.
Florrie wears the Zara Combined Midi Dress (£36)
Whilst I spent a long time searching through various high street brands' dress collections, the three standouts were Zara, Nobody's Child and J. Crew. Zara has a way of tapping into every current trend as soon as they rise in popularity, whilst seamlessly blending timeless details to keep each piece feeling relevant in our wardrobes for years after. Along with sleek tailoring and polished accessories, Nobody's Child is known for its dresses, ranging from intricate patterns to minimalist refinement, and personally I think this season's collection is the strongest to date. Finally, I was influenced by a friend to explore J.Crew's new-in section as I was convinced her new dress had to be a designer purchase. In fact, it's a much more affordable option from J.Crew with all the intricate lace detailing and quality cotton, but at a much more reasonable price point.
As the best high street pieces tend to do, these breezy dresses are already selling fast. Scroll on to shop the standout dresses from Zara, Nobody's Child and J.Crew, and shop more high street dresses we adore right now.
9 Best Zara, Nobody's Child and J. Crew Dresses
I tried on this classic yet contemporary Zara dress above.
If you told me this was a designer buy, I'd believe you.
A new-in Zara style already selling fast.
The kind of dress that you can dress up or down for all occasions.
Currently at the top of my wish list.
A pretty style to rely on every single year.
Soft ruching, a drop waist silhouette and enduring brown shade? Yes, please.
The chicest denim dress I've seen in a while.
This pattern style has become a cult buy this summer.
Shop More High Street Dresses We Adore
The silhouette of this dress is so elegant.
Most of my summer wardrobe is made up of pretty Broderie anglaise dresses.
Trust me, this polka dot dress is going to fly.
A simple mini dress will work hard every year.
I plan to copy and paste this entire look.
I haven't stopped thinking about this floaty mini dress.
Simple yet so effective.
Currently selling fast (it's easy to see why).
A new addition to my summer workwear wardrobe.
I've spotted so many stylish people wearing this exact high street dress.
Just add sandals and a basket bag.
