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The humble house dress is making a comeback, but its roots go further than you may think
When I say the words ‘house dress’, you may picture the equivalent of a house coat or house shoes — cosy, probably in some sort of fleece material, and with absolutely no semblance of style whatsoever. But the humble house dress does not have to be so beige — when it’s all you can wear, there are plenty of ways to jazz it up.
Some of you may not even be familiar with the idea of a house dress, so let me enlighten you. A house dress is a type of simple, easy-to-wear dress that is to be worn around the house or to do quick errands (does what it says on the tin, you might say). The idea of a house dress originated in the 19th century, designed for housewives who needed maximum accessibility and practicality in their wardrobes, but were still expected to maintain a certain standard of style.
Nowadays, there are no expectations on your personal style except the ones you enforce yourself — and when you’re just dressing for you, anything and everything goes. However, in the current Covid-19 climate, house dresses are enjoying a revival — daily tracksuit bottoms and the same t-shirt can drag your mood down surprisingly quickly, and making the (very slight) effort to put on a dress (large, billowing and comfortable, preferably) can bring it back up equally fast.
Interested in updating your wardrobe for your new normal schedule? House dresses await.
Voluminous puff sleeve midi dress, €99 from & Other Stories
Anouki open-back pleated cotton shirt dress, €593 available from Farfetch
Embroidered dress, now €39.99 from Zara
Printed tiered chuck-on midi dress with matching scrunchie, now €26 from Topshop
ASOS DESIGN maxi dress with puff sleeves in satin astrological print, now €42.44 from ASOS
Saks Potts polka dot print maxi dress, €498 available from Farfetch
Printed poplin dress, now €19.99 from Zara
Fresh floral print midi dress, €38 from Topshop
ASOS DESIGN high neck organza check midi dress, €40.44 from ASOS
Alessandra Rich belted floral-print dress, €1095 from Farfetch
Poplin dress with voluminous sleeves, €29.99 from Zara
Green drop hem pinafore dress by Topshop Boutique, €117 from Topshop
ASOS WHITE check u-neck midi dress, now €52.54 from ASOS
Ganni floral print shirt dress, €206 available from Farfetch
Rustic printed dress, now €29.99 from Zara