Striped Strap Dress

This is the dress that lives at the front of the wardrobe from May onwards. Belinda keeps the shape simple on purpose: slim straps over the shoulder, a clean neckline and a long, uninterrupted column of stripes that falls straight from the bust to the hem. There is no fuss, no complicated hardware and nothing that needs adjusting all day. You put it on, you look pulled together, and you get on with your morning.

The fabric is 100% polyester and it is slightly stretchy, which is the quiet reason a dress like this stays comfortable through a long lunch or a warm afternoon. The body is not lined, so it wears light and moves easily rather than clinging to a shape. It is a basic style in the best sense of that phrase, the kind of piece that does not date and does not fight with anything else you own. Three colours are available: black for something classic, green for a little more character, and sky blue for the soft, washed out summer version.

Length runs from 49.2 inches on a size S to 51.2 inches on a 2XL, so expect the hem to sit low and long rather than at the knee. That length is exactly what makes it feel elegant with flat sandals in the daytime and equally right with a heel and a gold cuff after dark. Throw a linen shirt over the top and knot it at the waist for a market morning, add a denim jacket when the sun drops, or wear it exactly as it comes with a straw bag and nothing else to think about. It packs down small too, which makes it a genuinely useful thing to have in a suitcase.

Why you will love it

• Material composition: 100% polyester
• Stretch: Slightly stretchy
• Body: Not lined
• Features: Basic style
• Slim shoulder straps and a long column silhouette
• Available in black, green and sky blue
• Sizes S through 2XL

Care

• Machine wash cold.
• Tumble dry low.