I Tried On The M&S Dress Everyone’s Searching for Right Now

Now that the scorching heatwave has quelled into something more tranquil, I’m finally looking to build out my repertoire of elegant summer dresses. Though you’d think the last few weeks have been the perfect opportunity to invest in this category, when faced with scorching temperatures, the last thing I’ve been contemplating is whether a piece is worth the investment.

Since things have settled down a bit climate-wise, I’m ready to take this pursuit seriously, turning my attention to the dreamy cuts and balmy silhouettes I can slip into all season long. Naturally, my interest was piqued when I stumbled upon this M&S polka-dot slip dress.

An image of Who What Wear UK fashion writer, Ava Gilchrist, wearing the viral M&S polka-dot lace-trim slip dress. She is a size M and wears it in a size 10. — *Who What Wear UK fashion writer Ava Gilchrist wears the M&S* *Polka Dot Lace Detail Mini Slip Dress* *(£45).* (Image credit: @avahgilchrist)

At under £50, it incorporates some of the biggest trends of the moment, from the spotted print to the boudoir-approved shape and lace-trim detail. However, when I discovered that over 5000 people were also searching for the style, I knew I had to act quickly to make it mine. You see, M&S is the place I turn to most to stock up on the essentials, whether a crisp white T-shirt or a pair of functional ballet flats. (And that’s not even mentioning the pantry essentials and homewares I buy from there, too.) The price points are incredibly appealing, but I never feel like I sacrifice quality or design. This is exactly how I felt slipping into this delicate mini.

The construction of the garment is far more luxurious than the cost would suggest. Made of a sheer fabric that’s cut to create a handkerchief effect along the hemline, it’s finished with tight stitching and slip underlay that provides plenty of coverage, whilst still feeling feminine and flirty. It’s also true to size, though I will caveat that there are plenty of sizes and lengths to choose from, meaning it’s also one of the more inclusive pieces on the market. For context, I’m typically a size medium in dresses, and I took the size UK 10 in the regular cut.

What I love most about it, though, is that despite how detailed and romantic it looks, it’s actually quite a versatile piece. The polka dots and lace trim do a lot of the heavy lifting for me in ensuring I look put-together, so I simply have to throw on a pair of kitten-heel flip-flops and let my hair down for a more soiree setting or team it with minimal sandals for daytime activities.

Still, as these design motifs are quite timeless, I don’t doubt that I’ll be reaching for them when we’re far into September and picking them up again when we head back into spring. Elegant, effortless and easy to style, scroll on to shop the dress for yourself, plus see the other pretty M&S summer dresses that earned my attention, too.