Every so often, there comes along a dress with such universal appeal that it is a guaranteed success. You know the type—styles that spawn Instagram accounts, waiting lists and people stopping you in the street to ask, “Excuse me. Where is that dress from?” I’m pleased to tell you not only have I found that dress but also it’s an affordable hidden gem from COS.
I love minimalist dresses in bold colours, so COS is often my go-to. At Who What Wear, we’re all in agreement that whether it’s a statement sleeve, a subtle detail or simply a great cut, the brand always manages to get its dress silhouettes right, and the current collection is no exception. It was on one of my regular trips to the store to find the next It dress that I came across a distinctive shade of orange that immediately caught my eye, and so I found the dress. Not quite bright orange and distinctly darker than yellow (I’m going to call it clementine for now), the slightly A-line midi is made in a pleasingly sculpting stretch cotton with a ruched side detail to emphasise the waist. So far, so good.
The real test came from wearing it for the first time to the office in my first week as shopping editor at Who What Wear, where it proved an across-the-board hit with all of our editors—petite, tall, bright-colour skeptics and all, which is a testament to its broad appeal.
And although we haven’t seen it everywhere just yet, I have a feeling I may be letting one of the best-kept secrets out of the bag in sharing this number because once COS pieces sell out, we’re on tenterhooks waiting for them to come back in.
A quick aside for those of you unsure about pulling off the colour (although, I assure you it works on just about everyone): It also comes in powder blue and black, so if you prefer soft pastels or a classic monochrome, you’re covered.
At the moment, I’m wearing it with chunky Birkenstock sandals and a crossbody bag for casual weekends (the best-selling COS bag is perfect for this) or dressing it up with pointy shoes for more formal occasions. In fact, it even works with platform sandals for dinner, which goes to prove its real selling point is its versatility.
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