Let me start this by saying I am a big fan of a dress. Adore them. I could spend hours scrolling through different iterations, and making a Pinterest board of pretty dresses is my favourite thing to do on my commute to work.
In fact, I love them so much that if I were a celebrity, I'd choose 'extremely fun dresses' as my specialist topic on Micheal McIntyre's The Wheel.
I love flirty mini-dresses, man-repelling smocks, ankle-grazing evening gowns and anything with a mighty puff sleeve. I love mood-boosting dresses adorned in sequins! Hemmed with feathers! A thigh-high split to rival that Versace gown Angelina Jolie wore at The Oscars 2012!
Yes, I love a fun dress. But shall I tell you what I love more? A versatile dress. A dress that I could wear to the office, but also wear to drinks afterwards. Something that ensures I look like I read an ample selection of fashion magazines, but also something that requires minimal effort in the morning.
Reader, I don't want to sound dramatic, but I think I have found The One - and it's currently in the ASOS sale.
Introducing ASOS Design's Drop Shoulder Poplin Skirt Midi Dress which is currently on sale for £27.50.
The dress (like all dresses) is a fully formed outfit in one but looks to the untrained eye as though it's two. It features a high-neck racer top with an asymmetric sleeve (a trend! Get your bingo cards ready) a swishy white maxi skirt (a trend!) and a very wearable drop waist (another trend!)
The drop waist trend has previously kept me up at night (read: proud owner of very generous hips) but this dress is surprisingly flattering thanks to the slimming black top half. White maxi skirts are also a huge trend for this summer; I love how they feel feminine while being extremely breezy and comfortable. I also love how you could easily throw on a knit or cardigan with this for so many different looks.
www.asos.com
The dress looks expensive despite its very affordable price (hello, old money aesthetic) and it is smart* enough to wear to the office without getting some raised eyebrows from Karen in accounts. (*I assume it is, but at heat HQ, as our editor Georgina Terry pointed out, you could wear a clown outfit to work and no one would bat an eyelid.)
A dress that encompasses approximately 500 trends at once? I'm in.
I wear a size 10, which is my usual size, and I'm 5'6 feet all, though the top half is stretchy enough that I could have easily gone for a size 8. I've paired the dress with Mango's viral white mesh ballet flats, but it would also look glorious with trainers and kitten heels.
Basically this is the best dress I've bought all summer and I'm telling all my friends to buy it.
Aimee Jakes is the trending content editor for heat. As well as mainly writing about skincare launches, high-street fashion and gym bag essentials, she also interviews celebs about their wellness routines for heat's Self-Care Sunday.