Our Favourite Beige A Line Dresses Right Now

For years, I treated beige like homework. Beige trousers, beige coats, beige coats lined with beige trousers, all filed neatly under “safe” in my brain and therefore worn begrudgingly. Then I wore a beige a line dress to lunch (that I nearly didn’t go to) and my coworker Priya looked me straight in the eye across the table and said “that’s doing more than you think it’s doing.” And you know what? She was right, so I am officially sorry I ever talked about beige like that and let me formally apologise to beige right now, in print.

The beauty of an a line is completely game changing. It cuts in at your natural waist (the place where you want it to), and then flares out and honestly doesn’t care anymore. Which means it handles lunches, handles the second glass of wine, handles sitting down in chairs with short seats without your thighs waging a war on the fabric. But then a beige one does something a brighter colour just can’t – it tones down the dress so your shape is doing all the talking, rather than your clothes.

They usually have some sort of structure at the shoulder or waist (collar?) to avoid looking like you robbed the hospital dressing rooms, which is not an exaggeration – I own the hospital gown dress and yes I will fight you about it.

On the subject of accessories, gold jewellery is mandatory. Full stop. Silver looks tired against beige. Throw on a tan/camel belt if it needs defining at the waist, opt for a structured bag over a slouchy one (literally any area where you can add structure is key), and honestly the best thing to wear with it is something that offers texture contrast rather than colour contrast. A chunky knit cardi, draped over the top with some folds, rather than a similar beige. Or a sharp blazer that doesn’t try to match.

Leather boots if it’s anything with a 9am meeting vibe. Kill the sandals the second you see a wine glass.

This is your christening outfit. It’s the work do that’s just been upgraded from your usual work do. It’s your lunch with someone you want to impress but not look like you tried too hard. It’s not the dress you wear when you want someone to remember you at the wedding, it’s the dress for every single other occasion. There are more of those days than the monumental ones, and that’s the point.