You guys all know by now: I’m kind of into gingham. My collection is forever growing and it just so happens that Collectif’s current Spring/Summer season is nothing less than abundant with gingham. There are playsuits, shorts, tops, swing dresses, cropped trousers and wiggle dresses all in gingham of varying shades. The mint pieces, one of my favourite colours, were my predictable favourite. So enter the Pamela doll dress, a mint gingham confection of sugary summer sweetness.

Dress: Pamela Gingham Doll Dress C/O Collectif
Belt: From the Marnie dress by Tatyana
Shoes: Red Espadrilles by F&F at Tesco
Necklace: Similar

The Pamela dress has a deep V neck faux cross-over bust, akin to that of a wrap dress, and a wide waistband leading into a flared skirt. The skirt can fit a petticoat of slim to medium volume and the dress closes with a back zip. The bust is lined and the plunge of the neckline is quite deep, making it fairly booby, but ladies who prefer a more conservative bust can easily layer a camisole underneath for more coverage. The material of the dress has a good amount of stretch so it’s really comfortable to wear for a full day, and it’s also machine washable, which is always a pleasant relief with vintage style clothing as so much of it is dry-clean only.

I got this dress in a size 16/XL. It flat measures at 33 inches in the waist so it is true to size, but there’s enough stretch that I could flat stretch the waist to 36.5 inches, so don’t stress yourself about needing to size up if your waist is nearer to 36 inches than the listed 34inches for this size 16. If you like a really snug fit you can size down in this dress, but because the material is stretchy ordering your true size won’t make it loose, just comfortable. The skirt measures 25.5inches long, so it’s a standard vintage style length.

Overall I find this dress to be as comfortable as it is cute, and it’s a perfect piece to throw on for all your summer exploits, whether that be a fun day exploring a new city or an afternoon spent lounging in your local pub’s beer garden with your friends.

The Pamela gingham doll dress costs £42.50 and comes in UK sizes 6-22; if your size is currently out of stock, don’t panic, you can waitlist to be sent an email notification when your size is restocked. Collectif offer international shipping and have stockists of their designs all over the world.