I do love a good floral, whether it’s delicate or oversized, pastel or bright, abstract or ultra real. People talk about what a cliché it is to wear florals for spring (Devil Wears Prada, anyone?) but I think it’s one of those things that’s a cliché because it really does work. There’s truth there. Florals look good on everyone and they make getting dressed in spring and summer feel as breezy and beautiful as the weather outside.

Saying all that, I love it when a floral is available which flouts the usual offerings in floral prints. It’s fun to find something that’s out of the norm, whether that’s because the design is a bit geometric and oversized or because it’s a flower you’ve never seen before, or because, like this Amber dress from Voodoo Vixen, it chooses to showcase an oft-overlooked colour on which to frame it’s floral print.

This bright yet unoffensive mid-blue isn’t used in clothing as often as I would expect it to be give how much people seem to lose their minds when I wear this kind of shade. Perhaps people just like how it contrasts with my pale skin and dark red hair, but they seem to show equal love for the colour itself, not merely how it wears on me, so I feel like it must be an underestimated colour in general. Regarding this dress in particular, I love that this blue combined with the white, yellow and pink flowers create a floral dress that is summery, airy and fun all without being overpowering. If you wanted to load up on brights you could easily accessorise with reds, yellows or even lime to make this dress POP, but alone it’s a floral that isn’t softly spoken nor shouty, a solid middle-ground kind of print that’s interesting and beautiful.

Dress: Amber Electric Blue Floral dress C/O Voodoo Vixen
Hair Flower: Felicity Orchid Double by Daisy Jean Florals
Necklace: Primark
Wedges: Old season F&F at Tesco
Bangles: Dark Woven Bamboo bangle by Splendette + thrifted wooden bangles

The Amber dress is made from an unlined fine polyester fabric, making it a perfect floaty summer dress for hot or humid days that have you staring down the clothes in your wardrobe trying to figure out what outfit will make you suffer least. The skirt is flared but not a full circle, so it gives you that breezy feeling of not having folds and folds of fabric surrounding your legs. However, it does still accommodate a slim volume petticoat if you want just a little bit of skirt lift, as I’ve worn in pictures above, so it’s a best of both worlds offering for a sun dress.

The deep V neck is a faux wrap style giving a flattering glimpse of décolletage, though the cross-over bust isn’t fixed down so if you have issues with gaping you might want to add a small stitch to secure it. The shoulders feature pleating and the sleeves are a sweet little tulip style, crossing over one another at the top of your arm. The dresses closes with an invisible back zip and the waistband is pleasingly defined.

The unusual colour combination of the floral fabric aside, what I most love about this dress is how versatile it is. As much as I adore vintage style fashion (clearly,) I own a great many dresses that just don’t feel right when I wear them unless I am fully made up with vintage hair and makeup to finish off the look. With this dress, while I can add a red lip and a sculptured vintage coif if I want, it’s nice to know that on days when I don’t have the time or motivation to get pinned up I can easily wear this dress in a modern fashion without it seeming out of place. Loose waves, a side plait or a bun would all look pretty paired with sandals and minimal makeup for an easy, completed look wearing this dress. I can feel self-conscious wearing ‘normal’ clothes in public, but in this dress I’ll just feel like a girl in a pretty summer dress, end of, and that’s a nice reassurance to have hanging in my closet.

In terms of fit and sizing, I chose my usual Voodoo Vixen XL in this dress and it fits true to size. It flat measures 32 inches in the waist with enough give to stretch to 34 inches, lining up with the 33 inch waist listed for XL on the size chart. The bust measures 40-45 inches, so if your bust is larger than that expect a very boobalicious situation to happen with the deep V-neck. The skirt is 27 inches long and unlined, a floaty, sweet affair I intend to rock sans petticoat or tights on the hottest of days…should this summer be so kind.

The Amber Electric Blue Floral Dress comes in sizes S-XL for £45 but my discount code Vintage20 still works until March 17th to get you 20% off your order at Voodoovixen.co.uk.