When it comes to going-out dresses, I’m a simple creature: I like them short and tight. I am very far from thinking that women can only look sexy in clingy and revealing things, but I also see no shame in wanting to get one’s legs (or whatever your equivalent is) out now and again*. And if I’m going to get my legs out, I am going to get them OUT.

The joy of shopping for a party dress is that often, the best ones can be found for relatively little money – at least if your taste runs to the short and tight. I have written about cheap dresses before and I still believe this is not a category where you need to invest big. All power to you if you want to, but most of us don’t go out that often and the risk of ruining the dress with red wine, vigorous dancing or other potentially embarrassing activities is relatively high.

This particular number is from River Island, a place I don’t visit often and I buy things there even more rarely. It was a completely random find a day before the shoot – originally, I planned to cover only everyday wear**. As soon as I saw this on the hanger, though, I knew it was worth trying on. It ticks all my party dress boxes: I have mentioned short and tight already, but it also has a strong fashion element (the ruffle!) and enough structure to be flattering on a body no longer 19.

I know I talk increasingly about how important it is to plan one’s purchases, to avoid hasty decisions and over-buying. I must be honest, however, and admit that I get a ridiculous amount of pleasure from these occasions where I find something perfect in an unlikely situation and go for it on the spot. In shopping, as in life, one needs a plan, but one also needs to take risks and be ready to improvise. Good things often come to people who do.

Do you have a go-to party silhouette or formula?

*I am aware that there are people out there who think this is not age-appropriate. While I am certainly not free from worrying about what other people think of me, this particular issue really doesn’t bother me. As long as I meet my own aesthetic standards, I am not going to care. It’s extremely likely that people who have the word ‘age-appropriate’ in their vocabulary really aren’t my people at all.
**Wearing this to work would be too much even for me.

Dress by River Island, shoes by Zara. Images Getter Kuusmaa, MUAH Erle Taklai.