ASK THE EXPERT: Tea dress redress

Still milking last year's tea dress? Don't dunk it just yet, advises Kristin Knox

Are tea dresses out? If so, what is the more up-to-date equivalent? I love their girliness and they're perfect for spring. - Janice

Matchy-matchy dressing is out the window this season, and clashing—colours, prints, fabrics, the works—is oh so in. Dress shapes are either super tight thanks to the perfect PR storm created by the continual red carpet coupling of Beyonce and Herve Leger or long, asymmetrical and flowing.

Denim has also staged a saavy comeback...it would seem all signs point to naysay on the tea dress. That being said, governing your wardrobe by ins and outs is no way to truly experience fashion. And with this recession limiting the shopping prowess of even the most fad-obsessed fashionistas, no one will begrudge you a bit of trend defiance and styling creativity with your pre-existing wardrobe.

Florals and prints in general are everywhere this season, but the sweet girlishness exuded by the tea dress is just not quite edgy enough for the current vibe. So mix it up. Belt your floral frock and shrug on one of this season’s light wash denim jackets and stick on some flower pins for good measure (see current window display at Selfridges). Or take a cue from Luella’s SS09 show and pair with a coloured tweed blazer a la Chanel, buy a puffy slip to bounce up the skirt and finish off with bright pumps. Go for Sunday coffee with your girlfriends having layered over a soft chunky knit and slipped into slouchy boots.

My point is, while the tea dress itself may not be jumping off the top ten lists of most magazines at the moment, it’s a classic garment which is classic precisely because, though its floral flamboyance may not immediately suggest it, it is in fact very versatile. Besides, this is England after all...do tea and all its accoutrements ever really go out of style?

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