Emerald is one of those magical colours that happens to sit in that select bracket of hue that registers as neutral against sun kissed skin, whether you’re pale-as-death or the colour of a Mauritian sunset, which is why it really pulls its weight when you’re away. Set against sand and sea and that particular bleachy light of a seaside evening, it regains depth rather than dullying, which means it will photograph well and actually look good in real life long after pastels have washed out the second the light goes horizontal. The colour does most of the heavy lifting when you’re picking your holiday dress but it still needs to have a good shape underneath it and when it comes to that, an A line is universally flattering on all body types with minimal effort: fitted or softly moulded through the bodice, then skimming out from the waist or just under the bust in a way that moves with your body, rather than sticks to it.
Fabric wise, that’s where the ones you love on holiday weekend split from the meh versions. Beach holiday dresses get battered with heat, salt air and way too much packing so you want something with a bit of integrity to it that can withstand the assault. Think linen blend, textured cotton or viscose with actual weight that will hold its shape and drape rather than clinging limply to your body by lunchtime. Keep anything too flyaway or stiff firmly on the shelf.
You want the skirt to move when you do but enough structure so the whole dress doesn’t require incessant readjusting.
Styling one of these is largely about letting the colour do the talking but a small handful of accessories never hurt anybody. Stick to materials instead of introducing other colours: raffia, tan leather, faded gold jewellery. Nothing too shiny.
Flat sandals or a tiny heel work better than anything too towering because, let’s face it, the skirt does all the heavy lifting when it comes to visuals. Throw on a pair of heeled sandals and a pile of gold jewellery for evening and you’ve got yourself an outfit that doesn’t change shape but merely evolves throughout the day.
Where to wear it: whilst I think this entire premise of ‘having to’ wear one dress all weekend falls down a touch as soon as you’re travelling with partners, children, friends or an embarrassing montage of two, if you are gifted the luxury of picking one dress to get you from Saturday to Sunday evening then this is the style. It’s all about the in between moments: that walk from villa to beach club, dinner on a terrace, that one photo everyone actually wants taking. Works just as well over your swimsuit as it does on its own which, let’s be real, is the real reason for buying it anyway: one versatile piece to take you from noon to night effortlessly.
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