The Best Vintage Dresses for this Summer

Dresses are proving to be the most popular piece in our summer wardrobes this year and even before we've even seen the best of British sun, the little summer dress is taking centre stage on both the catwalk and the high street. 

Already filling up our Instagram feeds are celebrities, fashion bloggers, Instagram influencers and friends showing off their new summer dresses. Regardless of your usual style - whether that be girly, tomboy or glam rock, this year's summer dresses are proving their versatility for all styles, shapes and sizes. 

Whether you're looking for a floral tea dress to wear for lunch, a brightly patterned one to head to a festival in, or a subtle and practical dress to wear with trainers and head into town for a long day of shopping, this year's summer dress styles can give it all. 

Here at Messina Hembry, we have a big selection of vintage summer dresses that are ready to live out your summer with you, whichever way you choose to wear them. So without further ado, here are some of our favourites:

The Long Sleeved Floral

So whilst we're waiting for the height of the British summer to kick in, bare legs and bare arms can be a little risky during the Spring months. This beautiful floral vintage Joules dress is brilliant for when you're not sure if the sun is coming or going. What we really love about this dress is the selection of bright and vibrant colours that allow you to wear multiple different coloured accessories to make it look different each time you wear it. Match with magenta, turquoise, pale blue or mustard yellow and trick people into thinking you're wearing a different dress every time...

Hawaiian Dream

Although the days of sunshine in Britain are numbered, that doesn't mean you shouldn't invest in a brightly patterned, strappy dress. We recommend this gorgeous vintage Hollister dress for your holiday abroad.. Think the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, Hawaii Central America, Africa, the Pacific... We love the colours and timeless cut of this designer vintage piece and hope that you do too.

Butterfly Paradise

We love this simple and practical vintage Fat Face dress due to its versatility. This piece can be matched with Converse and Vans or sandals and pumps depending on your style or mood, meaning that it can be worn to the park in the afternoon and a BBQ in the evening. It's neutral base colour also makes it easy to wear with almost any coloured accessory and with every complexion.


Timeless Topshop

We don't often consider Topshop pieces to be particularly timeless, but this lovely little vintage Topshop dress has really done it for us. A flattering style with unique patterning makes this dress suitable for a variety of different styles from boho chic to tomboy and can be moulded to suit a number of style preferences by choice of footwear, jewellery and outerwear. We would personally recommend this being paired with white trainers or Converse, a little bomber jacket and hoop earrings although can totally see it with sandals and a cardigan too!


Pretty in Pink

Here we have a stunning vintage Jack Wills dress that is perfect for the girly girls amongst us. This drop-waist floral dress is designed with comfort and beauty in mind and is ideal for numerous different occasions you'll come across this summer. We envision this floral phenomenon with chunky sandals and a choker to create an edgy yet girly look that you can wear no matter where you're headed this summer.

The Pin Up Girl

This stunning 50s style vintage Lorcan Mullany dress is a unique find. Designed for the pin up girl or polkadot lover, this beautiful oversized bow design will turn heads this summer. Ideal for afternoon tea, BBQs and romantic evenings out, we would love to see this matched with a pair of heels and red lippy to create the full vintage effect.

So there we have it, a selection of some of our favourite vintage dresses for this season. We have a large collection of vintage dresses suitable for all seasons and all styles so if you haven't seen something that tickles your fancy here, please browse all of our other designer vintage dresses until you find something that does!