We’re all going ladylike!

Finally - outfits to make our mum proud.

As much of the country continues to swelter in the current wave of humidity, it may well not be sunny enough to don a vest top and shorts but we still need to pay homage to the dubious British summer and dress in something light and pretty.

Welcome to the tea dress, ladies.

Worn short or long the tea dress is ideal for those afternoon soirees at The Ritz or a dance at Raffles in Singapore (ok let’s be realistic, it’s great for everything except possibly the rough and tumble of the summer festivals).

Plain or floral and available in a multitude of colours, the tea dress will flatter most figures.

Here’s Anne Hathaway looking all prim and proper recently, accessorising a very plain yet pretty dress with a narrow belt,oversized sunnies, fedora, bangles and a beach bag.

Now, although high street stores cottoned on pretty quickly to this trend and there are lots of these pieces about, you should by now be familiar with my motto – “Go Vintage!”

Going vintage means you’re not only setting your own style, but you’re far less likely to end up sitting next to someone wearing exactly the same dress in a restaurant. There’s something very exciting and unique about finding and picking out an outfit that only you or even a handful of other people will ever have – similar to owning a designer dress.

So, with that in mind, I’m going to give you a sneaky peak at one of my other favourite vintage online stores – “Vivien of Holloway”.

An absolute treasure trove of ‘50s dresses, blouses, shorts andaccessories, this particular dress caught my eye.

This beautiful tea dress in black with white polka dots is ideally cut, showing you can be ultra-feminine without having to squeeze yourself into a skin tight outfit or show off too much flesh. Keep ‘em guessing was the motto of the fifties woman, and I reckon they had a good point.

At only £59, we think this is superb value for a limited edition piece.

And of course, if we’re talking style, what outfit would be complete without a pair of gorgeous sunnies? Take a look at a few currently on offer in the Seasonsonline £2 sunglasses sale: