I present to you the first Graham St dress of the season. It is by L.A. based brand April Meets October and as the name would imply, can be worn for most of the year. I would actually be so bold as to suggest that it could be worn all year round. It is made from a heavy cotton and it’s the weight of the fabric that dictates its trans-seasonal versatility.

A fine knit polo neck and a pair of tights is the perfect way to extend the life of your dress. If you were going to wear tights then I would choose a textured pair such as these in a colour that compliments the dress but is not too dark. Cream or chocolate brown would work well with a tan or brown loafer (these are lovely).

Obviously as the weather warms up then the dress can be worn on it’s own with trainers (to keep it causal), loafers or tan sandals.

Gingham is the fabric of the season. Both Michael Kors and Carolina Herrera, amongst others, went gingham galore on this season’s catwalks. Needless to say, you can now pick up some gorgeous pieces on the highstreet. Despite this pattern’s moment in the limelight, it is a timeless fabric that you can enjoy year after year, season after season.

The ring and earrings that mum is wearing are compressed cotton pearls by Anq. I bought them from the V&A shop as a Christmas present. With the V&A’s design pedigree it’s no surprise that their website is always worth a look for unusual, but generally well-priced, jewellery.

Trainers, socks and a dress - not to everybody’s taste but I love it. Obviously if you decide to go for this combo then the socks need to look purposeful, no old socks that used to be white but went in with the dark wash! Mine are from Zara and are the perfect colour combination with the tan gingham.

The polo neck that I am wearing is dark green. It’s always worth thinking about colours other than black, navy, grey and cream when choosing your base layers. A pop of colour can be a lovely way of livening up a more neutral outfit.

I have seen this dress worn with a knitted vest which adds another layer of interest and is perfect for Spring. Something like this would work.

You can’t walk into a high street shop at the moment without bumping into a quilted jacket. If you like them then I would highly recommend picking one up as they are so incredibly useful. Brilliant for throwing on for warmth on a cool day or wearing under a winter coat as an extra layer and for some extra pizzazz!

Photography by Alexandra Mooney

Sue wears…

Dress, £150, April Meets October

Polo neck, £24.90, Uniqlo

Trainers, £64, Nike

Ring, £40, Anq

Earrings, £75, Anq

Hannah wears…

Dress, as above

Polo neck old, but similar here