Designer Dress Reductions

Poppy will graduate in summer this year. The Congregation will take place in Durham Cathedral followed by a celebratory meal. As you might imagine, I’m very excited and proud, as are the rest of our loved ones. I want to wear something special. Really special. I’m fully aware that it’s only the start of February, but now is an excellent time to shop for designer pieces that have been dramatically reduced in the the end-of-season sales. It takes a bit of patience and a lot of trawling, but it’s worth it to snap up some designer, forever pieces.

Yesterday, Ian and I booked a holiday to Calpe in October- the same place and same dates as last year. This time, we’ve invited my parents too because love the place and we want to share it. The start of October is their wedding anniversary and my birthday, therefore, if I choose a fabulous graduation outfit wisely, I’ll be able to wear it again for a double celebration in the sun.

Designer dress reductions: 70% off at Net-A-Porter

I started (and finished), my search at Net-A-Porter, where there is *up to 70% off designer brands such as Stella McCartney, Isabel Marant, Chloe, Valentino, Khaite, The Row and Gianvito Rossi. I always filter the search by starting with designer dress reductions in my size and out them in ascending order of price. Outside of sale times, the vast majority of items on Net-A-Porter are out of my budget; even with these reductions, a lot of the pieces still are.

Because the he graduation ceremony is in the cathedral, I was very mindful of what cut and style I chose. Anything too short, too sheer, too beach-like, would not be appropriate. I wanted something that I could wear with a jacket or blazer in case it’s chilly in Durham. However, the weather in Calpe is infinitely more predictable and is likely to be hot, therefore I didn’t want anything too heavy either. I found a beauty that ticks all of those boxes.

The Ulla Johnson Dalia dress

This is the *Dalia dress by Ulla Johnson. (It’s still available in several sizes at the time of writing). I love the pencil shape skirt and the peplum at the waist. The colourway is beautiful and the applique and embroidery is divine. I have several pairs of Cult Gaia sandals that will be excellent footwear options as well as my Cult Gaia handbag, (the raffia one with the chunky gold chain that I wore all of last summer. See said shoes and bag in my honeymoon wardrobe post). I’ll wear a jacket with it for the cathedral to cover my shoulders and then wear it alone in Spain. I cannot wait to get it and when I do, I’ll report back. And, can you believe it is reduced from £895 to £268.50, a whopping 70% off.

Ulla Johnson does the most beautiful artisanal collections in a natural colours. I was very tempted to buy a few *more of her reduced pieces for my forever summer wardrobe, but I resisted. If you like a boho aesthetic in a super-wearable palette, do take a look.

The Emporio Sirenuse Nellie Stromboli Embroidered dress

This *Emporio Sirenuse dress is another option I ordered, although it might be too beachy to wear for the graduation ceremony even with a cream jacket or blazer. I just adore the silhouette and the heavenly embroidery. This is a timeless dress that will could in my summer closet for decades. Again, I shall report back. This was reduced by 50% from £584.64 to £292.32 and there are still some sizes available. This brand is all about chic yet casual Italian style in feminine silhouettes.

Other retailers with major designer dress reductions

*The Outnet is my go-to for designer reductions. I buy from there because I don’t mind one iota if it is from a previous season. After all, I’m trying to curate a forever-wardrobe. Here super-brands Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabanna and Balmain sit beside Self-Portrait, Zimmerman and Ganni.

*MyTheresa is another website with reductions of up to 70%. At the time of writing there is an extra 20% off certain pieces too. Jil Sander, Jacquemus and Jimmy Choo and Loewe are excellent brands to invest in.

*Selfridges has still got a wide range of items in the sale from top-end high street brands like Ted Baker, Whistles and Reiss through to designer brands Longines, Sandro and Maje.