6 dresses that have given me total escapism this week
We have discussed how dressing up can help boost morale in these uncertain times, and how feel-good fashion can be.
On that note, during the past week, whenever I've become a bit low after too many times refreshing my BBC newsfeed, I've been practicing virtual window shopping.
Dresses in particular are my weakness, no other pieces of clothing bring me more joy or make me feel more empowered. So the past few days, I have been creating my ideal wish list, of dresses that are pure, unadulterated escapism.
Some of them have puff sleeves that look like clouds, others are a periwinkle blue that reminds me of summer. Sure, I can't afford most of them, but it's not about buying them, it's simply about daydreaming, and that I can afford.
Behold, my pretty dress edit, which I hope will put a smile on your face.
Shop now: AJE Paperbark cut-out linen-blend satin dress for £480 from MATCHESFASHION
Shop now: LEE MATHEWS Zoe panelled floral-print silk dress for £790 from MATCHESFASHION
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Shop now: THE MUSE OPEN BACK MIDI DRESS for £95 from GHOSPELL
Shop now: CECILIE BAHNSEN Elin cloqué mini dress for £860 from FARFETCH
Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.
Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).
Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.
However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.
Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.
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