‘Great value’ M&S maxi dress under £40 hailed ‘flattering’

Finding dresses for evenings or special occasions can be difficult, especially with so many options out there. But there’s one dress from Marks and Spencer that shoppers are praising as ‘flattering’ – and it’s available for less than £40.

The M&S Jersey Hardware Ruched Midaxi Bodycon Dress is currently available for £36 and comes in the colour black. Shoppers can choose from petite and regular lengths, along with sizes six to 22 – although some are out of stock.

It is said to offer ‘effortlessly elegant style’ and can be worn for special occasions. It’s cut to a fitted bodycon shape, with added stretch in the fabric for comfort, and it features a one-shoulder asymmetric neckline with metallic hardware detailing.

This piece is complete with a sophisticated midaxi-length hem and ruching at the waist for a flattering silhouette. It’s part of the M&S Collection, which includes easy-to-wear wardrobe staples that ‘combine classic and contemporary styles’.

As an alternative, shoppers could grab this Chocolate Brown Spot Pleated Mesh Print V-Neck Occasion Maxi Dress from Next for £69. This comes in regular and petite lengths and sizes six to 26. It features a flattering V-shaped neckline with ruffle sleeves, and it has a ruched wrap waist and an all-over polka dot print.

Or at Debenhams, there’s this Hiccup Patterned Maxi Dress with Heart Collar for £22.43, down from £29.90, in the colour dark brown. This fitted dress comes in sizes XS to XL, is made from lightweight tulle, and features a ‘charming heart collar’.

While there are only three reviews for the M&S Jersey Hardware Ruched Midaxi Bodycon Dress currently, all of them are five stars. One said: “Flattering and easy to wear with a nice silver metal detail on one shoulder. Great value too well done M&S!”

A second said: “Beautiful dress, fantastic fit and very flattering. I would have preferred ‘short’ as I’m 5’4 and a size 6 regular comes to my feet, but it will be great for holidays.” The third person said: “So pleased with my purchase, this dress is so elegant and I can’t wait to wear it when the weather gets better.”

Others took to Trustpilot to leave their thoughts on M&S as a whole, with one writing: “The website is so slow and glitchy – it spends ages loading each page, it randomly scrolls itself back up to the top of the page while you’re browsing, and they always seem to be ‘out of stock’ for our favourite items. It’s really putting me off ordering from them, and there’s no store close to us.

“I’m thinking of looking elsewhere, just for a less stressful ordering experience.” Another said as part of a longer review: “I love M&S clothing but you need to start stocking more sizes online!”