I was interested to see that Kate Moss was credited over the weekend with the rejuvenation of summer dresses for all. I’d rather hail wrap dress inventor Diane Von Furstenberg as Queen and when I spoke to her recently (backstage at a Biba show – OK I know I’m name dropping), she was still extolling the virtues of the simple classic dress, like she knew we were in for a heatwave.

“But there is a sea of summer dresses out there,” I hear you say, “What makes a simple classic?” This is a question I feel I will shortly be answering in “Ask Caryn,” so I thought I would ponder it here.

Summer dresses are all about frivolity and freedom so for me the best ones are those that, like a best friend, are ready to have fun and can accompany you to any event. They shouldn’t be hard work to wear, they should be effortless to accessorise and they should see you through thick and thin, year in, year out.

At last count I have five full on (need some sun to look good in them) dresses. That’s quite an economical count I know – I have a few others that I wear with skinnies and another layer, but I’m talking full on, girly summer dresses. And it looks like we are in for a hot summer so I may well splash out on another.

I too find myself looking around at the myriad of choices. But as you know from everything we’ve discussed about dressing for your body shape, a simple item of clothing can totally transform you, so why pick anything else? I’ve picked out a style from Wallis that ticks all my style boxes darlings, let me tell you why.

Classic design: Slight fifties references but modern fit. This unlike the tunic or smock style will have much more longevity in your wardrobe.

Faltering shape for your body: There is no body that won’t be flattered by this shape. The fitted bust area, low (but not too low) neckline’ will give you good definition and shape at the bust. And the wide flared skirt will make your waist look smaller. It will cover pear shapes as well as balancing out top-heavy shapes.

Wide shoulder straps: I can’t do bra straps poking out on women over 30. It looks lazy and intentionally unkempt on my teenage daughter so why should it look any better on a woman in search of style serenity. The shape of this dress will ensure that you will never exhibit any feature of your underwear unless you want to.

Print: Well you just can’t loose with a classic floral print of an indiscriminate type. Summer dresses were invented for the floral print. This style has a pleasing not too recognisable pattern, which means you can get it out season after season.

Versatility: I love the way this dress is accessorised with chunky tan sandals and belt, next year however it could look very different with the latest extras.

It’s a plus for me that this dress comes in UK sizes 8-20 because that’s a decent size range for a mainstream store and it is available now for £45. Enjoy!

Wallis ships throughout the UK and to Ireland.

Well you may be loving the warmer weather and looking forward to the feel of your favourite flat strappy sandals as you rescue them from the back of the wardrobe (or if you are a how to dress for your body shape e-book owner) re-instate them in your seasonal storage swap!

But the fact is we in fashion land are covering the autumn and winter collections and last week I was trekking round various venues like the one pictured here to ‘check the offer’ as we say. Of course I had to drink some non-alcoholic cocktails and eat some marvelously manicured tasty tit bits, but I did it all so that you can have a bit of insight into next season.

River Island is one of my favourite high street stores because Richard Bradbury MD is very supportive of the charity Fashion Targets Breast Cancer – this for me acts as an attraction against a sea of indistinguishable mass market product.

I was absolutely bowled over with their accessories and recommend for all age groups a visit to a large ‘River’ any time you are looking for shoes or bags – they are well designed with personality and quality. And if you loved the much photographed Christopher Kane knitwear with large shiny discs you’ll find a high street version awaits you.

Principles also caught my eye with their ‘intelligent design,’ and I was impressed by the quality of the cloth and their thinking around designing for certain shapes. I can report that for autumn the high street have stayed with volume (which for an older or fuller shape is so flattering). Plus soft satins and old golds, creams teals and greys. High waisted trousers and fitted or cropped jackets are really taking off for autumn.

Principles in particular though had created an elegant yet edgy take I liked. 30 and 40 plus consumers can rely on Principles to take over where Whistles and Hobbs have tried to lead. (Of course Jane Shepherdson’s appointment to Whistles will allow for big changes but currently deary me)!

Still I know you are more interested in what I wore so bearing in mind that it was changeable weather (hot/cold/wet/dry) last week I had to be versatile. I am in my ‘fashion journo uniform’ – not too showy – mostly black as we’ve discussed in previous blogs.

But shock horror I’m wearing only one item from the current season, the rest a mix of about three autumn seasons ago. And actually that’s me all over. I do like to get good wear out of my clothes. I don’t throw things away especially when they suit my shape and work with what I already have in my wardrobe, so I just rejuvenate them with new accessories.

I’ve listed everything for you to see what I mean.

• Orange scarf: Brick Lane market and I have worn this to death since I bought it in September.
• Trench Mac: Gap, 3 autumn seasons old. It always comes out trans-season for me to ease the passing of hot to cold or cold to hot.
• V-neck Empire Line Dress: Almost Famous, 2 autumn seasons old. I love this dress and I mostly wear it over skinny jeans.
• Leather Riding Boots: Sniff Boutique, bought last September.
• Large cream patent bag: Marks and Spencer, current and only spring season acquisition (a press freebie actually if I’m honest).

Still there is plenty of time. I don’t really get to grips with summer clothing until June when the sales are on. Then I spend a bit of cash on new to go with my old. What about you?

It’s a very exciting thing being in the studio and I thought I could send you a live blog from the set as we say! But actually I was far too busy.

So I’m catching up with you now. You may be thinking I’m just working with a model (in this case the lovely Krissie) and a photographer.

Actually it’s much more crowded than that. In fact there are 17 of us in the studio right now and we’re all making the latest Simply Be styling video and catalogue shoot for the new autumn collection.

Yes we have to work that far ahead because of the time it takes to print up a catalogue. Of course we could edit the styling films very quickly but the clothes have to be available too.

I’m photographing the collections I have created for Simply Be where I incorporate my styling tools in the designs of the clothes. I’m calling this type of design ‘intelligent dressing’ because the clothes do all the work for you.

In fact I have just started blogging about the properties of individual clothing items so you can recognise what to look out for yourself when you next hit the stores. Just have a look under ‘Intelligent Dressing,’ when you are on my blog for my first post on the subject with many more to follow.

I’m looking forward to showing you what I have done of course but for now here’s a taster of Krissie and I working to my little camera. We had stills and film camera crew there because we record the styling video for the site at the same time.

That’s me in my ‘stylist at work’ uniform what you can’t see is that I have to wear heels while Krissie is in a flat shoe (no I don’t wear heels on the job normally but in flats I was nearly a foot smaller than my ‘supa’ and so for filming it was either heels or stand on a box). And if anyone thinks modelling looks easy let me tell you my supa earned her cash over and over.

First the fittings of about 25 looks took until 5pm and them we had to begin to shoot them. This is where a model really works because the rest of us can lounge about but she (usually in ill fitting shoes has to smile…alot and dance and swirl her skirt about. We left the studio at 8.30pm and she was back in at 7am to start all over. That’s an awful lot of tights to take on and off!

Recently, I chaired the ‘Notions of Beauty,’ debate at the London College of Fashion which was food for thought.

Of course the fashion industry takes a very superficial approach to beauty and this impacts on our perceptions of ourselves and others.

This would be alright if there was a balance, but unfortunately the fashion and beauty industries colonise our viewing space quite literally by creating never ending urban wallpaper, featuring digitally perfect and unobtainable beauty. So we have very little variety.

I started by asking my panel…

“What do you see when you look at another person and how do you read people?”

I got a variety of replies, which reminded that we are being read in so many different ways all the time.

Dr Adrienne Key, consultant psychiatrist and specialist in eating disorders at The Priory and consultant on the Model Health Enquiry, said she looked at bodies and body language. And that she saw bodies before she saw faces. She could read a lot about the way the person treated their body and therefore make assumptions about their self esteem and how they might be feeling about themselves.

Winnie Coutinho, Head of Campaigns & Communications, Changing Faces (a charity that supports & represents people with disfigurements) said she also looked at people’s eyes and into their energy to get more information. A smile was the most important beauty tool for her because she tried to see the person not the veneer.

Michael Shamash, Lecturer and researcher in Social Policy, fashion journalist and former chair of the Restrictive Growth Association, rather interestingly said he looked at people for their reactions to him. He existed in a state of always knowing that he might have to respond to comment either directed at him or about him. He was funny and talked about how parents with their young children sometimes behaved like they might catch ‘viral Dwarfism’ and he felt duty bound to deal with strange attitudes to help educate those around him.

Ruby Hammer a renowned make-up artist and one half of the Ruby and Millie Brand said she looked at skin and could tell quite a bit about a person’s vitality from the texture and hydration of their skin. Working with people so close up was a very intimate space and she learned a great deal about their inner peace (or lack of it) from the outer layer of their face.

I volunteered that I found myself looking at shoes and as a marker of how interested that person was in their appearance. And colour in clothes as a marker of how confidently that person had styled themselves.

You see we all look at people differently, and people perceive us in a variety of ways. That why dressing to please others is never going to be very satisfying because what if you don’t get the response you want? Sometimes you can’t tell whether you have made the right impression.

It did reassure me that using your own taste guidelines and dressing for your body shape is the best route to confidence. When I am wearing clothes that support me, and look good on my body I never worry how people perceive me because I have used the best tools to hand and I am confident that I am looking the best I can.

And confidence, vitality and a smile are everything. My panelists on the ‘Notions of Beauty’ debate taught me quite a bit about looking good that night.

Hooray the maxi dress makes a welcome return this spring and summer as designers play with a variety of hem lengths. Less high- season and more high fashion, the new maxi lengths have more structure and sophistication but all the practicality. Longer lengths avoid the need for debates around suitable hem lengths and mean that you can go bare legged in the summer without the need for tights or leg tint.

The key of course to picking the dress for your shape, is to understand which features to look out for, so here is my quick guide for what to select.

At UK size 8-10, the maxi dress can be anything you want it to be. Your frame can take layers, so a longer length cardigan or a wrap over a shift style dress could be just right for these cooler climates. Or you could choose a statement dress with an elegant silhouette. Lots of floaty layers of chiffon with ruffles or frills will work wonderfully for warmer weather whilst giving your body volume and extra curves.

If you are a standard height UK size 12 or a taller 14 the fitted and structured ankle dress will be a statement piece and one that can take boots in the cold weather or a structured shoe. This style of dress has attitude and allows for a more strident display of your fashion credentials. Bold colour will further your cause.

As a curvy size UK 14, you can use this season’s monotone geometric design to give your dress a harder edged fashion currency. Uneven diagonal lines and pattern on your figure will always streamline your body. Look for a soft yielding fabric and make sure it is beautifully pulled in at the waist.

At UK 16 plus the maxi is a great item for your wardrobe. Long flowing gowns immediately add femininity. Look for definition and fit at the top of your body to show off your bust and let the lightweight, voluminous fabric flow around your tummy, hips and legs. Prioritise a dress with this season’s super sized floral print to balance your frame and you are a fashion goddess.